NCCU Receives $9.4 Million Gift From Cisco To Enhance Campus Technology Infrastructure

DURHAM, NC – 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 NCCU with equipment, technical services, and cybersecurity tools to enhance the university’s ongoing campus network upgrade. The upgrade will create new infrastructure that will allow NCCU to adapt its 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 allow 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, which will connect its campus, allow students to connect from anywhere, integrate its classrooms, and implement 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 affected NCCU’s campus last spring. 

“We are grateful to Cisco for their ongoing investment in NCCU, which has significantly impacted not only our recent IT needs but also 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, providing critical technological support and creating new educational pathways in cybersecurity for NCCU students. With this gift, Cisco reaffirms its partnership with NCCU and upholds its commitment to engaging 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.”

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