St. Cloud Technical & Community College (SCTCC) was recognized for the designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) at the 2023 National Cyber Education Colloquium held Sept. 18-22 in Illinois.
The Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) designation confirms that SCTCC is helping reduce threats to national infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense as well as providing a talent pipeline of qualified cybersecurity professionals.
To receive a CAE-CD designation, SCTCC met the rigorous requirements set by the National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA awards CAE-CD designations to institutions that commit to producing cybersecurity professionals who will reduce vulnerabilities in our national infrastructure. Cybersecurity is crucial for all industries and organizations to help prevent data breaches, identity theft, and other cybercrimes. Because of increasingly global connections, the risk of cybercrimes is increasing.
“The recognition as a CAE-CD at the national level is an outstanding accomplishment of our faculty members, Brian Volkmuth and Ryan Salner, who have dedicated their time and expertise to provide this incredible opportunity for our students, the Central Minnesota region, and area industries and organizations,” said President Lori Kloos. “The College is committed to collaborating with CAE partners to support the need for highly skilled cybersecurity professionals at regional business, industry, and non-profit institutions.”
SCTCC Information Technology faculty members Brian Volkmuth and Ryan Salner worked to bring the Cybersecurity Associate in Applied Science (AAS) to SCTCC and started offering the major in fall semester 2019.
In August of 2022, the AAS degree was validated by the NSA’s Center of Academic Excellence Project Management Office, the first step in SCTCC becoming fully designated as a CAE-CD. Spring 2023, the Cybersecurity AAS received the full designation through the academic year 2028. The 60-credit degree focuses on foundational information, technology knowledge, and focused cybersecurity skills to provide graduates with the skills to become security specialists.
With the CAE-CD designation, SCTCC students can now compete for grants like the Dept. of Defense Cybersecurity Scholarship Program and apply for the National Science Foundation’s Scholarship for Service program. Additionally, SCTCC faculty will have access to national training centers and will be able to collaborate and create partnerships and transfer pathways with other CAE-designated schools. One of the most exciting opportunities will be regional and national Cybersecurity competitions where our students will compete against two- and four-year colleges.
Partnerships and collaborations with other institutions is also an important piece of the designation; as part of a grant, SCTCC received two Computer Forensics workstations from St. Cloud State. SCTCC will continue collaborating with St. Cloud State University on grants and continuing education opportunities through articulations and joint experiences for both students and faculty in the areas of Cybersecurity and Information Assurance.
SCTCC’s Information Technology degrees: Cybersecurity & Network Administration
SCTCC’s Center for Cybersecurity
About the CAE-C Program
The Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) Community is the organized group of community colleges, colleges, and universities that hold a designation from the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) program. The mission of the CAE-C Community is to provide NCAE-C institutions with resources to aid in individual success through workshop facilitation, marketing efforts, and communication tools. The CAE-C Community actively engages with government representatives to provide educational workshops, opportunities for funding, conferences, and working groups. The community also partners with industry to ensure that students entering the next generation cyber workforce have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities for a successful career in cyber.