Transportation Security Administration employees received certificates after successfully completing three classes delivered at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield by Southeast Community College, through a partnership with Global Corporate College.
Qualified TSA employees were encouraged to enroll in a three-course program to earn nine college credit hours and a TSA Certificate of Achievement. TSA employees are being urged to use the nine credit hours to pursue an associate degree in homeland security or a related field through SCC or another college of their choice. The three-course program and textbooks were paid for by the TSA, thus free to the TSA employees. Introduction to Homeland Security, Intelligence Analysis and Security Management and Homeland Security Transportation were the three classes the students completed.
The 11 Transportation Security Officers successfully completed the classes and were awarded Certificates of Achievement at a ceremony at Eppley on July 10. The first TSA graduates from the Eppley program are Karen Becker, Stoy Bonner Jr., Emily Carlson, John Drickey, Lillian Gibler, Ashley Granger, Nicholas Harshbarger, Brad Hyndman, William Kabourek, Kimberly Keller, and Kelly Stangl.
TSA launched the pilot program in 2008 to determine the best approach to educating the TSOs while causing minimal interruption to their work schedule. In spring 2011, Omaha’s Eppley Airfield joined the program. SCC began offering courses, through the GCC partnership, to TSOs at Eppley in September 2011. As of spring 2012 there are 80 airports with 65 GCC partner colleges participating in this program. There are more than 2,800 students enrolled in this program nationally.
Dr. Ron Snyder, a director in SCC’s Continuing Education Division, said the first series of classes was successful.
“It was phenomenal,” Snyder said. “We were blessed with a very experienced instructor in retired police officer Matt Jarvis. He has great knowledge of the adult learner, provided very engaging lectures and class activities, and he interacted well with the students.”
Students evaluated the program at the end of each of the three classes. Snyder said “the evaluations for each class were very positive.”
Anita Schinstock, training project coordinator in SCC’s Continuing Education Division, said that the program had a positive outcome on the students.
“I have truly enjoyed witnessing the personal growth in the students who have gone through the program,” she said. “They now have a new outlook on homeland security, and they can stand proud knowing that they are a part of it and truly have an impact.”
The TSA Associates program provides TSOs an opportunity to kick-start their education toward an associate degree in homeland security. The TSA has made a significant investment of time and money in the TSA Associates program. Currently, success in achieving the goals of the program is measured by three major factors: completion, retention and success.