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Dennis Donna, BA, MS
Adjunct Instructor, School of Criminal Justice, ASCJ
After dedicating 27 years of his life to law enforcement, Dennis Donna is on a new beat—bringing his knowledge and experience to the virtual classrooms through Stonecliffe College Online, an academic division of Colorado Technical University. When Dennis heard about online opportunities for teaching he knew it was something he wanted to do. "I am excited about the opportunities to explore criminal justice issues and help students learn more about the various aspects of the police, the courts and corrections. As a 27 year veteran of law enforcement, I have a wealth of experience to share in my lectures through the innovative methods used through Stonecliffe's virtual classrooms." Donna's education, professional experience, personal interests and overwhelming sense of dedication make him a great asset to his students at Stonecliffe College Online.
Donna's vast professional experience in law enforcement began as a police officer in a small, Illinois town, where "only 16 officers worked in a community of 11,000 people. We did everything back then, including collecting evidence, interviewing suspects, and booking prisoners." Dennis eventually joined the police force in Mesa, Arizona, where he advanced through the ranks to become the Police Chief. "During my long career, I have worked patrol, investigations, traffic, supervised officers, managed major programs and trained new and in-service officers. I have worked gangs, managed terrorism efforts, investigated major traffic accidents, made numerous arrests and testified in court. Mesa, a large city of 450,000 with over 800 sworn officers and 500 civilian police employees, gave me experiences that I greatly cherish today in retirement." Donna brings these experiences to his students in the virtual classroom at Stonecliffe College Online, which can lead to very lively interaction in the live chats. "I try to be outgoing in the live chats and try to bring the course syllabus to life by stimulating interaction."
Donna earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice from Lewis University and a Master of Science in Justice Studies from Arizona State University. He also has five years experience in teaching criminal justice courses at a community college in Arizona. "Throughout my professional life, I have used education to further my interests and my career. I have attended many seminars, some elite programs and I obtained my Bachelor's and Master's degrees while working full-time. I have studied and trained officers in the everyday tactics used in law enforcement to prevent crime or deal with offenders." He believes that "leadership is an important characteristic to policing" that can be "developed through education." Through his courses at Stonecliffe College Online, Donna encourages his students to demonstrate their personal leadership through accountability and dedication to their goals.
Donna instructs Intoduction to Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Operations and Report Writing through Stonecliffe College Online. "My interests in law enforcement are many, since this is a career where you can develop a passion in multiple subjects." He believes that "modern technologies" should be utilized for "the recruitment, hiring and training of new officers, prosecutors, detention officers and all of the job classifications that combine to make up the justice system." Donna believes that online learning through Stonecliffe College Online can be one of the technologies used to train and recruit the right people for the modern justice system.
Donna is a firm believer in online learning through Stonecliffe College Online. His leadership qualities can be particularly useful to students who are new to online learning in his introductory course. "Although my primary goal is to facilitate learning and understanding of the materials, I also understand that students come from diverse backgrounds and not everyone catches on to online learning at the same pace. I treat each student individually on a situational basis and I empathize with working students. My job is to nurture, lead and help students maximize their learning potential. I demonstrate to students how the virtual classroom works and how they can achieve success through online learning."
As students progress through the Associate of Science in Criminal Justice degree program, Donna shifts the emphasis to other things that can help students succeed. "Once students become more comfortable with the virtual classroom I can focus on things like helping students improve their writing skills, develop logical thought processes and critical thinking." All of these assets can help build leadership qualities in students and can help lead them toward success in law enforcement and criminal justice occupations. "I am here to help students get into an exciting new career in criminal justice by providing the resources they need, through education, to be successful in criminal justice."
When Donna is not policing his virtual classrooms, he likes to unwind in the pages of a good book, or attend sporting events rooting for one of his favorite Phoenix area teams. Dennis may also be found in one of our national parks taking in the sights and sounds of nature, behind the grips of his Honda Goldwing touring motorcycle. "We love the great outdoors. Retirement, combined with the flexibility of teaching online, gives my wife and I the freedom to move about."
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