The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) jointly announce the designation of the following universities as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education for academic years 2008 through 2013:
- California State University, San Bernardino
- Georgetown University
- Southern Polytechnic State University
- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- University of Denver
- University of Missouri - Columbia
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- West Virginia University
The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE) Program is intended to reduce vulnerabilities in the national information infrastructure by promoting higher education in information assurance and producing a growing number of professionals with information assurance expertise in various disciplines. CAE schools have enabled government, academia and industry to recruit students to meet their specific requirements. The knowledge these students have obtained has contributed to a tremendous source of well educated and trained information assurance personnel that are a great asset to the Nation.
Designation as a Center is good for five academic years, after which a university must successfully reapply in order to retain the designation. The following universities were designated during 2005. They reapplied and were successfully evaluated against strengthened criteria:
- Air Force Institute of Technology
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
- DePaul University
- East Carolina University
- New Mexico Tech
- Northeastern University
- Nova Southeastern University
- Oklahoma State University
- Polytechnic University
- The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Towson University
- United States Air Force Academy
- University at Buffalo, the State University of New York
- University of Maryland University College
- University of Nebraska at Omaha
In addition, the following universities were among the original schools that obtained the designation of National Center of Academic Excellence in IA Education. They originally received the designation in 1999, and re-applied and were re-designated in 2002, 2005, and now 2008. They are to be commended for their continued support and excellence in the field of Information Assurance Education:
- George Mason University
- Idaho State University
- Iowa State University
- James Madison University
- University of California at Davis
- University of Idaho
The designations and re-designations for 2008 result in a total of 93 Centers across 37 states and the District of Columbia.
Several additional universities submitted applications, and many demonstrated strong potential as future Centers. They are applauded for their efforts, and are encouraged to continue to develop their information assurance programs and reapply.
Presentations will be made to new and re-designated Centers on 4 June 2008 during an awards ceremony at the annual conference of the Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education. The conference will be held at the University of Texas at Dallas on June 2 - 4 2008.
The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence Programs. This partnership was formed in April 2004, and responds to Priority III of the President's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace of 2003 that directs the Federal Government to foster training and education programs to support the Nation's cybersecurity needs, and to increase the efficiency of existing Federal cybersecurity programs. The President's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace refers to cyberspace as the nervous system of our Nation's critical infrastructures, and indicates that the healthy functioning of cyberspace is essential to our economy and our national security. Securing cyberspace presents a difficult strategic challenge, and information assurance education is a critical component in successfully meeting that challenge.
Universities designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants through both the Federal and Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Programs.
Media representatives interested in additional information regarding the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education Programs may contact the Public and Media Affairs Office at (301) 688-6524 or by email at nsapao@nsa.gov. Additional information is also available on the IAD website at iad.gov, or by contacting the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education program office via email at askCAEIAE@nsa.gov.