Courtesy of North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) announced a transformative gift of $9.4 million from technology and networking hardware company Cisco Systems Inc., the company’s largest gift to any historically Black college and university (HBCU). The gift, awarded over two years, provides equipment, technical services and cybersecurity tools to NCCU to enhance the university’s ongoing campus network upgrade. The upgrade will create new infrastructure that will allow NCCU to adapt their on-site learning model to meet the changing needs of current and future students.
“The deployment and integration of Cisco’s network security platforms have transformed our approach to network security and allows us to respond to threats in real time. We can confidently enforce security policies and ensure compliance across all devices. This significantly reduces our risk of breaches. Without Cisco’s support, we couldn’t have done this work,” said Joel T. Faison, chief information officer at NCCU.
Cisco’s gift provides comprehensive support for NCCU’s network overhaul, connecting its campus, allowing students to connect from anywhere, integrating its classrooms, and implementing new security measures. Cisco’s Secure Cloud Analytics software enabled the NCCU IT team to locate and identify the source of the cyber-intrusion that recently affected NCCU’s campus.
“We are grateful to Cisco for their ongoing investment in NCCU that has not only significantly impacted our recent IT needs but the overall needs of our students, faculty and university. We look forward to strengthening and building on the partnership as we go forward,” said Susan L. Hester, vice chancellor for institutional advancement at NCCU.
Cisco Systems Inc. has been a steadfast supporter of NCCU for over a decade, in not only critical technological support, but also creating new educational pathways in cybersecurity for NCCU students. With this gift Cisco reaffirms their partnership with NCCU and upholds its commitment to engage institutions of higher education to address the challenges they face.
“Cisco’s partnership with NCCU is a great example of how industry can support these important schools and their current and future students. Ensuring NCCU has the necessary IT infrastructure to help protect them from cyber intrusions, secure student data, and provide new educational pathways for students in the cyber security field will position NCCU well for the future,” said Scott McGregor, director of Cisco’s Social Justice Action Office. “Cisco is committed to preserving the legacy and sustainability of our nation’s historically Black colleges and universities.”