Submitted by Whatcom Community College
Confirming its stature as a national leader in cybersecurity education, Whatcom Community College has been designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense. Whatcom is among the first community colleges in the United States to earn this distinction, which recognizes colleges that are models of education and training in the information assurance field with curriculum mapped to the NSA’s latest requirements.
The College was initially named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cybersecurity in 2011. This new designation, which extends through the 2021 academic year, follows an extensive review of Whatcom’s program by the NSA that confirms the curriculum meets stringent, new standards.
“The College is extremely proud of this national recognition and the attention it brings to our community as an educational leader in the growing field of cybersecurity,” says WCC President Kathi Hiyane-Brown. “This designation reflects the leadership and commitment of program faculty and staff, especially WCC Technology Department Chair Corrinne Sande. Most importantly, it helps our students as they enter the workforce or transfer to four-year schools because it confirms they graduated from a program nationally recognized for its excellence and alignment to the highest information security standards for two-year college education.” Whatcom is also the lead institution and home of CyberWatch West, a National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education center that is one of only four in the nation in the field of cybersecurity education and the only one on the West Coast.
The College’s acclaimed Computer Information Systems (CIS) program, started in 1996, has evolved to reflect the changing nature of cyberattacks as well as industry standards. Initially focused on computer programming, support and networking, the program now offers a CIS degree with an emphasis on information security; an associate in applied science transfer degree in cybersecurity, aligned with a corresponding bachelor’s degree program at Western Washington University; and an associate in science – criminal justice, with an option in computer forensics. Programs include a full year of Cisco-approved networking courses. WCC also offers certificates in network administration, technical support and information security. CIS enrollment has increased nearly 50 percent in the past five years from 110 to 167 students; one out of four students is a veteran.
According to the announcement from the NSA and Department of Homeland Security: “(Whatcom’s) ability to meet the increasing demands of the program criteria will serve the nation well in contributing to the protection of the National Information Infrastructure. The Presidents’ National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, February 2003, and the International Strategy for Cyberspace, May 2011, addresses the critical shortage of professionals with these skills and highlights the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace.”
Ms. Sande, who is also the lead faculty member of the Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity programs and the principal investigator/director of CyberWatch West, will receive Whatcom’s certificate on behalf of the institution during a Nov. 4 ceremony at the Center of Academic Excellence Community Meeting in Columbia, MD.
