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April 23, 2002

College students around the country were just settling into the fall 2001 semester when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks shook the world.

As national leaders and citizens struggled to understand terrorism on U.S. shores, faculty at the University of South Carolina sought ways to incorporate the experience into classes. One of those professors, Dr. Joe Johnson of USC’s physics department, realized that students -- the state and nation’s future educators, law enforcement officers, policy-makers, scientists and government and business leaders -- would be faced with new career challenges in the wake of terrorism.

Johnson’s solution was a comprehensive counterterrorism course for the spring 2002 semester. Offered to USC students and state-agency personnel, the course has brought leaders in medicine, science, health, law enforcement and safety, business, government and international studies and state and federal agencies to campus to discuss the impact of terrorism in the 21st century.

"The course has focused on helping our students and agency leaders to be better prepared for the world that we face," said Johnson, whose USC research and development team, Advanced Solutions Group, has developed numerous information systems for federal, state and local government and university groups over the past 11 years. Another team is conducting research on network security through U.S. Department of Defense grants directed by Johnson.

"Although we had to act quickly to develop the course, we were pleased that so many key people responded to our requests to bring their expertise into our classroom and share their knowledge with our students," said Johnson, who also directed the development of a computer system to manage information and response during emergencies, a system used by the S.C. Emergency Preparedness Division.

Since the class began Jan. 15, the course has featured approximately 30 different speakers on topics ranging from bioterrorism to religious fanaticism, chemical warfare, the armed services, public health and terrorism, computer security, domestic terrorism, the economy and constitutional issues raised by terrorism.

The course has earned high marks from USC senior Ellie Miller of Charleston.

"The variety of speakers has been amazing," said Miller, a chemistry major who wants a career in forensic chemistry. "After 9-11, there was a fear of the unknown. This course has opened me to so many new ideas, and I have a better grasp on reasons for what is happening."

Miller also praised the opportunity to learn from people who are working in fields relevant to the war on terrorism.

"It has been real-world experience," she said.

Bob Marriott works for the S.C. Department of Commerce and also is a state constable. He said the course piqued his interest because of concerns from the community on how agencies and law enforcement would respond to terrorism.

"The course has been fantastic," he said. "In my work, I started to realize how vulnerable we are to the threat of terrorism, and I wanted to be better prepared for the future."

The course has worked well, Johnson said, because of the assistance of course facilitators Dodge Frederick, a former FBI special agent in charge for South Carolina and former interim director of the state’s Department of Corrections, and John Johnson, a retired U.S. Army colonel, as well as a dedicated staff that includes public-information officer Julie Frick.

"We have drawn from the experiences of so many key people," Joe Johnson said. "Their knowledge and expertise has given us a better understanding of the many facets of this incredible threat that we probably will face for the next 100 years."

Because most Americans first learned of the terrorist attacks from the media, WLTX television news director Larry Audas recently met with the class to discuss how coverage by local and national media differs, as well as the ethical dilemmas that media faced in determining coverage.

Audas, whose station is the CBS affiliate in Columbia, said he was in his office "where I have five to seven television sets on at any given time" when the first plane struck. Struggling to understand what had happened, Audas said the word "terrorism" came to him when the second plane crashed. At that point, the WLTX-TV staff worked around the clock to develop stories on the impact of terrorism to the state.

Although the CBS network handled the national and international coverage, Audas said his reporters began gathering information on topics such as air travel, statewide safety issues, military deployments and emergency preparations for the state. "We extended local coverage ... and we worked around the clock for a couple of days."

USC economist Dr. Doug Woodward recently met with the class to discuss the economic impact of terrorism on the state. One key issue, he said, is the economic cause of terrorism.

"Do certain groups react the way they do because their economies have not grown? Or, is the reason more political?" Woodward said. "I believe that this act of terrorism was more political than economic. But we clearly need to understand the economic causes and consequences of terrorism on South Carolina and the nation."