This course addresses the Homeland Security learning outcomes marked in bold text.
- Define and identify vulnerabilities, threats, and hazards
- Assess risk
- Plan for emergency action
- Formulate prevention and mitigation strategies
- Organize responses
- Manage recovery options
- Evaluate effectiveness
Course Objectives
- Know the basic elements of GIS and its place in homeland security
- Understand the critical dimensions of spatial data, vis-à-vis coordinate systems, datums and projections
- Understand how attribute information relates to spatial objects
- Recognize the value of GIS as an information system – through spatial and attribute queries
- Understand how maps are created in a GIS
- Know how to read geographic information off of maps
- Appreciate the geographic dimensions of risk in relation to critical infrastructure and populations
- Understand the geographic layering of homeland security responsibility in the U.S. and Illinois
- Recognize the criticality of multi-jurisdictional collaboration in geospatial all-hazards planning
- Realize the value of geospatial methods in documenting critical infrastructure and community resources
- Realize the value of geospatial methods in assessing risks and evacuating susceptible populations
- Realize the value of geospatial methods in responding to environmental contamination
- Realize the need to develop geospatial capabilities as a component of homeland security planning and the value of geospatial methods to successful response
Geospatial Dimensions of Homeland Security
Credit Hours: 3.0
Description: Planning and practicing homeland security and emergency response from a geospatial perspective. Integrating homeland security across jurisdictions and geographic scales -- local to national. Practical value of GIS, spatial data, and geospatial methods in planning, risk assessment and mitigation.
Pre-requisites: None
Restrictions/Suggestions: The content and activities in this course require unimpaired visual perception and processing abilities. Students will need access to a Windows-based computer with MS-Office word processing, spreadsheet and database software, and administrative access for installing course software.
| If you are a student at |
Course name and number |
Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago State University | Contact your campus coordinator | Dr. Marian Perkins Assistant Professor Office: HWH 325 Phone: (773) 995-2233 |
| Eastern Illinois University | Contact your campus coordinator | Sue Harvey Registrar gsharvey@eiu.edu (217) 581-3831 |
| Governors State University | Contact your campus coordinator | Veronica Williams Director, Extended University v-williams@govst.edu 708-534-3143 |
| Illinois State University | Contact your campus coordinator | Dr. Marilyn Morrow Chair, Health Sciences mmorrow@ilstu.edu 309-438-8806 |
| Northern Illinois University | GEOG 352/552 Geospatial Dimensions in Homeland Security | Linda Traff Assistant Director, Credit ltraff@niu.edu 815-753-8735 Cathy Cradduck Campus Coordinator ccradduc@niu.edu 815-753-5008 |
| Southern Illinois University at Carbondale | ||
| Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville | Contact your campus coordinator | Laura Strom Registrar lstrom@siue.edu 618-650-3330 |
| Western Illinois University | Contact your campus coordinator | Dr. Nancy Parsons Professor, Health Sciences NP-Parsons@wiu.edu 309-298-1746 |