MSU ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF NEW GLOBAL COMMUNITY SECURITY INSTITUTE
November 16, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University today announced the formation of the Global Community Security Institute (GCSI), an online education and training program that will prepare and certify security officials and public service professionals in Michigan, across the nation and around the globe to ensure higher levels of security and emergency management in their individual communities.
The new GCSI, a joint initiative of MSU’s School of Criminal Justice and MSU Global Online Connection, draws upon the strengths of MSU’s criminal justice program and other security and emergency management curricula in agriculture, food and water safety, hazardous materials management and more.
The GCSI will provide online competency-based education and training programs and customized support services leading to individual and community accreditation. It also will serve as a national clearinghouse of information resources, decision models and research data to meet the ongoing problem-solving needs of individuals and organizations responsible for community security.
Phillip Schertzing, former assistant director of the Office of Emergency Management and inspector for the Michigan State Police, has been appointed director of the GCSI. Schertzing brings to the GCSI years of public service and a keen understanding of community security and emergency management issues. He has been and will continue to be engaged in undergraduate and graduate education.
As GCSI director, Schertzing is responsible for all day-to-day activities, including developing relations with Michigan officials and federal agencies throughout the country, providing MSU’s perspective on national security issues and educating prospective clients about GCSI offerings.
“Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, government officials and individuals in the private sector have sharpened their focus on homeland security,” said MSU Provost Lou Anna K. Simon. “For many years, Michigan State has been a leader in developing programs in areas such as agriculture security, emergency planning and preparedness, food safety and food law, and water and watershed security.
“Dr. Schertzing and our highly skilled faculty in these and other relevant fields will work collaboratively to put the GCSI at the forefront of advancing state-of-the-art knowledge and applying it to address the critical needs of community and national security professionals worldwide,” Simon said. “The work of the GCSI will be part of the overall collaboration between MSU and the University of Michigan on biosecurity.”
To this content expertise, MSU will add the technology expertise of its award-winning online course developers, who will produce courses, specialized information resources and other customized support services for the virtual institute.
Among traditional universities, MSU is a leader in online education, with MSU Global Online Connection offering 15 online degree and certificate programs each year.
Plans call for the GCSI to open its virtual doors and begin offering courses in September upon establishment of its new Web-based learning, research and performance support environment.
