The Case to Accredit Homeland Security Programs: Why Outcomes-based Accreditation Makes Sense

The following essay lays out an argument for program level accreditation in academic homeland security (HS) programs. Admittedly, neither the practice nor the educational components of the HS discipline are standardized. Indeed, a recent analysis by the Congressional Research Service indicates that there remain several operational definitions of HS in practice. Regardless, this paper provides rationale which argues that after roughly eight years, academic HS has developed enough to be able to identify and support a distinct set of student learning outcomes— knowledge, skills and attitudes—that can both characterize and define the discipline. Generally, program level academic accreditation requires a discipline to have identified and vetted a set of student learning outcomes. Academic programs, in turn, integrate this set of outcomes into their core curriculum and students of a given discipline acquire a common set of knowledge, skills and attitudes deemed central to their discipline regardless of where they are educated. Hence program level accreditation works proactively and continuously to address questions about degree integrity, professional competence, truth in advertising, professional boundaries, certification, licensure, quality improvement and control. Without accreditation it remains extremely difficult for a discipline to demonstrate true legitimacy since anyone would be able to teach anything they want. Indeed by extension, one might easily argue that so long as such questions are unanswered, there can be no discipline. Further, for true professional legitimacy to accrue, even when a discipline is able to identify, vet and develop a defining set of student learning outcomes, it still needs to integrate them into a recognized accreditation process and then develop incentives for academic programs to adopt accreditation into a wide spread practice in higher education. Indeed, these last two challenges characterize several related disciplines (such as occupational safety and health, emergency management, intelligence studies, criminal justice, cybersecurity, etc.). Ultimately, critical to the ongoing maturation and legitimization of the HS profession is the need to develop and pursue program level accreditation

There\u27s a Pattern Here: The Case to Integrate Environmental Security into Homeland Security Strategy

The time is long overdue to acknowledge that global climate and resource stresses, encompassed by the concept of environmental security (ES), are an increasingly important part of homeland security (HS) study and practice, by even the most restricted definitions of HS. Environmental security issues will affect global economic and political stability, US national interests, and the risk of war and terrorism. Just as homeland security encompasses many complex issues and interconnected subfields, environmental security (ES) is interdisciplinary by nature. In essence, ES is an emergent discipline borrowing from a combination of environmental studies — which decades ago integrated environmental science with public policy — and the broader observations of how environmental change, extreme weather events and resource scarcity issues impact domestic and international security. In a two-part argument, we first observe the growing environmental and resource-related security threats at every level of analysis, from global to individual levels as consequences of warming-induced climate alterations. Next, given the significant impacts on local, regional, and international geopolitical stability, we discuss why environmental security threats must be incorporated into both homeland and national security strategic planning. Developing a theory of environmental security seems central to a more complete understanding of homeland security and a more modern concept of national security

The Case to Accredit Homeland Security Programs: Why Outcomes-based Accreditation Makes Sense

The following essay lays out an argument for program level accreditation in academic homeland security (HS) programs. Admittedly, neither the practice nor the educational components of the HS discipline are standardized. Indeed, a recent analysis by the Congressional Research Service indicates that there remain several operational definitions of HS in practice. Regardless, this paper provides rationale which argues that after roughly eight years, academic HS has developed enough to be able to identify and support a distinct set of student learning outcomes— knowledge, skills and attitudes—that can both characterize and define the discipline. Generally, program level academic accreditation requires a discipline to have identified and vetted a set of student learning outcomes. Academic programs, in turn, integrate this set of outcomes into their core curriculum and students of a given discipline acquire a common set of knowledge, skills and attitudes deemed central to their discipline regardless of where they are educated. Hence program level accreditation works proactively and continuously to address questions about degree integrity, professional competence, truth in advertising, professional boundaries, certification, licensure, quality improvement and control. Without accreditation it remains extremely difficult for a discipline to demonstrate true legitimacy since anyone would be able to teach anything they want. Indeed by extension, one might easily argue that so long as such questions are unanswered, there can be no discipline. Further, for true professional legitimacy to accrue, even when a discipline is able to identify, vet and develop a defining set of student learning outcomes, it still needs to integrate them into a recognized accreditation process and then develop incentives for academic programs to adopt accreditation into a wide spread practice in higher education. Indeed, these last two challenges characterize several related disciplines (such as occupational safety and health, emergency management, intelligence studies, criminal justice, cybersecurity, etc.). Ultimately, critical to the ongoing maturation and legitimization of the HS profession is the need to develop and pursue program level accreditation

A study of the distribution of the tree and shrub vegetation in the central zone of Darfur, Sudan

The vegetation of Central Darfur can be divided into four Formations on physiognomic characteristics. These are:- Semi- Desert Scrub, Thorn Savanna, Woodland Savanna, and Mountain Savanna or steppe.Each formation can be sub-divided into different edaphic units, and ultimately into distinct Associations on specific grounds. Twelve associations are recognised.Each association is a distinct and separate entity, and can be recognised on the ground. In only one case has mention been made of an association being in a probable state of ecological advance. The position of the remainder is difficult to assess. In the section on the Acacia mellifera - Commiphora - A. orfata - A. tortilis Association it was stated that this was probably the climatic climax association of Thorn Savanna. This is not strictly correct, as the writer views this, and other associations, as being in a state of dynamic equalibrium at, or near, the deflected climax. That is, the climatic climax, deflected through the effect of man and his animals. What the true climax is, will not be known until the effect of several decades of complete protection on selected areas can be studied. The writer suggests that the present deflected climax is probably not far removed from the climatic climax, because the incidence of man is not severe.Apart from the Albizzia-Acacia Association, to which mention has already been made, the writer saw no evidence to suggest an advance, either ecologically or geographically, in any of the associations. Conversely, apart from degradation of the vegetation in the vicinity of towns, there is no evidence of a retreat in any association.In dealing with some of the associations, particularly the northern ones, the remark, 'of little interest to forestry' will be found. What is really meant by that, is, that these associations are of no use for afforestation, or the commercial aspects of forestry. They are, of course, of inestimable value in a protective role; soil protection, and also to a lesser degree, maintenance of the regional climate, and water supplies. Destruction of thorn savanna and thorn scrub, resulting in soil instability, accelerated erosion, dust storms and reduced water supplies, are to be seen, all too frequently, in the Sudan, and elsewhere in Africa.The ecological order established for the different species, should be of use to all who deal with land-use. From an inspection of an area, an estimate of its value can be made from the ecological status of the various species present. Further, if the climatic value be known, then the species, and their propotions, gives a direct measure of the edaphic value of the site. Some such method of assessing site -values is constantly required in forestry, and in other professions dealing with land

The periods of the intermediate polar RX J0153.3+7446

We present the first optical photometry of the counterpart to the candidate intermediate polar RX J0153.3+7446. This reveals an optical pulse period of 2333s +/- 5s. Reanalysis of the previously published ROSAT X-ray data reveals that the true X-ray pulse period is probably 1974s +/- 30s, rather than the 1414 s previously reported. Given that the previously noted orbital period of the system is 3.94 h, we are able to identify the X-ray pulse period with the white dwarf spin period and the optical pulse period with the rotation period of the white dwarf in the binary reference frame, as commonly seen in other intermediate polars. We thus confirm that RX J0153.3+7446 is indeed a typical intermediate polar.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to A&A Letter