For some people, an undergraduate education means getting ready for the job market or specializing in a skill that can earn a coveted promotion. For others, it’s a means to find themselves and their calling in life. But for Bill Mossman ’09, a Saint Joseph’s University College graduate and chief of the Phoenixville police department, the things he learned in preparation for his graduation on Saturday, May 16, will be useful for more than just the day-to-day operations of his office: they will help him save lives.
Mossman enrolled at Saint Joseph's in 2005 as a criminal justice major after studying at Montgomery County Community College (MCCC). He had seen colleagues earn their associate’s degrees at MCCC and move on to SJU and heard of the University’s strong reputation with adult learners.
“The instructors at Saint Joseph’s are great,” he said. “They want to work within the students’ schedules, and they helped us stay caught up if we had to miss a class for other obligations.”
Mossman was a sergeant when he began his time at SJU, but quickly climbed the police ranks while still enrolled as a student. He said that balancing his class work with family and the responsibilities that come with promotions to lieutenant and chief was difficult, but that persistence paid off in the end. He rounded out his studies at the FBI National Academy, where he took courses on police administration.
“The things I learned at SJU – criminology and sociology in particular – really help on the job,” he said. “They give you a better understanding of the people you’re policing, and let you see behind a criminal’s actions. I also took classes on criminal theory and statistics, which are invaluable when I’m reporting to borough officials and need to have all the facts on hand.”
Contact: Office of University Communications, 610-660-1222, ucomm@sju.edu
