September 29, 1999 Special Event

Back to School!
An Update on the Higher Education Project

with

Dr. Wayne Blanchard
FEMA Higher Education Project

and

Jane Kushma
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga



Contents:

Summary
Online Transcript
Download Transcript (MS Word File)

About Wayne Blanchard
About Jane Kushma

FEMA Higher Education Project
May 1998 EIIP Session
University of Tennessee B.S., Concentration in Emergency Systems Management

SUMMARY

EIIP Classroom Online Presentation

Back to School:
An Update on the Higher Education Project

Dr. Wayne Blanchard
Project Manager
FEMA's Preparedness Division
Emergency Management Institute

Jane Kushma
Associate Professor
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Dr. Wayne Blanchard returned to the Virtual Classroom, to provide and update on the progress of FEMA's Higher Education Project, since his last visit during May of 1998. One of the goals of the Higher Education Project is to encourage and support the inclusion of emergency management-related education in colleges and universities across the United States. EMI would like to see an emergency management-related degree program in every State of the Union by the year 2001.

There are currently 48 programs from the Certificate to the Ph.D. level. There are an additional 23 colleges and universities in the process of investigating establishing an emergency management program. There are also 6 completed courses and 15 more in development, towards a bachelor degree curriculum. Completed courses are available for download vai the Internet. A compilation of course syllabi and outlines of existing emergency management-related courses as well as a Compendium of emergency management-related college proposals is available to colleges and universities wishing to investigate the development of a emergency management program. Both are free of charge.

Jane Kushma described a new emergency systems management concentration within the Human Services Management, B.S. degree program, offerred by the University of Tennessee at Chatanooga. An internship may be served in an emergency management setting.UTC seeks to expand the focus by emphasizing issues facing voluntary relief organizations and nonprofit agencies. UTC will consider granting elective credit for prior courses, and is actively exploring distance learning opportunities.

B. WAYNE BLANCHARD

Higher Education Project Manager
FEMA, Preparedness, Training and Exercises Directorate

Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1980. BA in Political Science, UNCC, 1974. FEMA staff since May, 1980 (National Preparedness Directorate, State and Local Programs Support Directorate, Office of Emergency and Public Information, Preparedness, Training and Exercises Directorate). Higher Education Project Manager. Developed and managed FEMA's Family Protection Program (1987-1994). Director's Meritorious Service Award (1992). NCCEM CEM certification (1993). American Red Cross volunteer and on ARC national DSHR roster (mass care/shelter operations) since 1990. Disaster experience: Hurricane Andrew, Mid-West Floods of '93, and the '94 Northridge Earthquake.

Wayne Blanchard
[email protected]

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JANE KUSHMA

Assistant Professor, Human Services Management
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Jane Kushma has recently been appointed Assistant Professor with the Human Services Management department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. UTC recently established a 12-hour concentration in Emergency Systems Management and this will be Jane's primary area of focus. Prior to coming to Chattanooga, Jane was with the emergency management degree program at the University of North Texas beginning in 1994. She has also
been active with the American Red Cross in a variety of paid and volunteer positions since 1981. Jane has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh and is completing her PhD in Urban and Public Administration at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her dissertation research is on emergency management policy implementation.

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