Faculty Contact Information:
I can be contacted at the email address given above. Please always address me by my first name. (By the way, I am a guy (male).)
If you have any questions about the course feel free to contact me via email.
Each email message subject line must begin with "ITSM 620:", otherwise, your message may wind up in my junk email folder. Thanks.
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Consultation:
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Most of our communications will occur online via WebTycho, but messages of a private nature should be handled via email. See my faculty email address above.
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Required Texts and Readings:
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Supplementary Readings:
The 9/11 Commission Report. Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.
The Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. Report to the President of the United States. March 31, 2005.
Protecting the American Homeland: One Year On. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. ISBN: 0815764537.
Committee on Science and Technology for Countering Terrorism, National Research Council. (2002). Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. ISBN: 0309084814.
Cordesman, Anthony H., with Justin G. Cordesman. (2002). Cyber-Threats, Information Warfare, and Critical Infrastructure Protection: Defending the U.S. Homeland. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN: 0275974235.
Interagency Working Group on Information Technology Research and Development, National Science and Technology Council. (2002). Strengthening National, Homeland, and Economic Security. Arlington, VA: National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research and Development.
All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills.
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Recommended Journals:
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Publications of the various professional societies (such as ACM -- the Association for Computing Machinery, the IEEE Computing Society, and the various management professional societies) are strongly recommended. In addition, there are many trade journals (such as eWEEK) that MIS professionals should become familiar with, many of these being published both weekly and on-line.
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Course Description:
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The course identifies and defines physical, cyber, political and social aspects of homeland security, their integral relationships and importance. Inherent and incidental vulnerabilities are examined, as are natural, accidental and deliberate threats, from individuals, groups or nations. Organizational and political considerations are addressed both theoretically and pragmatically. Homeland security is considered prospectively, from a planning perspective; dynamically, as an ongoing process; and retrospectively, requiring continual remediation and improvement. The course addresses the challenge of managing far-flung programs and operations, working closely and cooperatively with other nations, governments at various levels, and engaging both the public and private sectors on critical issues with no previously defined parameters. Fundamental constitutional and legal issues, especially social and human rights issues, are examined. Advanced technologies and services critical to homeland security, particularly telecommunications and information technologies are discussed.
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Course Goals:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should understand and be able to apply knowledge concerning:
- The homeland security needs at all levels of government,
- Institutional vulnerabilities in both the public and private sectors,
- The trade-offs inherent in providing both protection and privacy,
- Technology's importance as both an asset to be protected and a critical element of support in providing security.
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Course Objectives:
At the end of the course the students should,
- Delineate the primary domestic and international, state and local aspects of homeland security, their inherent links, practical interrelationships, significance and vulnerabilities.
- Explain the diverse but interdependent dimensions of homeland security, including the fundamental importance of safeguarding of key infrastructures and political, economic and social institutions.
- Recognize significant vulnerabilities, whether widespread or peculiar to a location or circumstance and be aware of possible threats to homeland security that may arise from individuals, groups or nations.
- Elaborate the far-reaching challenges of organizing, managing and coordinating homeland security operations within the federal government itself and in its relationships with state, local and international governments and with the private sector.
- Recognize that fundamental human rights and responsibilities, including privacy and due process of law, are essential to homeland security and must be safeguarded as such.
- Understand the critical value of advanced technologies, systems and services --telecommunications and information technologies and systems, in particular -- in making our nation safer.
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Grading Information:
The final grade will be determined as follows:
Class Participation 10%
Study Group Assignment 15%
Individual Research Report 20%
Weekly Quizzes 5%
Mid Term Exam 25%
Final Exam 25%
According to the Graduate School grading policy, the following symbols and scale are used:
A = excellent (90-100)
B = good (80-89)
C = passing (70-79)
F = failure (less than 70)
The grade of "B" represents the benchmark for the Graduate School. It indicates the student has demonstrated competency in the subject matter of the course, i.e., has fulfilled all course requirements on time, has a clear grasp of the full range of course materials and concepts, and is able to present and apply these materials and concepts in clear, reasoned, well-organized and grammatically correct responses, whether written or oral.
Only students who fully meet this standard and, in addition, who demonstrate exceptional comprehension and application of the course subject matter, merit an "A."
Students who do not meet the benchmark standard of competency fall within the "C" range or lower. They, in effect, have not met graduate level standards. Where this failure is substantial, they earn an "F."
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Course Requirements:
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Students are required to read materials assigned each week and participate in the discussion threads on posted topics; to take a role with others in leading discussions as assigned, typically one week during the course; actively participate with others, as assigned, in the research of a specified topic and submission of a word processing document and presentation report on the topic; selection of a topic for individual research, researching the topic and preparing a word processing document report on the topic; researching and responding to final exam.
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Description of Course Requirements:
Active participation on a timely, regular basis is essential to quality distance education and is expected of all students. The study group assignment is integral to collaborative learning, providing a dimension that complements the ongoing interactive role afforded through the classroom website; the individual research report affords each student an opportunity to research in depth a relevant topic of particular interest; and the final exam will seek to pull together fundamental elements of homeland security.
Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment.
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Course Schedule:
Week 1: Dimensions and Parameters of Homeland Security
June 4 - 10
* Domestic and International Dimensions
* Political, Social and Human Factors
* Physical and Cyber Elements
* Complex and Interdependent Links and Relationships
Week 2: Vulnerabilities and Threats
June 11 - 17
* Widespread and Local
* Within the U.S. and its Territories and Beyond
* Common and Specific Vulnerabilities
* Causes, Prevention and Correction
* Deliberate Acts of Disruption, Destruction or Terrorism
* Physical, Biological, Chemical, Cyber and Propaganda Attacks
* Nuclear and Radiological Threats
Week 3: Marshaling Resources
June 18 - 24
* Military and Government, Domestic and International
* State and Local Governments
* Major Universities, Laboratories, Hospitals and Research Institutions
* Corporations and the Private Sector
* Prominent Civic and Religious Leaders and Informed Individuals
Week 4: Developing and Introducing Advanced Technologies
June 25 - July 1
* Critical infrastructures and industries
* Modeling and Simulation
* Systems Analysis and Management
Week 5: Organizing for Homeland Security
July 2 - 8
* The USA Patriot Act
* The Homeland Security Act
* HSPD-7 and HSPD-8
* DHS
* State and local government
First paper due
Session 6: Mid-term Exam
July 9 - 15
Week 7: Safeguarding Buildings and Fixed Structures
July 16 - 22
* Key Government and Military Locations
* Harbors, Bridges and Tunnels
* National Monuments and Landmarks
Week 8: Strengthening Critical Infrastructures
July 23 - 29
* Travel and Transportation Facilities
* Energy Production and Supply
* Potable Water Reservoirs and Supply Systems
* Core Communications Facilities and Links
* Information and Internet Services
* Telecommunications Facilities and Services
* Central Banking and Financial Institutions
* Banking and Financial Transactions and Services
Week 9: Government
July 29 - August 5
* Executive, Legislative and Judicial Offices
* Military Command Posts
* Critical Government Operations and Services
* Assuring International Communication
* Key Offices
* Police, Fire and Emergency Services
* Assuring Federal, State and Local Cooperation
Week 10: Responding to Terrorist Acts
August 6 - 12
* Political response:
o Informing the Public on a Timely and Regular Basis
o Engaging International Allies and Essential Partners
* "First Responders"
* Industry response
Second Paper Due
Week 11: Final Exam
August 13 - 19
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Academic Policies:
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The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course.
Students with disabilities should contact the appropriate support office at UMUC-Europe.
Jan Keller, Director of Student Services
UMUC-Europe, Heidelberg
Phone: +49-6221-378299
Email: edstudent_svc@ed.umuc.edu
Mailing Address: Unit 29216, APO AE 09102 OR Im Bosseldorn 30, D-69126 Heidelberg, Germany
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Code of Civility
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center.
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Faculty Bio:
Kerry Painter earned his BA degree in Chinese-Vietnamese Language Studies from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Before attending the University of Hawaii, he studied electrical engineering at Clemson University, attended the 47-week North Vietnamese language course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and worked as a linguist for the Army Security Agency in both Vietnam and Korea.
For six years after college graduation he worked in radio news as a reporter, writer, announcer, news director, and manager in Hawaii, Texas, and Delaware. He earned an MS degree in Technical and Science Communication and an MS in Computer Science from Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Kerry did doctoral studies at Drexel and has taught a variety of computer science and mathematics courses at Drexel University, Penn State University, Elizabethtown College, and Swarthmore College, all in Pennsylvania. He joined The University of Maryland European Division in January 1989 and has taught at SHAPE in Belgium, Soesterberg Air Base, AFNORTH, and Vokel in Holland, Aviano Air Base in Italy, and at several German locations: Augsburg, Bad Kreuznach, Bamberg, Baumholder, Berlin, Beuchel, Dexheim, Geilenkirchen, Giebelstadt, Hahn, Hanau, Heidelberg, Kapaun, Kitzingen, Mannheim, Ramstein, Rhein Main, Schweinfurt, Spangdahlem, Wiesbaden, and Wuerzburg.
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