Homeland security educationNew York mulling first U.S. college dedicated to homeland security studies
Political, educational, and law enforcement leaders in New York are actively exploring the idea of creating pro the U.S. first college focused on emergency management and homeland security on the Syracuse University (SU) campus. “Believe it or not, there is no such college,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said during his fourth State of the State address two weeks ago. “I believe this is a field that is only going to grow. Unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse. And we want this college right here in the state of New York, training our people and training others from around the country.”
New York State Senator John DeFrancisco,a Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, has been leading the effort to establish the nation’s first college focused on emergency management and homeland security on the Syracuse University (SU) campus. DeFrancisco has been in talks with Governor Andrew Cuomo and SU, although as yet neither party has fully committed to a location.
Cuomo mentioned the idea of a College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland security, and Cybersecurity in his State of the State address two weeks ago in Albany. DeFrancisco said the college would be jointly operated by theState University New York system and SU. “It was our proposal from the Senate that ignited this mention in the State of the State,” DeFrancisco told thePost-Standard. DeFrancisco added that securing SU as the location for the campus will require persuading Cuomo.
Syracuse.com reports that DeFrancisco has been working on the proposal with William Banks, the director of SU’s Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism. DeFrancisco has also met with Chancellor Kent Syverud and otherSU officials.. “They are not only aware of it,” he said of SU officials, “they are pushing for it as well.”
Cuomo noted that former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly would help create the new college. “Believe it or not, there is no such college,” Cuomo said during his fourth State of the State. “I believe this is a field that is only going to grow. Unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse. And we want this college right here in the state of New York, training our people and training others from around the country.”
The lobbying for SU as the selected location has just begun, with funding and infrastructure yet to be secured. “There’s a lot of discussion that have to take place to flush out how this is going to look,” DeFrancisco said. “There’s no commitment from the governor that it’s going to be Syracuse. But the proposal was generated from here. And it’s up to us to put the final package together to make sure it’s in Syracuse.”
