Participants Comment on the University and Agency Partnership Initiative

It was incredibly useful to connect with universities and government agencies to see what they are doing from a program perspective, but also to see what the agencies’ workforce demands and emerging requirements are being defined as. I feel that the UAPI program is crucial as a means to facilitate the workforce requirements associated with the educational process and it is a vital program to continue.

Networking at the UAPI paved the way for me to set up relationships with several university programs including The Naval Postgraduate School, Angelo State Center for Security Studies, University of Alaska Emergency Management and Homeland Security Programs, and Colorado Tech. We are currently working on collaborative educational programs and research opportunities with these universities.

The UAPI Homeland Security Workshop has been simply an invaluable experience. I have learned a great deal about homeland security as an academic discipline and the andragogy needed to be a successful instructor in a diverse graduate classroom of current and aspiring homeland security professionals. I am confident this workshop and its many resources will have a lasting impact on my own teaching and my university’s homeland security curriculum. The Center for Homeland Defense and Security more than lives up to its reputation as the leader in homeland security education-a tremendous national resource!

We have modeled it (our curriculum) after the CHDS curriculum....We are committed to delivering a Homeland Security program that is based upon a known successful curriculum and prepares students to meet the evolving homeland security needs of our country.

The advice, contacts, and experience provided by the Center have been absolutely invaluable to us as we develop our initial HS program at CSU-Pueblo. Just the time saved by using the information provided, and being able to discuss issues with other UAPI partners, has saved countless hours in our efforts. It is like having a "national HS educational support staff" upon which we can call at any time!!

I have found engagement with the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Homeland Defense and Security to be a valuable partnership and one with which Penn State plans to continue. The CHDS's conferences and visits have provided a framework to help all of understand homeland security better. Moreover, these events have provided a much needed forum in which perspectives around all homeland security issues may be discussed without political lenses. Third, as a partner in the National Guard education program, we have found the Center's materials to be of the highest quality and easy to integrate into Penn State's program. Finally, I appreciate the contacts that have been through CHDS. I believe because of their efforts we are building a community of practice around homeland security.

I was very impressed with the work that has been done [through UAPI]. I am not convinced Homeland Security is a discipline in itself but, nevertheless, the work that’s been done through NPS is remarkable. So whether or not it is a discipline in itself, the curriculum development is important and very well done.

Likewise, I was impressed with a number of the [Partners]. When it comes to what I would term "emergency management and national security", there was a high level of strong experience represented.

The role that CHDS plays in fertilizing curricular growth - through its digital library, curriculum library, and video materials - ensures that the work of its experts and others across the nation enriches homeland security education and, ultimately, homeland security, as well.

I have found the Center publications and programs to be most useful to us at George Mason, as we stood up our own homeland security/emergency management certificate program within our MPA program. I had the opportunity to come out for a week and be part of a program where selected academics joined together to discuss creating special educational programs for the National Guard. The materials, powerpoints, and in depth discussions were quite valuable to us as we work with the Guard to develop a program here in Northern Virginia. One of the most valuable features is the network of first rate experts that are brought to together to exchange notes and perspectives.

I participated in the UAPI Partners program in 2008. I found the instruction and course materials to be excellent. The contacts built through this program provide significant potential for future cooperation which should prove mutually beneficial for all participants. It is my impression that the Center for Homeland Defense and Security constitutes an excellent model for developing mutual cooperation for a very fragmented system.

CHDS is the "hub" institution for homeland defense and security education and related outreach. The UCCS Center for Homeland Security continues to access CHDS materials and conferences as the means to gain the most current and relevant information on DHS and DOD requirements. The relationship ensures that my center can align resources and capabilities in applied education and research to service national needs in rapidly growing HS/HD disciplines.