MSE 6201, Homeland Security Course Syllabus Course Description Comprehensive examination of homeland security, terrorism, domestic security, emergency preparedness, and border and transportation security. The course provides a definitive overview of our nation's critical homeland security issues focusing on analysis, insight, and practical recommendations. Course Textbook Kamien, D. (Ed.). (2012). The McGraw-Hill homeland security handbook: Strategic guidance for a coordinated approach to effective security and emergency management (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Define homeland security in terms of federal government policy and the perception of citizens. 2. Provide examples of domestic and international terrorism. 3. Analyze the enabling legislation that created the Department of Homeland Security, reshaped the intelligence community, and provided new powers for law enforcement to prevent terrorism to include the Homeland Security Presidential Directives, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the USA PATRIOT Act, and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. 4. Analyze the structure and function of homeland security critical mission areas including intelligence and warning, border and transportation security, domestic counterterrorism, protecting critical infrastructures and key assets, defending against catastrophic threats, and emergency preparedness and response. 5. Describe key planning and response documents to include the National Incident Management System, National Response Framework, and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. 6. Describe potential future threats from terrorism including CBRNE proliferation, cyberterrorism, suicide terrorism, and homegrown terrorism. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. Course Structure 1. Unit Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 2. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses unit material. 3. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook. 4. Key Terms: Key Terms are intended to guide students in their course of study. Students should pay particular attention to Key Terms as they represent important concepts within the unit material and reading. 5. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are a part of all CSU term courses. Information and specifications regarding these assignments are provided in the Academic Policies listed in the Course Menu bar. 6. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in each unit. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below 7. Research Paper: Students are required to submit for grading a Research Paper in Unit VII. Specific information and instructions regarding this assignment are provided below. A grading rubric is included with this assignment. Specific information for accessing this rubric is included below MSE 6201, Homeland Security 1
8. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 9. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Unit Assignments Unit I Essay Describe one example of each: a natural disaster, an accidental human-made disaster, and a deliberate human-made disaster. What were the psychological effects of the disasters? What are the major differences between the three categories of disasters? Describe at least two future considerations for emergency management In relation to these categories. Use at least one scholarly resource in addition to our textbook that can be found in the CSU Online Library. Be sure to summarize, paraphrase, and cite the information. Do not copy directly from the textbook or from any other source. Sites such as Wikipedia, e-how.com, history.com, howthingswork.com, and other similar sources are not scholarly in nature and may not be used for this assignment. Your paper needs to be at least two full pages in length, excluding the title and reference pages. The paper must be in the APA format, include a title/cover page, in-text citations, and a properly formatted reference section. You do not need to include an abstract for this assignment. Should you choose to include one, the abstract does not count towards the minimum length requirement. Unit II Annotated Bibliography Develop a research paper topic (and reasoning), thesis statement, and an annotated bibliography of at least three scholarly sources the research paper due in Unit VII. Select a topic for your research paper. The paper will include the concepts that will be covered throughout the course. The topic can be related to any aspect of homeland security you find interesting. You may not re-use a paper you have previously submitted in another course. Make sure you do not select a topic that involves classified information! Select a topic for which you can access the information you need to complete the paper. The CSU Online Library has several databases, including the International Security and Counter Terrorism Reference Center database, and is a great place to begin your research. The Online Library can be accessed in MyCSU under the Learning Resources top menu link. Review the Research Paper instructions to make sure you select a topic that will include all of the required elements. Not reading the instructions ahead of time is not an acceptable reason for omitting required elements from the research paper. For the research paper you will apply one of the lenses described in Unit II to the homeland security issue you selected. Identify your topic of choice and discuss your rationale for choosing the topic. What does it mean to you? Why is it important to the field? What is its significance to society? Explain which conceptual lens you will apply to your topic and why you selected this lens. Describe (do not just list) the theories. Include the following in the introductory paragraph of this paper: APA formatted title page The purpose of your paper, including a thesis statement Which lens you will be applying to your selected topic Supporting paragraphs as needed In addition, as we progress through the course consider: At least five topic sentences for the body of the report A topic sentence for your recommendations/conclusions MSE 6201, Homeland Security 2
The annotated bibliography portion of this paper should include: At least three scholarly sources. In addition to the required APA citation for each source, each entry should include a summary of about 100 words. The summaries should include the following information: o A brief explanation/summary of the source. (Identify what the article is about or explain what the author tested, etc.) Do not copy/paste the abstract or the summary from the article and place it in your paper. Paraphrase and summarize the information in your own words. o A brief explanation of how this source will contribute to your Final Recovery Plan. The following are examples of what is NOT acceptable for academic research and referencing. These may NOT be used in your paper: o Encyclopedias o Dictionaries o Wikipedia, other wikis, or blogs o Ehow.com, Ask.com, About.com, Howthingswork.com, or any similar site o Websites and other sources that do not provide quality researched materials (the site does not use credible sources to support the information in the document). All components of this assignment should be uploaded as one single Word document. The length of this paper including the introductory, any supporting paragraphs, and the annotated bibliography should be at least two pages, double spaced. The title page does not count towards the minimum page requirement. Unit III Essay Describe possible unintended consequences of homeland security policies and practices that have developed from 2001 to the present time (such as data mining and the Patriot Act). How can these be overcome? How can liberties and securities be balanced? Your paper needs to be at least two full pages in length, excluding the title and reference pages. The paper must be in the APA format, include a title/cover page, in-text citations, and a properly formatted reference section. You do not need to include an abstract for this assignment. Should you choose to include one, the abstract does not count towards the twopage minimum length requirement. Sites such as Wikipedia, e-how.com, history.com, howthingswork.com, blogs, and other similar sources are not scholarly in nature and MAY NOT be used for this assignment. Be sure to summarize, paraphrase, and cite the information. Do not copy directly from the textbook or from any other source. Unit IV Blog Create a blog posting of 200-250 words discussing any one of the exercise design principles outlined in our textbook. Remember that the blog should be in a conversational format. Be sure to explain any technical terms, as this would be for the whole community to view, including those unfamiliar with emergency management terms and phrases. After your initial response provide at least one comment to another student. Be sure to respond to everyone who comments on your blog. It is best to post your initial entry early so that you may participate frequently. The Blog shell to create your post is located in Blackboard under Unit IV. Unit V Scholarly Activity Using the Logic Model on page 617 of our textbook as an example, apply the Logic Model to a homeland security topic of your choice. You MAY NOT copy the example from the textbook for your submission, even if your final project is related to Hurricane Katrina. Click here for the Logic Model template to use for your submission. For this assignment you MAY use the topic you selected for your final paper. You will need to include a completed Logic Model chart in your final paper. If you use your final paper topic for this assignment you MAY include this in your final MSE 6201, Homeland Security 3
paper (I would strongly suggest you incorporate any feedback or needed corrections before placing it in your final paper). If you would like more practice with the Logic Model you can select a different topic of your choice for this assignment. Unit VI Article Review For this assignment, use the CSU Online Library to select a peer-reviewed article to review regarding the use of a biological agent as a weapon. Briefly summarize the article in your own words. Our textbook explains the concepts of capability, intent, vulnerability, and consequence; examine these concepts in light of the incident you just summarized. For example, did the individual or organization have the capability to produce and deliver a weapon effectively? Would there be a desire for terrorists to use this biological agent again? Did using this particular biological weapon produce the intended effects? Articles from sites such as Wikipedia, e-how.com, history.com, howthingswork.com, and other similar sources are not scholarly in nature and MAY NOT be used for this assignment. The purpose of this assignment is for you to practice reviewing articles that contribute to the industry. The article you choose must meet the following requirements: Be peer reviewed; Relate to the concepts within this course; and Be at least five pages in length. Your paper needs to be at least two full pages in length, excluding the title and reference pages. The paper must be in the APA format, include a title/cover page, in-text citations, and a properly formatted reference section. You do not need to include an abstract for this assignment. Should you choose to include one, the abstract does not count towards the minimum length requirement. Unit VII Research Paper Submit the final paper in Unit VII. The final paper must: Be on a topic related to homeland security Include some background on the issue. Explain why it is important and how it is significant to society. Address how this issue relates to the Whole Community approach. Apply one of the lenses described in Unit II to the homeland security issue you selected. Describe unintended consequences a homeland security policy applicable to the topic has on civil liberties. Include a Logic Model on the issue. Discuss how social media can be used to aid in managing a crisis. Be a minimum of ten double-spaced pages in length (excluding the title/cover page and reference page). If you include an abstract, the abstract does not count towards the ten pages. Use a minimum of ten scholarly resources aside from the textbook, including a minimum of two from the CSU Online Library. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, Wikipedia, other wikis or blogs, web sites that do not provide quality researched materials, E-how.com, Ask.com, About.com, Howthingswork.com, and other similar sites are NOT acceptable resources and may not be used in your paper. Include a title page with the following: a. Title of paper b. Student s name c. Course name and number d. Instructor s name e. Date submitted Begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement. Address the topic of the paper with critical thought. End with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis. Be formatted according to APA style. Be sure to summarize, paraphrase, and cite the information. Do not copy directly from the textbook or from any other source. MSE 6201, Homeland Security 4
Unit VIII Essay Our textbook describes several ways in which the impact of the 2010 tsunami could have been minimized and how the Fukushima Daiichi event was preventable. Describe how these lessons learned can be implemented in U.S. communities and applied to future disaster planning. Your paper needs to be at least two full pages in length, excluding the title and reference pages. The paper must be in the APA format, include a title/cover page, in-text citations, and a properly formatted reference section. You do not need to include an abstract for this assignment. Should you choose to include one, the abstract does not count towards the minimum length requirement. Sites such as Wikipedia, e-how.com, history.com, howthingswork.com, blogs, and other similar sources are not scholarly in nature and MAY NOT be used for this assignment. Be sure to summarize, paraphrase, and cite the information. Do not copy directly from the textbook or from any other source. APA Guidelines CSU requires that students use the APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. A document titled APA Guide is available for you to download from the APA Guide link, found in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. It may also be accessed from the Student Resources link on the Course Menu. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides links to The CSU Success Center and the CSU Online Library staff. Blackboard Grading Rubrics Assignment Rubrics One or more assignments in this course utilizes a Blackboard Grading Rubric. A rubric is a tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of an assignment. Your professor will use the Blackboard Grading Rubric to assign points and provide feedback for the assignment. You are encouraged to view the assignment rubric before submitting your work. This will allow you to review the evaluation criteria as you prepare your assignments. You may access the rubric in My Grades through the Tools button in your course menu. Click the View Rubric link to see the evaluation criteria for the assignment. Upon receiving your assignment grade, you may view your grade breakdown and feedback in the rubric. CSU Grading Rubrics for Papers/Projects, Discussion Boards, and Assessments The Learning Resource area of the mycsu Student Portal provides the rubrics, and information on how to use them, for Discussion Boards, written response questions in Unit Assessments, and Research Papers/Projects. The course writing assignments will be graded based on the CSU Grading Rubric for all types of writing assignments, unless otherwise specified within assignment instructions. In addition, all papers will be submitted for electronic evaluation to rule out plagiarism. Course projects will contain project specific grading criteria defined in the project directions. To view the rubrics, click the Academic Policies link on the Course Menu, or access it through the CSU Grading Rubric link found in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. CSU Online Library There is a virtual library with resources, including both journals and ebooks, to support your program and your course at Columbia Southern University. eresources are accessible 24 hours a day/7 days a week from the CSU Online Library gateway page. To access the library, log into mycsu, and then click on CSU Online Library. Resources are organized in the library by title, but if you click on Research Guides, you will find eresources arranged by subject. MSE 6201, Homeland Security 5
The Library Reference service is available 7 days a week; you can reach CSU s virtual librarians by emailing thevirtuallibrarian@columbiasouthern.edu. These professional librarians will be glad to help you develop your research plan or to assist you in any way in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Librarian responses may occur within minutes or hours, but it will never take more than 24 hours for a librarian to send a response to the email address you have provided. Replies to reference requests may include customized keyword search strategies, links to videos, research guides, screen captures, attachments, a phone call, live screen sharing, and meeting room appointments, as well as other forms of instruction. Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Grading Discussion Boards (8 @ 2%) = 16% Essays (3 @ 10%) = 30% Unit II Annotated Bibliography = 12% Unit IV Blog = 9% Unit V Scholarly Activity = 10% Unit VI Article Review = 9% Unit VII Research Paper = 14% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. MSE 6201, Homeland Security 6
MSE 6201, Homeland Security Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I Evolution of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Unit Study Guide Chapter 24: Learning from History: The Evolution of Emergency Management in the United States. Chapter 27: Emergency Response: An Overview Chapter 28: Understanding and Preparing for the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Essay by Unit II Perceptual Framing of Homeland Security Unit Study Guide Chapter 38: Perceptual Framing of Homeland Security Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Annotated Bibliography by Unit III Counterterrorism Legislation and Civil Liberties Unit Study Guide Chapter 8: Counterterrorism Legislation Chapter 47: Vigilance on Two Fronts: Civil Liberties & the Homeland Security Professional Chapter 48: Government Data Mining Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Essay by MSE 6201, Homeland Security 7
MSE 6201, Homeland Security Course Schedule Unit IV Exercise Design and Social Media Unit Study Guide Chapter 39: Emergency Exercise Design Principles and Objectives Chapter 44: Social Media and Crowdsourcing to Help Disaster Management Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Blog by Unit V Lessons Learned from Historical Events/ Applying the Logic Model Unit Study Guide Chapter 25: A City Once Underwater: Lessons Learned and the Story of the New Orleans Evacuation Plan Chapter 26: From Response to Resilience: State Emergency Preparedness Priorities Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Scholarly Activity by Unit VI Biological Threats Unit Study Guide Chapter 5: Twenty-First Century Biological Threats Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Article Review by MSE 6201, Homeland Security 8
MSE 6201, Homeland Security Course Schedule Unit VII Resilience Unit Study Guide Chapter 23: Creating Disaster Resilient Regions through Whole Community Engagement Chapter 35: The Community Resilience System: Operationalizing a Whole Community Approach Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Research Paper by Unit VIII Minimizing the Impact of Disasters Unit Study Guide Chapter 52: Why Fukushima Was Preventable Chapter 55: 156 Chileans Dead: How the Impact of the 2010 Tsunami Could have been Minimized Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Essay by MSE 6201, Homeland Security 9