OXFORD, Miss. – The Center for Intelligence and Security Studies, which
began operation last fall at the University of Mississippi, officially
opened in a new location with a ribbon-cutting and program at 1 p.m.
Monday.
“At this point in our lives as members of this nation, we are quite
aware of the need to address the issues that this center addresses,”
said UM Chancellor Robert Khayat.
Khayat was joined by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) for the ceremony
at the former Athletics Department building, west of the Turner Center
at 620 All-American Drive.
“The University of Mississippi is well-known in our nation’s defense
and intelligence communities because of the school’s strong foreign
language and international studies programs,” Wicker said. “The Center
for Intelligence and Security Studies definitely strengthens those
credentials. Through this program, Ole Miss is better positioned to
continue graduating students with the skills our intelligence agencies
need to keep our country secure.”
The center is led by Carl Jensen, assistant professor of legal studies and former special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Students enrolling in the program can receive a minor in intelligence and security studies, and the center has triggered a new intensive Arabic language program in the Department of Modern Languages, the only Arabic program in the state of Mississippi.
“What we’ve found is intelligence agencies are looking for people with core competencies,” Jensen said. “So when a student graduates, he or she may have a degree in Chinese or computer science, but they are also well-versed in how intelligence organizations operate.”
School of Applied Sciences Dean Linda Chitwood said, “In addition, the center will serve as a research hub, bringing together faculty from a variety of disciplines to collaborate on related research.”
Selection for the minor is competitive among interested students based on applications submitted typically in their sophomore year, Jensen said. All applicants who wish to pursue an internship or employment in an agency in the intelligence community must first pass a background check.
More than 100 students have participated in the program by taking an introductory intelligence course, said Melissa Graves, the center’s project coordinator.
In March, the center selected its first cohort of 17 students to complete the minor. The cohort members have an average GPA of 3.69, a number comparable to the average GPA for entrance to the UM School of Medicine. The students come from all over campus, including the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Croft Institute for International Studies.
For more information, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/ciss/ .