Here is a fun trivia question to throw out at dinner parties. What was the name of America’s oldest learning institution when it was founded in 1636? The Answer? New College. It was founded by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony with the original purpose to educate clergy. In 1639, it was renamed Harvard College. It was not until the late 18th century that it began to be called Harvard University, with Harvard College referring exclusively to its undergraduate program.
The leadership of that venerable institution understood that times change, and they needed to keep pace. On August 27, FEMA announced the agency is establishing a new university called National Disaster & Emergency Management University (NDEMU) to “help train emergency managers to keep pace with the rapidly changing threat environment.”
The day before, it was called the Emergency Management Institute. When it was founded in 1951, it was called the Civil Defense Staff College.
Times change. Needs expand. Harvard got that. FEMA gets it. They are keeping pace. But more than that, FEMA and NDEMU are moving forward.
The shift towards the NDEMU involves moving from a technical training focus toward a traditional university structure to be comprised of three specialized schools supporting different emergency management career paths and specialized communities: the Emergency Management Institute (EMI); School of Disaster Leadership (SDL); and School of National Resilience (SNR).
The Emergency Management Institute will continue to be a “school is for mid- to late-career emergency professionals seeking continuing education and professional development and continuing education. The educational model will emphasize leadership development, emergency manager to emergency manager learning, and research and idea generation.” Do you see the commonality here with Harvard College? Fear not. EMI is not going away. The institution is simply growing to meet emerging threats to homeland security, increasing need for professional education at all levels, and to exceed the needs of the customers it serves.
The School of Disaster Leadership is designed for “mid-to-late-career emergency professionals seeking continuing education and professional development and continuing education. The educational model will emphasize leadership development, emergency manager to emergency manager learning, and research and idea generation.” Here we see a path for measurable growth, creating a space for seasoned emergency managers to continue to develop and hone their skills. They will certainly benefit, but so will the communities they serve.
The School of National Resilience is constructed “for the broader emergency management community – civil society actors supporting survivors, public health officials building health systems resilience, planners working to reduce the impacts of a changing climate, and others.” This essential third component is breathing life into the concept of Whole Community like never before. It connects the dots, academically, between the emergency management profession and the broader emergency management community. Brilliant.
We all know that the threats, hazards, and risks we face are shifting every day. FEMA and the NDEMU are adapting to those changes by building an innovative framework that works today and for the tomorrows to come. As a result, we will experience capacity building at all levels. We will benefit from uniting thought leaders in evolutionary strategic thinking. The stature of the entire emergency management field will be justifiably elevated. The curriculum will be expanded. These are powerful, essential, and transformative steps forward for FEMA, emergency management as a whole, and our nation’s ability to respond to ever-evolving threats and challenges.
There have been some adversaries to this transition. Change can be hard. Some have claimed it is a threat to existing degree programs. Others merely seemed concerned with the label of “university.” NDEMU’s vision addresses the first claim clearly – the vision of NDMU is to continue to support the buildup and expansion of EM programs across the nation’s academic institutions. NDEMU didn’t ever intend, doesn’t intend now, nor does it intend in the future to become a degree awarding institution. NDEMU will, however, continue to award credits for its classes through existing reciprocal agreements. No changes to see here. As for the “university” label, NDEMU is based on the models of the Army War College, Navy War College, Joint Forces Staff College, and the National Defense University. Each of these institutions are focused on specialized training and professional development. In NDEMU’s case, the University will not be degree-conferring. NDEMU is not trying to become the next Harvard, nor any university that provides degrees in emergency management. NDEMU is focused on progress, moving forward, and making substantive contributions to emergency management. The enhancements have been made, The name has been changed to reflect a deeper and more robust professional development program. Now is the time for everyone to solidify partnerships, work together, and be value-added to the future of this essential, life-saving profession.
Harvard’s motto is Veritas, or Truth, to symbolize the pursuit of knowledge and the commitment to truth as the ultimate goal of education. EMI’s motto has been Train, Exercise, Educate. Perhaps NDMU should consider Progressus in Posterum, or Progress Toward the Future. Although now that they are a university of strategic thinkers, I am sure they will come up with something better.
Dan Stoneking is the Owner and Principal of Stoneking Strategic Communications , the Author of Cultivate Your Garden: Crisis Communications from 30,000 Feet to Three Feet , the Founder and Vice President of the Emergency Management External Affairs Association , and an Adjunct Professor for Public Speaking at West Chester University.