Bossier Parish Community College is proud to announce it has been re-designated as National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA) through the 2027 academic year.

BPCC has maintained this status since 2014 and, with this designation, has continued to meet the needs as laid out by the NSA for cyber workforce and defense in our state and country.

Students completing the AAS in Cyber Security will have their transcript noted that they have completed the CAE-CD/NSA requirements at a designated school as well as an add-on certificate that will be received after graduation.

“This is a noteworthy accomplishment that students should highlight on their resumes as it will allow employers to know that these potential employees completed their education at a school that is federally recognize and aligns with the NSA/NICE cyber work roles,” shared Paul Spivey, the Dean of the Business and Information Technology Division at BPCC.

Any school with a cyber-program that is at least three years of age is eligible to submit an application for review. Once approval is granted for the application, a rigorous mapping project must be completed to be prove that all elements are met. When those requirements are met, the proposal is submitted for peer review and, if approved, it is moved to the NSA Program Management Office (PMO) for review and final approval.

BPCC’s Cyber Security program was approved in April and is, at this time, the only college/university (2 or 4 year) to hold the CAE-CD status in the state of Louisiana.

Chris Rondeau, Professor of Network Security, has been part of the process since 2009 and says BPCC was among the first community colleges in the country to align with CAE requirements.

“Through the years we have seen how two-year schools across the country have proven the value that our programs can add to the cyber defense of our nation,” Rondeau said.

This fall, Rondeau will speak at the state conference about our cyber program and is hopeful that other schools will join the CAE project as well.

“I am excited to see what changes and advances we will continue to add to our programs over the years to continue to strengthen our cyber defenses,” he added.

Bossier Parish Community College continues to be a leader in computer technology and cyber security education in Northwest Louisiana and across the state. BPCC works to foster and create opportunities for interdisciplinary activities, continues to develop and support both credit and continuing academic programs, facilitates efforts to obtain extramural funding, and serves as a link between the academic and professional communities.

Registration is currently open for the Fall 2022, Winter 2022, Spring 2023, and Summer 2023 semesters. On-campus registration for the fall will be held August 16-17. Fall classes begin August 18. Visit www.bpcc.edu to apply.