Course Syllabus

C210412D Course Syllabus

Planning & Preparedness

Course Description

The course is designed to help those currently in roles of public responsibility develop a deeper understanding of how to address some newly emerging challenges in homeland security and emergency management, challenges that have been unfolding since 2001 and have continued to unfold in recent years.  The course will be of particular interest to those already in practitioner or policymaking roles, while also being of interest to those preparing for such roles.  Those developing and teaching homeland security and emergency management courses in academia will also find the course of value.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Lessons learned and to be learned from 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina as well other more recent disasters and emergencies, including the disastrous Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill of 2010, the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011, Hurricane Sandy, the extreme tornadoes in the past few years, the Boston Marathon bombings, and the San Bernardino terrorist attack. The implications of the attacks on Paris and Brussels will also be noted, as well as the implications of the Japan Earthquake and Tidal Wave for the U.S. The string of hurricanes that have recently ravaged Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will also be addressed.
2. The importance of evolving an all-hazards approach to homeland security and emergency management designed to address an increasing array of threats and challenges;
3. The importance of recognizing, understanding, and bridging the cultural divide that can exist between those in the fields of homeland security and emergency management and the important of integrating a focus on public safety with a concern for homeland and national security;
4. The need to nurture a culture of preparedness that includes an emphasis on awareness and mitigation, along with the development of requisite skills and capabilities, including proactive contingency planning skills;
5. The importance of focusing planning and preparedness efforts in ways that will help minimize impacts and help ensure community and societal resilience; and
6. The need to emphasis the development of disaster resistant and resilient communities and regions and the role that public/private partnerships have played and can play in achieving such goals.

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor: Dr. Paula Gordon     pdg0005@auburn.edu

Dr. Paula D. Gordon, an educator, researcher, and analyst who has formerly worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a consultant role.

More information on the Instructor

Materials & Resources Used in the Course

All materials used in the course will be available online. All articles, reports, and presentations that are assigned are in PDF Files and available under the Readings Page on the Modules Tab.

Course Requirements

Those taking the course are asked to complete the following:

• Self-Introductory Posting;
• A Learner Information Form;
• Assigned reading and viewing of on-line information
• A 150 – 250-word long posting and a 100 – 150-word short posting for each week of the course on the course website;

• Completion of two specific FEMA Independent Study (IS) Courses or completion of alternative assignments involving the content of the two FEMA IS Courses;
• An Ungraded Assessment and a Final Graded Assessment;

Please note that all those taking the course are asked to complete all of the required course assignments. In addition, all are expected to read everything that is posted in the Announcements and Discussion Board Areas of the course website.

Grading Rubric

Passing: 600 - 1000 points

Failing: 0 - 599 points

Course Parameters, Resources & Limitations

The course is fully web-based. Each week's assignments will be due on or by the last day of each week.  (See the first page of the Syllabus for the exact dates.) It is important that Learners meet the deadline for transmittal of the completed Graded Assessment on or by the last day of the course. It is particularly important for Learners to keep current with the assignments as it can be very difficult to catch up and complete the course on time.

Learners with Disabilities

Auburn University is committed to providing accommodations and services to learners with documented disabilities. Any Learner with a qualified disability which requires accommodations should contact the Program for Students with Disabilities, 1244 Haley Center, Auburn University, AL 36849, 334-844-2096 PH, 334-844-2099 FAX, haynemd@auburn.edu. More information is available on their website at www.auburn.edu/disability. The office will fax or mail the required forms to learners to apply for services. Learners who have questions regarding participation in this course should contact the above office in advance to ensure proper accommodations.

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism is the act of presenting directly or indirectly someone else’s work as your own. Plagiarism is a major type of academic dishonesty and will not be tolerated. Similarly cheating on tests in any way, falsifying bibliographies, fraudulent quotes, and similar practices are intolerable forms of academic dishonesty. The University’s policy for academic misconduct in the Learner Code of Conduct will be followed for this course (Tiger Club, pp. 83 and 92).