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.
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.
