Description
San Diego State University Imperial Valley (SDSU IV), with sites in Calexico and Brawley, has served the people of Imperial County since 1959. The County of Imperial has grown to a population of 181,216 (2019 census). This has increased the need for higher education choices. Currently SDSU IV provides eleven Bachelor’s degrees and two Master’s Degree programs. The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the reasoning and feasibility for the introduction of the Homeland Security Master’s Program to SDSU IV. The progressive impact that the SDSU HSEC program would provide both educationally and economically is tremendous. Given the geography and demographics of Imperial County, the potential sustainability and growth for such a program is boundless. The potential for expansion would be stifled only by a lack of effort or vision. The goal of the program is to grow teaching and research faculty from Imperial County to be teachers and researchers to help lead the community and university in the County. Many aspects of Imperial County from the US-Mexico border and Ports of Entry, trade linked to security, immigration, terrorism, drug smuggling, and environmental concerns all are opportunities to serve the community besides being Law Enforcement challenges. Having the topographic low of the Valley formed by the San Andreas system and being able to generate extraordinary amounts of agriculture, energy, and water resources makes the County an incredible teaching laboratory. This is particularly true with things like Climate Change, as Imperial County is far warmer and drier than most places, yet is successful. Sharing the regional solutions in hydro-electric security, water security, environmental security, food security, border security, climate security and resilience, critical infrastructure protection, and cybersecurity are all profound things that can be done from SDSU IV. Developing the teaching and then research program can be a major collaboration with other countries and make SDSU IV a research and security destination for people from around the world wanting to understand the experiences and solutions of the Imperial County community. This provides SDSU IV with a perfect opportunity to move forward and shine brightly with its remarkable history and community.
