Information Enterprise Institute
Mission
The Information Enterprise Institute will serve as a conduit for Information Assurance and related information technology and telecommunications education, training, research and consulting provided by Fort Hays State University faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and a cadre of professionals, scientists and executives affiliated for specific projects or programs.
History
Since 1992, the Kansas Board of Regents has charged Fort Hays State University with a unique state-wide mission. This mission states in part, "A statewide strategic focus of the university is the integration of computer and telecommunications technology with the education environment and the workplace." In 1995, the Information Enterprise Institute was created as a Kansas Board of Regents Recognized Center with the specific mission of carrying out this portion of the university mission.
On May 22, 1995, in a ceremony at the Kansas State Capital's Old Supreme Court Room, Kansas Governor Graves, Dr. Edward Hammond, President of Fort Hays State University, and Melanie Fannin, President of Southwestern Bell of Kansas signed "To the Stars" "Ad Atsra Per Aspera" representing a $451,000 endowment from the Southwestern Bell Foundation to Fort Hays State University to "support academic areas emphasizing Telecommunications and Information Networking, an Information Enterprise Institute and other educational endeavors at the university." This gift and a loaned executive from Southwestern Bell, helped to establish the Information Networking and Telecommunications bachelors of science and bachelors of art degree programs in 1995 and the accompanying Information Enterprise Institute.
The Department of Information Networking and Telecommunications was created as a stand alone department in 1997. At that time, the Information Enterprise Institute was charged as serving as university-wide center for outreach reporting to the university Provost. Faculty from the Information Networking and Telecommunications, Technology Studies, Computer Science, and Management Information Systems departments participate in Information Enterprise Institute services and projects.
In 1998, in the shadow of "Y2K," the Information Enterprise Institute and the Kansas Hospital Association held a major conference on information security. This would be the Information Enterprise Institute's first major Information Assurance partnership with a state-wide organization.
In 1999, the Information Enterprise Institute became a Regional Cisco Networking Academy. It supports academies in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Texas. It provides curriculum instructor training, local academy support, and quality assurance for innovative high schools, technical colleges, community colleges, colleges, and universities. The Cisco curriculum over time has included: Web Development, Java, IT Essentials, IP Telephony, several Computer Networking levels, and multiple levels of Network Security.
In 2001, the Information Enterprise Institute held multiple workshops on network security in partnership with Nex-Tech, Cisco, and Garden City Community College. This would be the first set of training partnerships cooperatively executed with corporate experts and Fort Hays State University faculty.
As part of the Cisco Academy System, the Information Enterprise Institute and Fort Hays State University have been recognized multiple times as a "Best Practice." In 2006, the university was recognized by Cisco Systems as one of three higher education institutions in North America recognized in the category of "Outstanding Demonstration of Relationships." In June 2007, Cisco recognized the university as one of three higher education institutions in North America in the category of "Relevance." In December 2007 it was recognized by Cisco for its Innovation.
Fort Hays State University became a Cisco Regional Academy for Network Security in 2005. It incorporated a series of network security classes into its own curriculum and began to provide training for instructors from other institutions.
In 2008, as part of the university's "Dare to Dream Initiative," the explicit role of the Information Enterprise Institute was expanded. While it had collaborated with industry to provide trainings as early as 1998, and provided Information Assurance training for instructors as early as 2005, it did not have an explicit Information Assurance responsibility. The "Dare to Dream Initiative" determined that the Information Enterprise Institute will serve as a conduit for education, training, research and consulting provided by Fort Hays State University faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and a cadre of professionals, scientists and executives affiliated for specific projects or programs.
In 2008 Fort Hays State University's Information Assurance Curriculum received 100 percent certification from the Committee on National Security Systems for its 4011 and 4013E standards and has earned certification for a five year period.
In 2009, the United States Federal Government designated Fort Hays State University and its Information Enterprise Institute as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. This elite designation is effective for the five year timer period 2009-2014.