A crash course in homeland security aims to educate the MSU community on the best ways to prepare for an emergency.
Rad Jones, an instructor for the MSU Evening College, a division of the MSU Alumni Association, said community education will help create an understanding of the value of preparation.
Jones, an academic specialist with MSU's School of Criminal Justice, will instruct the two-hour, adult-education classes offered March 17 and 24. Jones is a retired U.S. Secret Service agent and a former international security officer for Ford Motor Co. Registration for the classes opened Wednesday.
"I think people are more sophisticated than they're given credit for," Jones said. "If they have knowledge and understanding, they can use their own initiative and knowledge base to handle an emergency situation."
The course will give background information on what homeland security is and the objectives of its creation, Jones said, adding that he will show how it pertains to his students and what they can do to assist in the security effort.
"It can help us in an emergency and with the frustration that comes with not knowing what is going on," he said.
Eric Bak, manager of the MSU Safety Services Division, said this type of education could help the community assist law enforcement in emergency situations.
"Citizens in the community play an extremely beneficial role when it comes to any emergency management situation," Bak said.
Jones said homeland security-based courses have increased in popularity around the country, creating links between the public and emergency services personnel.
University of Michigan spokesman Joel Seguine said the school does not have any comparable course, but many courses have incorporated homeland-security aspects in recent years. U-M began a bioterrorism research program in collaboration with federal and local state agents in 2003, he said.
The University of Richmond in Virginia has taken homeland-security education to a new level with a course called "Rhetorics of Terror/ism, Homeland (In) Security, and the State," taught by Professor Kevin Kuswa.
Kuswa, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, said in the course syllabus, "Given the countless facets of Sept. 11, 2001, not to mention 'violence,' 'terrorism' or 'homeland security,' we will never be able to approach these topics in an all-encompassing or even comprehensive way.
"We will try, however, to add to our perspectives, augment our understandings and broaden our base of information."
MSU Evening College Director Louise Cooley said the program is a new and important addition to the Evening College curriculum.
"It will be of interest," she said. "(Jones) will explain community security and will tell what is in place today."
The MSU Evening College began adult-education courses in 1951. Homeland security is one of 20 new classes added to the 65 spring semester course offerings.
