HOULTON, Maine — In today’s ever-changing technological age, computers have become an integral part in the lives of many households.
And because computers can be found in so many homes, the number of malicious attacks as hackers try to gain personal information has grown steadily in recent years.
This fall, the Houlton Higher Education Center/University College will offer a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, aimed at providing a new field of study in what is a growing industry.
“This will be a brand-new program for us here at University College,” said Tracy Rockwell, director of the center. “Over the last few semesters, we have had a couple of students who have taken individual classes in this program. Looking at what the degree program can offer, the opportunities it provides, and the fact that it was something not offered in this area, we thought it was a good fit.”
The center is partnering with the University of Maine at Augusta to offer the courses, which will be led by Henry Felch, assistant professor of computer information systems and cybersecurity. Muchy of the course load will be offered through a video conference, but there will be some live instruction in the Houlton center by Nate Bodenstab.
“The cybersecurity degree program is a collaboration with UMFK, USM and the University of Maine at Augusta,” Felch explained. “We didn’t have anything up here [in Aroostook County]. One of the goals when I was first hired, my goal was to get a cybersecurity program up here.”
Recently, the center met with local law enforcement officials from the Maine State Police, Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, to see if there were certain areas the program could focus on that would be beneficial for the agencies.
“We really feel this is a growing program,” Rockwell said. “Given the demand for skilled workers in this growing field, we thought it would be a great opportunity.”
