This page collects artifacts related to Metropolitan State University's application to become designated as a Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.  Artifacts are organized by application criteria.

Key background information:

• The two colleges at Metropolitan State Univesity that deliver IA-related curricula are hosted at separate campuses: College of Arts and Sciences houses the Information and Computer Sciences department at the Main  Campus in Saint Paul, Minnesota; and the College of Management houses the Management Information Systems department at the Minneapolis campus.
• The IA center at Metropolitan State University was initially established in 2005 as the Center for Strategic IT and Security through an initial grant from Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.  Additional funding continues to support the growth of the center which has recently been renamed Advance IT Minnesota.

 

CAE Program Application letter link

Letter of Intent and Supporting Docs link

Metropolitan State University's courseware was IACE certified in 2005 and recertified in 2008 mapping to CNSS Standards 4011 and 4013.

 

Artifacts by application Criteria:

1. Outreach/Collaboration:

a. Shared curriculum - No artifacts - all information in CAE Submission

b. Reciprocity of credits- No artifacts - all information in CAE Submission

c. Use of distance education technology and techniques to deliver IA courses - No artifacts - all information in CAE Submission

d. Sponsorship of state, regional, or national IA curriculum workshops, colloquia, etc. - No artifacts - all information in CAE Submission

e. Providing students with access to IA practitioners - No artifacts - all information in CAE Submission

 

2. IA as a multidisciplinary science:

a. Evidence that IA is taught as modules in existing non-IA courses and that non-technical/non-IA students are being introduced to IA.

• No artifacts - all information in CAE Submission

b. Non-IA courses encourage papers in IA topics or projects. Provide titles of thesis, dissertation, or projects in IA.

• Syllabi from 3 courses
  

3. Practice of IA encouraged throughout the University:

a. Provide a link to the University/Departmental IA security plan.

• 2010-2012 Information Security Plan
  

b. University designated Information Systems Security Officer. Provide name, position and job description for person or persons responsible for information security.

• Security Administrator Tanya Buetow Link
• Associate VP and Chief Information Officer Dawn Syverson Link
• IT Director Garrett Lanzy Link

c. Provide evidence of the implementation of the University/Departmental IA security plan to encourage IA awareness throughout the campus.

• No artifacts - all information in CAE Submission
  

 

4. Student-based IA research:

a. Program with IA focus has thesis, dissertation, student papers, or project requirements.

• No artifacts - all needed information is in CAE submission.
  

b. List IA courses that require research paper(s) or virtual/physical lab project(s).

• Syllabii:
  
  • 4b-1 (IA/Forensics Syllabii)
  • 4b-2 (MS in CS Syllabii)
  • 4b-3 (IA/COM Syllabii)
• Labs
  
  • 4b-4 (Security Labs A)
  •  4b-5 (Security Labs A)
  •  4b-6 (Security Labs C)

5. Faculty active in current IA practice and research:

a. Peer reviewed publications – papers (electronic or traditional) on IA as evidenced in refereed journals or conference proceedings within the past 3 years.

i) IAPF: A Framework for Enhancing Web Services Security Link
ii) Enhancing Malware Detection in an IM Environment Link
iii) Towards a Forensic-aware File System Link
iv) Impact of Trust, Interdependence and Perceptions Link
v) Technology Trust Set of Constructs and its Application to File Sharing Link

vi) Liability and Control Risks with Open Source Software Link

b. Published books or chapters of books on Information Assurance.

• No artifacts - all information in CAE Submission.
  

c. University is awarded grants/funding for IA education and/or research development or lab equipment.

• First Grant (see grant funded career portal at www.mnitworkforce.org)
  

d. Faculty members are engaged in and/or initiate student IA programs.

• Faculty Initiatives
  • Online Graduate MMIS IA/Security Certificate
    
  • eDiscovery/Cyberlaw Symposium
  • All 2009 Faculty Funded Initiatives
    

 

• IA Center fundes the annual Cyber Defense Competition that has Center-affiliated IA faculty provided coaching to students teams. See ccdc.advanceitmn.org
  

e. Provide links to biographies to substantiate depth and length of faculty expertise.

• ICS Faculty
• COM Faculty

6. IA Resources:

a. Provide evidence that subscription-based IA journals are available for student and faculty use - No artifacts, all information has been included in the CAE submission.

b. Demonstrate that hyperlinks to key IA web sites are provided in course syllabus and/or professors web page or provided to students during class instruction.

• Syllabi from 6 courses

c. Demonstrate that physical and/or virtual IA labs and equipment are available and used for hands-on learning.

• Sample Labs (presented in 4b as well):
  • 4b-4 (Security Labs A)
  •  4b-5 (Security Labs A)
  •  4b-6 (Security Labs C)

 

7. IA academic program is robust and active:

• No artifacts; all information is in the CAE submission.

 

8. Center for IA Education (for the purpose of this document, the word “center” is used in a general sense. The university must have a formal organization where faculty and students can share their research, collaborate, and interact):

a. Show formal documentation of the designation of the IA “Center”.

• Establishment Announcement of the Center for Strategic IT and Security in 2005 through a $2 million grant from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Office of the Chancellor.
  
• Letter from the Deans of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Management regarding the role of the Advance IT Minnesota IA Center at the university.
  

b.  No artifacts - link to the IA center is provided in the CAE Submission.

c. No artifacts - all information is provided in the CAE Submission.

 

9. Number of IA faculty and course load:

a. Identify by name full-time employee or employees, as defined above, either faculty or member of the administration working in IA with overall responsibility for the IA Instructional Program. Provide evidence, i.e., letter of testimony or job description.

• College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Load Letter 
• College of Management Faculty Load Letter

b. Identify by name additional IA faculty members (not listed in 9.a.), as defined above (full/part-time), teaching IA courses within the department that sponsors IA programs.

• No artifacts - all information in CAE submission. 

c. Identify by name shared (e.g., intra or inter departmental, other 4-year graduate university, industry expert, etc.) and adjunct/part-time faculty (e.g., professor teaching 1 or 2 IA courses per semester or teaching IA in existing courses).

• No artifacts - all information in CAE submission.