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Canyon College

online Homeland Security Certificate Program 
at Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Homeland Security


Program Title:
Credits:
Department:
Instructor:
CCJ510 - Homeland Security
3
Certificate: Criminal Justice and Police Science
Ed Piper, M.S. E-Mail - Vitae


Course Scope:

The primary purpose of this course is to provide the student with a broad understanding of the requirements for a Homeland Security strategy in the United States.

The course is designed into six modules: The certificate course is formatted for 90 contact hours of self paced study. Upon completion of the course, learners will be awarded the Homeland Security Management certification and 3 college credits.

The cost for the course is $1000.00.

The course is presented in six modules. There are a number of short reading assignments from an assigned text and the review of a number of PDF attached files and supporting web sites. At the end of each module are a number of questions. Students will answer the questions in a short essay format and email them to the instructor . Students will be required to answer the questions to each module in order, prior to progressing to the next module. Students will also be required to write a research paper on a topic dealing with Homeland Security. After successful completion of the modules and the research paper, the learner will receive the certification of Homeland Security.

You may study at your own pace and move towards certification as quickly as your schedule will allow.

Objectives:
  1. Examine and gain a better understanding of the background and events leading to the 911 attacks on America.
  2. Discuss the tactics and weapons of terrorism including WMD.
  3. Examine and define some of the security vulnerabilities of the U.S.
  4. Learn the principles of risk assessment as applied to antiterrorism.
  5. Discuss the roles of first responders and crisis planning in terms of dealing with a terrorist incident
  6. Examine the lessons learned from a simulated terrorist attack
  7. Discuss the roles of the military, federal government and local governments in dealing with Homeland Security.
Required Reading: Online Bookstore

How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War.
Edited by James Hoge Jr and Gideon Rose. Council on Foreign Relations, ISBN #: 1586481304 2001 New York Perseus Books

Recommended Readings:

Inside the 911 Plot-The Cell. Johns Miller, Michael Stone, Chris Moirtchell, Hyperion Books, 2002 ISBN #: 0786869003

Fighting Terrorism, Benjamin Netanyahu, New York, 2001 Edition ISBN #: 0374154929

Leadership, Rudolph W. Giuliani, Hyperion AudioBooks Business 4-17069 ISBN #: 0786868414 (For hardcover book)

PDF File attachments to review:
Perfect Risk Assessments
Risk Assessments
Critical Incident Planning
SV Lessons Learned
JFK School of Government, Harvard University, Homeland Security
NBC First Responders

Other MSWORD Attachments:
CNS Reports WMD

Websites to Review
http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fp97/roadmap.htm
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/awc-hmld.htm
http://www.uscg.mil
http://www.imo.org/index.htm

Student Learning Activities and Grades:

Read assigned text and satisfactorily answer all questions for each module:
Six modules: Total of 50 short essay questions. 1 points for each question.
½ point for correct spelling and grammar. 1/2 point for logical explanation of opinion and conclusions from reading. Total of 50 points.

Complete Homeland Security Research Paper: 50 points

*Please see paper guidelines on last page of syllabus.

Total points: 100

Grade awarded at end of certificate course:

95-100 points
90-94 points
85-89 points
80-84 points
75-79 points
70-74 points
65-70 points
60-64 points
55-59 points
below 55
A
A -
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D
F


Module One: * Please refer to How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War.
* In this module, we will be discussing some of the events and background leading up to the 911 attacks.


Student activities

Read The Organization Man, Brian Jenkins. Pgs 1-14

Answer Questions via e-mail to instructor:
  1. How did the terrorists plan the 911 attacks?
  2. Why have the casualties of terrorism been expanding during the past ten years?
  3. How did the profile of the suicide bomber change?
  4. Describe the composition of Terror Incorporated?
Read The Uneasy Imperium. Fouad Ajami. Pgs 15-30
  1. How did Desert Storm change the attitude of the Middle East towards America?
  2. What caused the attitude to change?
  3. Why do you think we failed to recognize the increase in Anti American sentiment?
Please refer to How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War.
Please read Somebody Else’s Civil War. Michael Doran Pgs 31-53

Answer the questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. Who was behind the first attack on the World Trade Center?
  2. What was the reason for the attack?
  3. Bin laden is compared to what other terrorist?
  4. Do you think the attack on the USS Cole could have been prevented? How?
  5. What is your opinion of Yassar Arafat and his role in terrorism?
  6. Why did Bin laden have the Twin Towers attacked?
  7. America is compared to which group of famous fighters.
  8. What is Egypt’s opinion of the U.S.? How does that apply toward our Homeland Security Strategy?
  9. Is there a gulf between the Moslem world and the Western World? Does it lead to terrorism?
Please refer to How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War.
Please read Graveyard Empires, by Milton Bearden. pgs 83-96

Answer the questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. What caused Bin Laden’s rage against the U.S.?
  2. What is fatwa?
  3. Which terrorist attacks did Bin Laden and Al Qaeda take credit for during the last two years?
Please refer to How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War.
Please read: The All Too Friendly Skies-Security as an Afterthought, Gregg Easterbrook. Pg 163-182

Answer the questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. What was the top priority of the Airline industry and our own Congress prior to 911?
  2. Describe the recommendations for enhancing the security inside of the aircraft?
  3. What was the problem with screeners at the airport prior to 911?
Please refer to How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War.
Please read:
The Unguarded Homeland A Study in Neglect. Stephen Flynn pgs 183-198

Answer the questions and email to instructor:
  1. How would you describe the security at most U.S.ports? Why do you think this has been allowed to happen?
  2. What are the major security vulnerabilities at the port?
  3. Go to the U.S. Coast Guard web site (http://www.uscg.mil) and provide the name of the new law in the U.S. regarding vessel and port security. Go to the International Maritime Organization web site http://www.imo.org/index.htm and name the international law regarding vessel and port security.
MODULE 2 DEFINING THE THREAT


In this module we will discuss the different threats of terrorism facing the U.S. Let’s first take a look at the possibility of nuclear terrorism. After reading the attached article : CNS Reports WMD TERRORISM AND USAMA BIN LADEN by Kimberly McCloud and Matthew Osborne

Please answer the following questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. Do you think that Al Qaeda has a nuclear capability? Why? Why not?
MODULE 2 THREAT- CONTINUED
Please read PDF File attachment: Robert Heyer, Introduction to NBC Terrorism

Please answer the following questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. Define the major terrorist threats facing the U.S. Are we ready to deal with these threats?
  2. How should we prepare ourselves for these threats?
MODULE 3 RISK ASSESSMENTS


Please read PDF File: April 1998 GAO Report: Risk Assessments

Please answer the following questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. What is a risk assessment?
  2. How can risk assessment help business owners and government officials design better antiterrorism security strategies?
  3. What is the 5 step qualitative risk management process?
MODULE 4 CRISIS/INCIDENT RESPONSE


Please read PDF file: Beyond the Beltway, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government 2002 study on Homeland Security

Please answer the following questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. What are the biggest challenges in terms of critical incident response in the U.S?
  2. What are the solutions proposed by the report in regards to duplication of effort?
Please read/ refer to the University of Michigan PDF File attachment in Critical Incident Planning

Please answer the following questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. How would you describe the critical incident planning process?
  2. Who should be involved in the planning process?
  3. Who should be on a private sector crisis management team?
  4. What would you look for in a crisis management plan? Why?
  5. What should you do after resolving a major incident?
  6. If you were designing a critical incident plan for your company or town, who would you invite as incident response members? Why?
MODULE 5 LESSONS LEARNED FROM TERRORIST SIMULATION ATTACKS


Please read/refer to HTML File S V Lessons Learned

Please answer the following questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. How would you describe the terrorist incident of this exercise?
  2. Which lessons learned dealt with coordination of activities?
  3. Which lesson learned surprised you the most? Why?
  4. Did any of these lessons learned apply to the 911 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York? Why?
Please go to http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/darkwinterslides/slide19.html

This is a slide briefing of “Dark Winter” Johns Hopkins University Bio-terrorism Institute. Review all of the slides.

Please answer the following questions and email to instructor:
  1. What do you think was the most important factor leading to the loss of control of events?
  2. How would you rate government leadership during the crisis? Why?
MODULE 6 THE ROLE OF HOMELAND SECURITY


Please read PDF File: The Harvard University Johns F. Kennedy School of Government Homeland Security- Domestic Preparedness

Please answer the following questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. What is the role and mission of Homeland Security?
  2. How can a federal Department of Homeland Security be improved?
Now, go to the Department of Homeland Security Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/deptofhomeland/

Please answer the following questions and e-mail to instructor:
  1. Which government agencies are included in the new Department of Homeland security?
  2. Do you see any duplication between the Department of Homeland Security and the National Guard?
  3. Does your own state have its own Department of Homeland Security? Describe what it does to protect the people in your state.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE MODULES!

Have you researched and written your research paper?

GUIDELINE FOR RESEARCH PAPER:

The research paper is a typed written and double spaced 10-page paper on one of the following topics.

Cyber terrorism- A Threat To Homeland Security.
Smallpox-Should All of US be vaccinated?
What is the role of the National Guard in Homeland Security?
How Can the Federal Government Do A Better Job of Advising U.S.Citizens About Terrorist Attacks?
How Prepared is Your Community for a Nuclear, Biological Attack? What should it do?

The paper should follow a standard writing guideline.{MLA, APA, Turabian).

Paper should have at least 5 original research sources and provide footnotes and a bibliography.

The paper is worth 50 points. It will be graded as follows.

Neatness: 5 points
Spelling: 5 points
Grammar: 5 points
Quality of Research: 10 points
Analysis of Issues: 10 points
Recommendations and Conclusions: 20 points

Papers will be graded after all 50 questions have been answered.