**April 25-29, 2005 FEMA EM Higher Education Project Activity Report**

\(1\) ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY \-- SURVEY ON INTEREST IN \"EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT\" MASTERS; STUDENT JOBS, & TWO VACANCIES:

April 25, 2005 \-- Received from Mary Ann Rollans, Dean of the School of
Community Education & Professional Development at ATU, the following:

\"Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas, has offered the
Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Administration and Management
since 1997, and is now developing a Master of Science degree in
Emergency Management and Homeland Security. In order to assess the level
of need for such a degree, I am asking you to take a few moments of your
busy schedule and complete this survey regarding your interest in such a
degree. The survey can be completed online by clicking the link below.
All responses will be submitted anonymously. Your participation in this
survey is very important and will be greatly appreciated. Please submit
your responses no later than April 27, 2005.\"

[[http://survey.atu.edu/ss/wsb.dll/dan.pearson/Master_EM_Survey.htm]{.underline}](http://survey.atu.edu/ss/wsb.dll/dan.pearson/Master_EM_Survey.htm)

Also received request to draft a letter of support this proposal, and
did so.

On Student Placement: \"At the end of the spring 2005 semester, the
program \[BS in EM\] will have graduated 179 students since its
inception in 1997. Over 98% of the students are currently working in
highly specialized positions related directly to the field of emergency
management\...\"

April 26, 2005 \-- Received from Dean Rollans two vacancy announcements,
pasted in below:

DEPARTMENT HEAD - EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT:

Arkansas Tech University has offered the Bachelor of Science degree in
Emergency Administration and Management since 1997, and due to the
growth of the undergraduate program is now proposing to add a Master of
Science degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security. As the
result of this expansion, the program is adding a new position of
department head to oversee both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.
The department head will answer directly to the Dean of the School of
Community Education and Professional Development which is under the
direct supervision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The position will be a full-time, twelve-month, position available
August 2005 and will carry the opportunity for faculty tenure. An earned
doctorate from an accredited institution and experience in higher
education are required; ABD with validated completion date will be
considered. A graduate degree in a field related to emergency management
is preferred; however, degrees in other relevant areas will be
considered (e.g. business administration, adult education, educational
leadership, higher education administration, public policy and
administration, criminal justice, organizational behavior, educational
administration, information technology, political science, etc.).

The candidate must have a proven record of successful management of an
organizational unit or enterprise and progressively responsible and
innovative leadership with current experience related to the distance
delivery of programs and coursework highly desirable. Competence in
building collaborations in diverse communities and a commitment to
team-building are preferred traits to support a proven record of
excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship.

Required duties of the position will include management and
communication skills such as program planning and scheduling,
problem-solving, data and materials development, student and faculty
advising and evaluation, developing and assessing program outcomes,
oversight for training and technical assistance to state/federal
agencies and private stakeholders, knowledge of new technologies and
methods for integration into program and curriculum development.
Preferred duties will include specialized research into best practices
in fields related to emergency or crisis management, attracting external
funding and grant writing, and maintaining currency with respect to
national and international developments affecting Homeland Security
issues.

Salary for the twelve-month contract will be commensurate with
qualifications and experience. Program information, curriculum and
course syllabi are available on our website:
[[http://commed.atu.edu]{.underline}](http://commed.atu.edu/). Review of
applications will begin in mid-June 2005, and continue until the
position is filled. The application should include a statement of
qualifications, vita, copies of transcripts, email address, and contact
information for three references and should be submitted to:

Dr. Mary Ann Rollans, Dean

Arkansas Tech University

School of Community Education

402 West O Street, Dean Hall 110

Russellville, AR 72801-2222

Phone: (479) 968-0234

Fax: (479-968-0205

Email: maryann.rollans@mail.atu.edu

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Arkansas Tech University invites applications for a tenure-track
assistant professor beginning August 2005 for the baccalaureate degree
and proposed Master of Science degree in Emergency Management and
Homeland Security. A master=s degree in a discipline related to disaster
and crisis management is required with a doctorate or ABD with validated
completion date preferred. Candidates must have experience related to
business continuity, emergency preparedness operations, economics of
disaster, security management, mitigation, and training utilizing
simulations and modeling. Preferred qualifications include higher
education experience and the delivery of web-based coursework. The
instructional load will include teaching undergraduate and graduate
courses as qualified and the administration, monitoring, and assessment
of students on campus and in off-site externship activities. Salary for
a nine-month contract with optional summer assignments will be
commensurate with qualifications and experience. Program information,
curriculum and course syllabi are available on our website:
[[http://commed.atu.edu]{.underline}](http://commed.atu.edu/). Review of
applications will begin in mid-June 2005, and continue until the
position is filled. The application should include a statement of
qualifications, vita, copies of transcripts, email address, and contact
information for three references and should be submitted to:

Dr. Mary Ann Rollans, Dean

Arkansas Tech University

School of Community Education

402 West O Street, Dean Hall 110

Russellville, AR 72801-2222

Phone: (479) 968-0234

Fax: (479-968-0205

Email: maryann.rollans@mail.atu.edu

\(2\) COASTAL HAZARDS MANAGEMENT \-- GRADUATE-LEVEL COURSE DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT:

April 26, 2005 \-- Reviewed 2nd draft of Session 28, \"Federal Policy I:
The Role of Federal Policy; National Environmental Policy Act; Clean
Water Act,\" by Professor David Brower, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, provided review comments, and forwarded session to the EMI
Webmaster to upload to the Project website \-- Free College Courses
section \-- Courses Under Development subsection \-- to replace the 1st
draft. Should be accessible shortly.

\(3\) DISASTER RESPONSE OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT \-- UPPER DIVISION
COURSE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT:

April 26, 2005 \-- Reviewed and approved Session 44, \"Improvisation,
Creativity, Flexibility and Successful Responses,\" and provided review
comments to course developer, Dr. David McEntire, University of North
Texas. From Session Scope statement:

\"During this session, the professor highlights another foundational
principle of effective disaster management: improvisation. The professor
defines this term and other related concepts, and then provides case
examples to illustrate the need for creativity and flexibility in
disasters. The session then identifies Quarantelli's ten recommendations
to improve disaster response operations. The professor concludes the
session by allowing students to comment on what they have learned in the
course, by encouraging them to make positive contributions to the
profession of emergency management, and by reviewing expectations for
the final exam.\"

Forwarded session to the EMI Webmaster for upload to the Project website
\-- Free College Courses section \-- Courses Under Development
subsection \-- where it should be accessible shortly.

\(4\) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HIGHER EDUCATION CONFERENCE, JUNE 7-9, 2005,
EMMITSBURG, MD:

April 26, 2005 \-- Admissions Office reports that they have processed
and accepted 139 applications, with another 11 pending.

\(5\) FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT \-- GRADUATE-LEVEL COURSE DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT:

April 26, 2005 \-- Reviewed 2nd draft of Session 16, \"What Is A Risk?\"
by Larry Larson and Rod Emmer of the Association of State Floodplain
Managers, and provided review comments to the lead course developer, Bob
Freitag, University of Washington.

\(6\) HARTFORD CURRENT, CT INTERVIEW:

April 28, 2005 \-- Was \"interviewed\" by Grace Merrit of \"The Hartford
Current,\" who is doing an article on the development of a new homeland
security program at the University of Connecticut, and wanted some
background information on the development of collegiate homeland
security programs in general \-- sought to oblige.

\(7\) HI ED PRESENTATION ON PROJECT WEBSITE:

April 26, 2005 \-- EMI Webmaster uploads a revised Emergency Management
Higher Education Project slide presentation to the \"Hi Ed
Presentation\" tab on the Project website \-- revised, updated and
expanded from 64 to 80 slides.

\(8\) HOMELAND PROTECTION PROFESSIONAL, APRIL 2005 EDITION:

April 26, 2005 \-- Read this month\'s edition of \"Homeland Protection
Professional.\" Several pieces might be of interest:

\"Culture Clash\" \-- on the transfer of the National Disaster Medical
System from DHS to FEMA and how all has not gone well.

\"Military Medical Maestros\" \-- on the military\'s Joint Regional
Medical Plans and Operations Program \"State of the Art States\" \-- on
the FEMA/DHS EOC modernization grant program.

\"Are turf wars really on the decline\" \-- on emergency management,
emergency services, homeland protection frictions.

Information on this periodical can be accessed through its website:
[[http://hppmag.com]{.underline}](http://hppmag.com/)

\(9\) LAKESHORE TECHNICAL COLLEGE, CLEVELAND WI \-- DEVELOPING EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATE DEGREE:

April 26, 2005 \-- Communicated with Richard Hoerth, Dean of Public
Safety at Lakeshore Technical College, in Cleveland, Wisconsin \-- notes
that he is researching the development of an Emergency Management and
Homeland Security Training Center at Lakeshore, as well as a Certificate
and Associate Degree in Emergency Management. If all goes well, hope to
have an EM Certificate developed and approved for implementation for the
2006-2007 school year, to be followed by the implementation of an EM
Associate Degree during the 2007-2008 school year. For additional
information, Dean Hoerth can be reached at: riho@gotoltc.edu

\(10\) MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY \-- DEVELOPING MASTERS EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM:

April, 25, 2005 \-- Received note from Dr. Malcolm MacGregor to the
effect than now that Massachusetts Maritime Academy has its Emergency
Management Bachelors of Science Degree underway, work is now proceeding
on the development of a Masters-level program \-- outlining courses and
developing course descriptions. It is anticipated that work will have
proceeded to the point that a proposal can be submitted to the
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education in the Spring or Fall of 2006.
For more information, Dr. MacGregor can be reached at:
mmacgregor@maritime.edu

\(11\) PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES FOR THE MASTER\'S LEVEL EMERGENCY
MANAGER:

April 29, 2005 \-- Received, reviewed and commented on 90-page paper on
\"Professional Competencies For The Master\'s Level Emergency Manager,\"
drafted by Craig Marks, President, Blue Horizons LLC and Adjunct Faculty
at Durham Technical Community College. Craig surveyed three groups on
perceptions of core emergency management competencies (1) academics with
the 70 Masters level Emergency Management and Related collegiate
programs listed in The College List on the Project website, (2) EM
Students, and EM Practitioners. Received 48 replies (68%) from the
academic survey. Craig notes that there was notable similarity in
results from the surveys and interviews he conducted. His overall
findings on competencies are:

Leadership: \--Incident command/NIMS/NRP, \--Consensus Building, \--Risk
Communication

Communications: \--Oral, Written, Technical

Analytical/Planning Skills: \--Preparedness/Prevention, Response,
Recovery, Mitigation Operations

Hazard and Risk Assessment \--Risk Planning & Management \--Business
Recovery/COOP

Government Operations \--Administration \--Financial Management

Training & Professional Development \--Professional Development,
\--Exercise Design, Development, Execution

Received revised paper, which will be posted to the \"EM Competencies\"
section on the Project website in two parts: (1) Two page summary of
project and core competency listing, and (2) entire paper \-- should be
accessible shortly.

\(12\) SONOMA INDEX-TRIBUNE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE \-- \"GRAND JURY CRITICAL
OF EMERGENCY PLANNING\":

April 28, 2005 \-- Saw article, noted above \-- some excerpts:

\"The Sonoma County \[CA\] grand jury on Monday released a report
critical of the emergency plans the county - and even the state - has in
place, saying that most are outdated, hard to understand and don\'t take
into account many of the possible disaster scenarios the county could
face. In the 18-page report, the civil grand jury found that \'the
top-level (county) plan is well written\' but that \'plans below the op
level are not consistently well written, and in some cases do not exist
in written, teachable and reproducible format\....

\"In addition to outdated and poorly written plans in place throughout
the rest of the county, the grand jury also said they found that the
county\'s top officials were apathetic about updating emergency plans.
\'The grand jury found widespread inconsistent approaches to emergency
and disaster planning,\' the report said. \'Some county employees
embraced the process of planning with enthusiasm, while others,
typically senior management and elected officials, were
non-enthusiastic, relying instead on \'people will know what to do\'.\"
Much of the problem, the grand jury concluded, rests in the fact that
most cities fail to test their plans regularly and do not take advantage
of a training program from the county\....

\"Besides failing to test their plans, most cities and even county and
state officials have failed to update emergency plans on a regular
basis. \'Examination of the publication dates, county and city, shows a
wide span of dates,\' the report said. \'Most plans have dates prior to
the calamitous events of Sept. 2001. So does the State of California
(Standard Emergency Management System) website.\' Sonoma\'s plan was
updated in November 2001 and is a copy of the Santa Rosa plan\...\"

Note: I would wager that a not insignificant percentage of emergency
operations plans would not favorably withstand outside scrutiny \-- with
the same and similar problems. This proposition could be tested by
emergency management professors through assigning to their students the
evaluation of municipal, county, and/or state plans, and by setting up
interviews with key officials.

\(13\) UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA \-- UNDERGRADUATE MINOR AND
CERTIFICATE IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT:

April 26, 2005 \-- In communicating with Naim Kapucu, Department of
Public Administration, University of Central Florida, concerning his
participation in the upcoming EM HiEd Conference, learned that the
emergency management courses taught in the department are now offered as
a minor as well as a certificate. Amongst course offerings are:

Comprehensive Emergency Planning

Introduction to Emergency Management and Disasters Managing Public
Emergencies Disaster Response and Recovery Mitigation and Planning for
Emergencies

Also learned that all four courses are being modified with a heavier
homeland security emphasis \-- course names may well change. For more
information, Naim Kapucu at: nkapucu@mail.ucf.edu

\(14\) UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, STORRS, CT \-- DEVELOPING MASTERS
DEGREE IN HOMELAND SECURITY:

April 27, 2005 \-- Emailed and talked with Roy E. Pietro, Executive
Director of the Homeland Security Education Center at the University of
Connecticut, who noted that \"the University of Connecticut, based on an
articulation agreement signed with the Naval Postgraduate School in
November 2004, is planning on offering a cohort based Masters degree in
Homeland Security through its College of Continuing Studies, starting in
the Fall 2005. The articulation agreement allows UConn faculty to have
access to all NPS course materials and their Homeland Security Digital
Library. Cohorts will consist of 25-30 homeland security and emergency
management practitioners from both the public and private sectors. The
20 month program design includes distance learning classes, integrated
with several residential immersion sessions in the summers at the main
campus in Storrs (one or two weeks in duration, total of 5 weeks) over
course of the program. This format will allow students from across the
U.S. to attend. Two cohorts are planned annually (Fall and Spring
semester).\" This articulation agreement with the Naval Postgraduate
School is, as far as I know, the first of its kind with that school.
While the proposal for this new program is still in the approval
process, it is believed that it will be approved and that the program
will start in the Fall. The Project Assistant will be collecting
additional information with which to draft a program description for
posting to the \"Programs Being Investigated/Developed\" section of The
College List on the Project website. Until that time, for additional
information, Roy Pietro can be reached at: roy.pietro@uconn.edu.

B. Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM

Higher Education Project Manager

Emergency Management Institute

National Emergency Training Center

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security

16825 S. Seton, N-430

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

\(301\) 447-1262, voice

\(301\) 447-1598, fax

wayne.blanchard@dhs.gov

[[http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu]{.underline}](http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu)