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DECISION PACKAGE TITLE:  Planning and Emergency Management Program Track

Agency Recommendation Summary Text

Establish a Planning and Emergency Management program track to Bachelor’s Degree at Western.

Fiscal Detail

Package Description:

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Governor Gregoire has called on House and Senate leaders to initiate joint legislative hearings on emergency preparedness.  As identified this past year by Washington emergency management educators and training providers, no Bachelor’s Degree program in Emergency Management is currently available in Washington or in the neighboring states of Oregon, Idaho or Montana.

The State of Washington has hazards that are unique within this country. Considering both natural and technological hazards, there are few states that require such diversity in their emergency planning and preparedness efforts. Our mutual aid and assistance agreements cover not only local, state, and federal resources, but international ones as well. This creates an emergency and disaster response environment that is truly unique and one which requires a broad array of resources, training, and education.

Within the State of Washington individuals currently may obtain an Associate’s Degree in Emergency Management at the technical and community college level and a master’s degree from the University of Washington. The Center for Excellence in Homeland Security, housed at Pierce College, comprises a coalition of 34 community and technical colleges, public agencies, and private organizations, all concentrating on emergency management education. This coalition includes Clover Park Technical College, Washington State Division of Emergency Management, and the University of Washington.

The need for a bachelor’s degree offered within the State of Washington was identified by these emergency management education and training providers this past year. No bachelor’s degree program is readily accessible to Washington State residents. Western Washington University is uniquely qualified and positioned to provide this program, based upon its existing programs. Western is also ready to provide the program now, at a time when this education is critically needed.

Western currently offers a certificate program which began in 2001; however, the University is prepared to move quickly to establish this critical program track as part of its Bachelor’s Degree program in Planning and Environmental Policy at Western’s Huxley College of the Environment. 

An amount of $250,000 in General Fund-State will be required in FY 2006-07 for two additional tenure-track emergency management faculty members, support staff, and to cover program expense.  It is anticipated that student demand for the program will be high and that graduates from the program will provide Washington’s public and private sectors with the specialized expertise, competencies, skills and knowledge necessary to obtain national certification in emergency management and to significantly strengthen the preparedness capabilities of the Washington workforce.

History:  Western Washington University began offering an emergency response plan course for schools in the fall of 1995 as part of the traditional service provided to educators in the region. Within a few months of the initial offering, requests were received for a similar course targeted to local and state agencies as well as the private sector. Discussions began shortly thereafter with local emergency service providers to determine what was needed in a comprehensive emergency management education program. Availability of a bachelor’s degree was considered a top priority.

Western Washington University began preparations for an Undergraduate Certificate Program in Emergency Management in 1997. The goal was to reach state residents responsible for emergency management who did not have access to traditional education. The program was offered online starting in the fall of 2001. The program is based on professional competencies identified by FEMA and others during the curriculum development process. The end result was an offering that met some of the educational needs of Washington State residents responsible for emergency management. The program is frequently reviewed and updated to remain current on emergency management issues.

Why is a bachelor’s degree needed? Since fall of 2001, the Emergency Management Certificate program at Western Washington University has offered at least two classes per quarter, registering approximately 170 students to date. Students in the certificate program have come from a variety of backgrounds in Washington State, including fire protection, law enforcement, public utilities, oil refineries, nuclear plants, airlines, public schools, private sector and military personnel. As industry certifications begin to emerge requiring bachelor’s degrees, the demand for these degrees has increased, but no school in Washington State is able to provide them. Currently, Associate’s Degrees in Emergency Management or related fields are offered within the state, providing students the opportunity to pursue education leading toward a bachelor’s degree. To obtain a related bachelor’s degree however, these students must seek education outside the state, either via traditional or online programs. Either way, Washington State loses the opportunity to provide residents with the high quality local education that the state needs to support its existing emergency management workforce. This funding would provide the missing bachelor’s level program. Since the University of Washington offers a related master’s degree, Washington students could obtain all of their education within the state.

Why Western? The current degree in Planning and Environmental Policy at Western Washington University provides the educational pathway to a career that frequently includes emergency management responsibilities in local, state and federal jurisdictions. While many emergency management programs focus solely on emergency management functions, the Western program will provide a more rounded approach, using the holistic principles of planning and sustainability in approaching emergency management. The existing faculty at Western, complemented by new faculty in emergency management, will provide Washington residents a unique educational experience that they cannot obtain elsewhere.

The Solution:  The proposed funding would allow for hiring two full-time tenure track emergency management faculty members to teach in the program. Additionally, funds will be used to provide general support for the program, which is proposed to start in FY 2006-07.

Summary:

• An Emergency Management track in the BA Planning Program will respond to the needs of current emergency management practitioners in Washington State.
• The combination of emergency management and planning creates a unique linkage between planning and emergency management that will allow crisis management to occur in a more holistic fashion.
• The knowledge, skills and experience necessary to mitigate the events resulting from the recent Gulf Coast hurricanes exists at Western. The state has a responsibility to deliver that knowledge to the next generation of emergency managers and planners.
• The proposed program in Planning and Emergency Management addresses and enhances Washington State’s preparedness capabilities by providing qualified people to supply the next generation of emergency management and planning personnel.

The Reason for the Supplemental:

On September 15, 2005, Governor Gregoire called for joint legislative hearings to address emergency preparedness in Washington.  The proposed Bachelor’s Degree in Planning and Emergency Management addresses the Governor’s concerns and immediately enhance Washington State’s preparedness capabilities by providing qualified graduates to supply the next generation of emergency management and planning personnel in Washington.  This is one of Washington’s new high demand programs.  To quote the Governor’s press release, “I am asking our house and senate leaders to initiate joint legislative hearings in October to see what we can do based on key lessons in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  I am asking them to give careful thought and thorough considerations to emergency preparedness. . . . If the Nisqually earthquake had lasted a mere 15 seconds longer, the Alaska Way Viaduct in Seattle and SR 520 would have crumbled, and bridges all up and down the I-5 corridor would have been highly vulnerable.  The loss of life could have been devastating, and the long-term economic impact crippling. . . . Because we have neglected infrastructure projects like the Viaduct and SR 520, they are vulnerable.  These are our levees, and the earthquake is our hurricane.  We are not going to be given a warning.  You cannot see an earthquake coming.”

This was followed on September 21, 2005 by a conference call between the Washington State Congressional Delegation and the Washington State Emergency Management Association. The purpose of this conference was to discuss whether Washington State is ready for a catastrophic disaster such as the one seen recently along the Gulf Coast. Key themes of this conversation centered around the need to prepare our state for extreme disasters by applying hazard mitigation techniques to our communities, relying upon an all-hazards approach to emergency management, providing public education to our citizens, and preparing for the fact that local resources will almost certainly become overwhelmed in a time of great crisis.

How the Supplemental contributes to the University’s Strategic Plan:

The University’s Strategic Plan requires continuous improvement in quality and states that faculty are to be committed to excellence in teaching and learning, and engaged in scholarship, research and creative activity both to support teaching and for the advancement of knowledge.  Additional investment in full-time faculty lines for this program will improve the quality of the student experience and the quality of the learning environment at Western.  The Strategic Plan also emphasizes community service and instituting this bachelor’s degree program will serve all of Washington’s citizens by providing a qualified workforce. 

Measurement of Objectives and Performance Measures:

Western provides detailed enrollment data to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) that shows progress in the University’s enrollment objectives for each academic year.  In addition, on an annual basis, Western submits data on accountability performance measures to the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB). 

The Impact on Students and Services:

This new program should create a considerable draw for students, including community college transfer students. There is an increasing demand for this education throughout the country and Washington is no exception.  Both native students and transfer students will be afforded an opportunity to combine planning and emergency management through the Huxley College, a unique niche that will enhance our student’s careers in either field.  Western has the knowledge, skills and experience to provide this program.

The Impact on Other State Programs or Other Units of Government:

Providing a bachelor’s degree in this field will provide an excellent and natural draw for community college transfer students, members of the private sector, as well as local and state government sectors.  Producing graduates in this field will help to strengthen the private sector, state and local government by providing a qualified and expert workforce for the next generation of emergency management and planning personnel within the state.  One of expression of such interest was demonstrated when Western’s Extended Education and Summer Programs began offering a course in how to write an emergency response plan for schools in the fall of 1995 as part of the traditional service provided to educations in the region.  Within a few months of the initial class offering, requests for a similar course targeted to local and state agencies as well as the private sector were received.  Discussions began shortly thereafter with the local emergency service providers in what was needed in a comprehensive emergency management education program.

The relationship, if any, to the state’s capital budget:

None.

Revisions required in an existing statute, Washington Administrative Code (WAC), contract, or state plan in order to implement the change:

The proposed curriculum for this new program will require the approval of the Academic Coordinating Commission of Western’s Faculty Senate, a process that will be undertaken on a parallel track to this budget request.  Additionally, the Higher Education Coordinating Board must approve any new program tracks within existing degree programs and Western’s request for approval will be submitted in January 2006.

Alternatives Explored by the University:

Western has worked diligently over the years to maximize the efficient use of existing financial, staffing and technology resources in its current operating budget. Consequently, there is no room in our current operating budget to redirect resources to this initiative.

Budget Impacts in Future Biennia:

The amounts requested for operating expenses of this new program are recurring.

A Distinction Between One-Time and Ongoing Functions and Costs:

The $250,000 requested for 2006-07 program operations will be ongoing.

Effects of Non-Funding:

Western will not be able to offer this new program track to a Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Preparedness and Management.