Michael Connor grew up respecting law enforcement. Raised by a father who served in the military as a policeman, Connor knew that one day he wanted to make his father proud by following in his footsteps.
By the time he entered the BA in Criminal Justice program at Florida Tech, he had achieved that goal, working as a police officer for more than two decades. However, earning the degree gave him the chance to move up even higher in the law enforcement profession.
Shortly after he graduated in 2019, the Chief of Police position came open at the Indialantic Police Department where Connor had worked since 1998 as a police officer and sergeant. In December 2019, Connor was promoted to the job.
“My Criminal Justice degree from Florida Tech is a major reason I am the Chief of Police at the Indialantic Police Department today,” Connor said. “One month after I graduated, the Chief’s position became vacant. Having a little more than 21 years of service at the Indialantic Police Department and a fresh Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice – Homeland Security, I was the most qualified candidate for the position, and I was appointed Chief.”
Raised To Respect Law Enforcement
Connor grew up in a military family and described himself as the “quintessential military brat.”
His father served as a Security Policeman in the United States Air Force for more than 20 years at bases around the world. Born at Bergstrom Air Force Base outside Austin, Texas, Connor eventually attended Pied Piper preschool at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, TAR Elementary School in Berlin, Germany, SD Lee High School in Columbus, Mississippi, and Hahn American High School at Hahn Air Base, Germany.
However, the family was always drawn back to Brevard County in Florida, Connor said. He attended school there and eventually went to Satellite High School.
In addition to the chance to travel the world, Connor’s father had also provided him a role model.
“As a young child, I looked up to my father and respected what he did,” Connor said. “He often told me stories of his service in the Air Force and the law enforcement profession, and I wanted to emulate my father and make him proud.”
The Educational Road That Led to Florida Tech
In 1990, Connor began his law enforcement career as a dispatcher for the Satellite Beach Police Department. In 1992, he graduated from the Brevard Community College police academy.
Connor worked as a dispatcher and then police officer in Satellite Beach until 1994. He then worked as a safety and security manager for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service at Patrick Air Force Base, while also serving as a part-time dispatcher at Indian Harbour Beach. In 1998, he transitioned back to a police officer position with the Indialantic Police Department. Indialantic is also in Brevard County, just south of Satellite Beach.
Connor eventually decided he wanted to pursue a criminal justice degree “to enhance my understanding of my chosen career field as well as assist me in advancing in career opportunities.”
Why He Chose Florida Tech
Connor said four main factors led him to choose Florida Tech as the place to earn his Criminal Justice degree.
- Florida Tech’s reputation as an academic leader among its collegiate peers, particularly in STEM programs
- The convenience of earning a degree in an online, accelerated program
- Florida Tech’s tuition discounts for First Responder Students
- The quality of the school’s advisors and instructors
Florida Tech also offers a generous credit transfer policy for those who complete a Law Enforcement or Corrections Academy and pass the Florida State Officer Certification Exam. Students may earn up to 18 credit hours and six courses for Florida Certified Law Enforcement or up to 12 credit hours and four courses for Florida Certified Corrections Officers.
While Connor used his degree to become a police chief, graduates from a BA in Criminal Justice program have many career options. They include working as a detective, FBI agent, private investigator, corrections officer or other related roles.
The Florida Tech Online Experience
Taking classes online allowed Connor to continue working while earning his degree. He said the Florida Tech online experience offered a “smooth transition from one step of the process to the another. From the Mastering eLearning program and Evans Library introduction in the beginning to working with my advisors through to graduation, it truly was seamless and well organized,” Connor said.
He also credited three professors for making the experience even more special.
Connor said that Professor Jim Reynolds has been a professional acquaintance for many years and that he brought both a sense of humor and passion for teaching that made his classes interesting and engaging.
“Having him as a professor for several classes helped take some of the anxiety of going back to school after being out for so many years,” Connor said.
He also credited Dr. Marshall Jones, another professional acquaintance, for his work as an “outstanding educator” who provided enjoyable video presentations. And Connor said Professor Keith Touchberry assisted him when he had questions or “wanted to dive into the subject matter a little deeper. Professor Touchberry was the consummate professional instructor and his classes in ethics were top notch.”
Application to Real-World Situations
Florida Tech’s BA in Criminal Justice focuses on preparing graduates with both expertise in criminal justice theory and practical methods to apply these theories to real-world situations.
Connor said has directly applied what he learned from courses in the BA in Criminal Justice curriculum to his job. He specifically cited the Research Methods in Applied Psychology course, which taught him research methods to explore and write grants. He also said that courses such as Contemporary Policing Strategies gave him “ideas on ways to include community involvement in policing, which I feel is very important considering recent events.”
Connor said the online BA in Criminal Justice program also benefited him in other ways.
“Attending Florida Tech online forced me to hone my self-discipline and prioritization skills, which I carried over into my current role as Chief of Police,” he said. “The role of Chief is extremely demanding, and my day usually starts before I step foot into the office, and it carries over until long after I am home. Being new in the role, I used the discipline I learned as an online student to prioritize tasks and set deadlines for the most important items that need attention.”
Advice to New Students
Connor said the best advice he can give prospective students in Florida Tech’s Criminal Justice programs is have a positive attitude. He also said students should be team players, as several courses have group projects that require everyone to do their part.
He said self-discipline and motivation are key to success as an online student.
“The biggest challenge I faced as an online student was keeping up with assignments and the amount of coursework while working full time,” Connor said. “The eight-week courses are accelerated; therefore, there is twice the amount of work coming at you in half the time as a traditional semester.”
He said he was working a 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift as a patrol sergeant and managing a squad of officers when he entered the program, making a good life-work-school balance challenging. But he eventually did so through self-discipline.
He also received great help from his Bisk student success representatives, Malaney Hupp and Matthew Kowalczyk. “I am sure I drove Malaney a little crazy at first, as I had many questions,” he joked. He said both reps kept him on track and explained course progression through graduation. They also called every other week just to check in and see if he had any questions.
He said in addition to what he learned in the courses, one of the most valuable takeaways from the program has been the relationships.
“My most valuable takeaway from the Criminal Justice program was the contacts and friendships I made with instructors and students from all over the world,” Connor said. “I graduated a little over a year ago and I still keep in close contact with several of them.”