One day soon, these men and women may analyze intelligence downloaded from satellites or recorded during an overseas phone call.
The future may find them tracking persons of interest to derail fledgling plots of terrorism. They may soon thwart cybercriminals’ attempts to steal computerized data or solve a crime by cleverly finding and following a cybertrail.
But today, these future homeland security heroes are in at Anne Arundel Community College learning how to accomplish these tasks. The college, which attracts nearly 55,000 credit and noncredit students annually, offers degrees, certificates, credit and noncredit courses in all aspects of homeland security.
Career changers and traditional-age college students alike are enthusiastically enrolling in these es (www.aacc.edu/criminaljustice). The war abroad, worldwide and domestic tensions have ignited employers’ demands for workers in homeland security fields from law enforcement and information systems security (www.aacc.edu/cis/default.cfm) to intelligence analysis, cargo handling and computer forensics.
AACC launched its Homeland Security Management degree program in fall 2006 after years of research
and planning with professionals in law enforcement, security, intelligence, military, fire and rescue, healthcare, corrections, technology, human resources and emergency management. While developing the degree, the college offered many of the courses that now form the backbone of the degree program and saw the seats filled to capacity. These courses focused on terrorism, counterterrorism and the history of unconventional warfare.
“Based on federal, state and local guidance, as well as the concerns of private industry, we determined the core areas for our homeland security curriculum included terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, emergency response, intelligence, private sector security, border security, transportation security, protection of critical infrastructure and key assets and disaster planning,” said Kathleen Happ, dean of AACC’s School of Business, Computing and Technical Studies.
The Maryland Higher Education Commission granted the program statewide designation status, which saves out-of-county students almost 50 percent in tuition costs. In-county students pay $86 per credit while out-of-county students enrolled in programs lacking the statewide designation pay $165 per credit.
A degree program in Information Systems Security launched in 2005 (www.aacc.edu/cis/cis_infosec.cfm) is experiencing similar success. Its enrollment has more than doubled to 70 students in one year, in part because the program of study fully maps to National Security Telecommunications and Systems Security Instruction (NSTISSI) No. 4011.
“Two groups, the Committee on National Security Systems and National Security Agency, have certified that our program meets the national standard for NSTISSI No. 4011 through academic year 2009,” said Fred Klappenberger, professor and department chair of AACC computer information systems. “The need for this degree is overwhelming, and student and business interest is very high. Our program also prepares students to sit for certification tests in Network+, Security+, Cisco Certified Network Associate and Security Certified Network Professional,”
More courses and credentialing programs tied to national security initiatives are in the works. The college is awaiting state approval of a certificate program in intelligence analytics, which will build on courses developed and offered through a partnership with Comprehensive Intelligence Technology of Annapolis (CINTT). The program will start this fall if approved.
The college is currently creating contract training instruction in cargo handling and transportation management for the Baltimore-Washington region under a $2.1 million President’s Community-Based Job Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. AACC’s Center for Workforce Solutions, which conducts contract training, will provide instruction to 300 current port workers and recruit additional students to fill the growing number of jobs at seaports and airports nationwide.
“With outstanding partners such as BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, this training project has the opportunity to significantly impact the industry,” said Laura Weidner, executive director of the center.
AACC offers numerous noncredit, continuing education offerings in this area. Two new courses this spring in forensic computer examinations prepare students to take the Certified Computer Examiner (CCE) certification exam.
Looking ahead, new credit courses on tap for fall 2007 include “National Security Challenges of the 21st Century” (HLS 240), “Intelligence Analytics Seminar” (HLS 235) and “Intelligence Support to the Policy Maker and Military” (HLS 230).
“We work closely with employers to keep our curriculum current and to give our students the skills and knowledge needed for success on the job,” Happ said. “As a result, our students and graduates can transfer into homeland security programs at four-year colleges and universities or go directly into the workforce. They’re ready to tackle the challenges facing those who work in homeland security today.”
University Contact: Debbie McDaniel-ShaughneyPublic Relations ManagerAnne Arundel Community CollegePhone: 410-777-7259Email: dmshaughney@aacc.edu