According to the news release, the Center of Academic Excellence in cyberdefense is awarded to academic institutions that offer cybersecurity degrees and/or certificates. The National Security Agency launched this designation for two-year colleges in 2019.
Quote of note
“Tarrant County College is honored to be designated as the National Center of Academic Excellence in cybersecurity,” said Shahla Durany, instructor/coordinator for the Office Technology Professional Program with TCC Connect. “Institutions that receive this designation have met very rigorous requirements established by the NSA. This designation will showcase the quality of the cybersecurity program that we teach at [TCC] and reinforce our commitment to providing quality education in this field.”
The details
The news release states that National CAE Program Manager Renae Weathers said TCC’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.
Weathers also said education is the key to promoting the ideals of a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce as a strategic national security advantage and building the domestic talent pipeline.
Diving in deeper
Richard Sellers, who teaches computer science at TCC Southeast, said there are a number of reasons gaining the National Center of Academic Excellence in cyberdefense designation while working on their associate degree in cybersecurity benefits students. They include:
- Quality assurance
- Relevance to industry
- Strong faculty expertise
- Career opportunities
- Research opportunities
- Cybersecurity awareness
