SaTC: EDU: Creating Cybersecurity Pathways Between Community Colleges and Universities

高等教育机构培养网络安全专业人才的能力跟不上对网络安全毕业生的需求。根据美国劳工统计局的数据，虽然一些网络安全职位可以由高中毕业生和社区大学毕业生填补，但这些职位的“典型”学位要求是学士学位。鉴于社区学院吸引和服务弱势群体和少数族裔学生的能力，为了更充分地吸引这些学生从事“典型”的网络安全工作，重要的是在社区学院和高等教育机构之间建立联系。除了路径外，还需要连接网络安全社区大学生和大学生的活动。社区大学学生(包括网络安全专业的学生)在转到四年制院校时面临的共同问题是学分没有转移，学科内部缺乏理论基础准备，以及在四年制大学中被孤立。来自学生就读的多个机构的教员之间有目的的规划和协调努力可以帮助解决这些问题。由于许多网络安全社区大学课程是作为应用型学位提供的，不容易转移到更高级别的大学课程，因此存在将这些社区大学课程与大学的跨学科学士学位课程联系起来的机会。为了抓住这个机会，汉普顿路网络安全教育、劳动力和经济发展联盟(HRCyber)通过为学生创建正式的学术途径，将三所社区学院(潮水社区学院、北弗吉尼亚社区学院和托马斯·纳尔逊社区学院)的网络安全项目与旧Dominion大学联系起来。为了评估HRCyber的成功，并进一步努力加强和更好地了解这些路径，在这个项目中，调查人员将(1)定义一个跨学科的知识体系，在社区学院和大学之间建立路径；(2)通过分析学生的电子档案来评估跨学科和跨机构的网络安全编程对学生学习的影响；(3)研究跨学科和跨机构规划是否鼓励多样性；(4)确定有效利用同伴导师转学的策略；(5)确定在国家安全局指定的副学士和学士级别指导下加强教育机构之间网络安全途径的策略；(6)评估网络安全竞争在机构间环境中的影响；(7)确定加强网络安全社区学院和四年制项目之间伙伴关系的策略；NSF的高级技术教育(ATE)计划为该项目提供共同资助，以表彰其对社区大学技术人员教育的贡献。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The ability of higher education institutions to produce cybersecurity professionals has not kept pace with the demand for cybersecurity graduates. While some available cybersecurity jobs can be filled with high school graduates and community college graduates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the "typical" degree requirement for these jobs is a bachelor's degree. Given the ability of community colleges to attract and serve disadvantaged and minority students, in order to more fully attract these students into the "typical" cybersecurity job, it is important that pathways between community colleges and higher education institutions be created. In addition to the pathways, activities connecting cybersecurity community college students and university students are needed. Common issues that community college students face (including cybersecurity students) as they transfer to four year institutions are credits not transferring, the lack of preparation in theoretical foundation within the discipline, and isolation at the four-year university. Intentional programming and coordinated efforts between faculty from the multiple institutions that students attend can help to address these issues. Because many cybersecurity community college programs are offered as applied degrees that do not easily transfer into upper level university programs, an opportunity exists to connect these community college programs with interdisciplinary bachelor's degree programs at universities. Addressing this opportunity, the Hampton Roads Cybersecurity Education, Workforce, and Economic Development Alliance (HRCyber) connected cybersecurity programs at three community colleges (Tidewater Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and Thomas Nelson Community College) with Old Dominion University by creating formal academic pathways for students.In an effort to evaluate the success of HRCyber and further their efforts to strengthen and better understand the pathways, in this project, the investigators will (1) define an interdisciplinary body of knowledge that establishes pathways between community colleges and universities; (2) evaluate the effects of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cybersecurity programming on student learning by analyzing students' electronic portfolios; (3) examine whether interdisciplinary and inter-institutional programming encourages diversity; (4) identify strategies to effectively use peer mentors for transfer students; (5) identify strategies to strengthen cybersecurity pathways between educational institutions guided by NSA designations at the associate's and bachelor's level; (6) evaluate the impact of cybersecurity competitions in an inter-institutional environment; (7) identify strategies to enhance partnerships between cybersecurity community college and four-year programs; and (8) eisseminate the project results to assist other institutions to implement similar programs and courses.NSF's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program is providing co-funding for this project in recognition of its contribution to technician education in community colleges.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.