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Monterey CA - July 2012

Recca: Homeland Security Education Still Growing

With a new leader at the helm, the Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s University and Agency Partnership Initiative continues building new partnerships while also pivoting toward greater emphasis on maturing curriculum at participating schools.

Steve Recca, UAPI deputy director since 2009, will be overseeing UAPI following of Stan Supinski’s departure in June.

"We want to sustain the good work that Stan has built over the past seven years," Recca said. "We will continue to work with our partner universities and agency stakeholders to mature homeland security curricula, as well as looking into new areas of research and education to advance the discipline."

Despite a rapid proliferation of programs immediately following 9/11, homeland security education remains a growing field. UAPI has gained nearly 100 partners this year alone, bringing the total number of affiliates to 293. Recca sees that trend continuing. A couple of new schools contact UAPI each week for information, he noted. Expanding UAPI has been aided in some instances by CHDS graduates who have gone on to teach at the college level.

"It’s fascinating to see the number of universities interested in homeland security education consistently increasing," Recca said. "There is a limit, but we are still in a growth phase."

As UAPI seeks to sustain its growth, Recca will concentrate on reinforcing existing curricula with university partners. This goal centers on encouraging university research of homeland security issues, potentially forming consortiums and supporting new academic outlets such as the Journal of Homeland Security Education (see www.JournalHSE.org).

One possible partnership is with FEMA Region V in Chicago to develop a regional education forum specific to homeland security. The goal would be to gauge what research capabilities educational institutions such as CHDS can bring to bear on challenges facing the agency in the region that includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. A subsequent endeavor would be staged at FEMA Region VIII in Denver.

"The idea is to see if we can form an alliance with FEMA and educational partners in the region," Recca said. "Our job is to give it energy up front and watch it grow, not to necessarily own or manage the process."

While looking to influence education in the United States, UAPI continues to look for opportunities to incorporate international partners. UAPI hosted a Continental Security Conference in December 2010 that included representatives from Mexico and Canada. And, representatives from several Canadian universities are scheduled to attend the August 2012 UAPI Faculty Development Workshop.

"We don’t have a plan formulated for the international aspect of homeland security education," Recca said. "There clearly is a need to bring in education partners from Canada, Mexico, and beyond. We want to verify where the interest is, and expand what homeland security means outside of the United States. In the end, UAPI will contribute to overarching role CHDS will play in enlarging the space of homeland security education."

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