Federal Designation in Information Assurance Education
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have designated Syracuse University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance - Research (CAE-R) in 2009 (
see this article). The university promotes high quality education and research in Information Assurance (IA) and homeland security in order to reduce vulnerability in our nation’s information infrastructure by producing a growing number of professionals with IA and homeland security expertise. Syracuse University was originally designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE) in 2001 and re-designated in both 2004 and 2007.
NSA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence in IA Education (CAE) and CAE-Research (CAE-R) programs. The goal of these programs is to reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in IA and producing a growing number of professionals with IA expertise in various disciplines. Designation as a CAE or CAE-R is valid for five academic years, after which the school must successfully reapply in order to retain its CAE designation.
Four-year colleges and graduate-level universities are eligible to apply to be designated as a CAE. Applicants must pass a rigorous review and demonstrate their commitment to academic excellence in IA education. To apply for designation as a CAE-R, applicants must meet the Carnegie Foundation’s classifications of research university/very high, research university/high and doctoral research university, or the equivalent. Designation as a CAE or CAE-R is valid for five academic years, after which a school must successfully reapply in order to retain its CAE designation. CAEs and CAE-Rs receive formal recognition from the U.S. Government as well as opportunities for prestige and publicity for their roles in securing our nation’s information systems.