MPA 515 Disaster Policy and Administration--Fall 2008
Dr. Rick Ghere 304 Zehler ph. 229-4220
richard.ghere@notes.udayton.edu
August 31:
Introductory class
September 7:
Disaster Management in the United States and the professional
Setting of Emergency management
Sylves Ch.1
and
FEMA, Emergency Manager:
An Orientation on the Position
Unit 1
September 14:
Disaster Management and Theories of Public Management and
the Emergency manager’s Role
Sylves Ch. 2
and
FEMA, Emergency Manager: An
Orientation on the Position
Unit 2
September 21:
Historical Trends in Disaster Management and managing programs
Sylves Ch 3 and 76-86
and FEMA, Emergency Manager:
An Orientation on the Position
Unit 7 and
Abbott “Law, Emergencies, and the Constitution: A
Review of Outside the Law: Emergency and Executive Power”
Jl of Hom Sec & EM.
2010
September 28:
Intergovernmental Relations in Disaster Policy and the NIMs Process
Sylves Ch 6
and FEMA,
NIMS Self-Study
and Crowe “The Elephant in the JIC: The
Fundamental Flaw of Emergency
Public
Information within the NIMS Framework” Jl
of Hom Sec & EM 2010
October 5:
Disaster Mitigation
FEMA, Emergency Manager: An Orientation on the Position
Unit 3
and
Hensta&McBean, “Canadian
Disaster Management Policy: Moving toward a Paradigm Shift?”
Canadian Public Policy, 2005
October 19:
Disaster Response/Scientists and Engineers
FEMA, Emergency Manager:
An
Orientation on the Position
Unit 4;
and Craemer, “Evaluating Racial
Disparities in Hurricane Katrina”
PAR 2010
and Sylves Ch 5
October 26:
Homeland security: bureaucracy and policy
Kettl Chs. 1, 2, and 3
November 9:
Homeland security: bureaucracy and policy
(cont.)
Kettl Chs. 4, 5, and 6
November 16:
The British Petroleum/Gulf of
November 30:
Globalization of Disasters Sylves
Ch 8
and Hyogo
Framework
for Action 2005 - 2015: Building
the Resilience of
Nations and Communities to Disasters
and McCreight, “Resilience
as a Goal and Standard in
Emergency
Management” Jl of Hom Sec & EM 2010
December 7:
Globalization of Disasters (cont.)
Twigg & Steiner
“Mainstreaming
disaster mitigation: challenges to
organisational learning
In NGOs” and Garnett & Moore “Enhancing
Disaster Recovery: Lessons from Exemplary International
Disaster Management
Practices” Jl of Hom Sec & EM
2010
Course Texts:
Donald Kettl, System Under Stress
(2007)
Course Description
Citizens in the
For the most part, this course will take a hands-on approach focusing upon the
roles and responsibilities of emergency managers at the state and local levels,
drawing upon instructional materials available on-line from U.S. FEMA. The
course will also involve field trips to sites pertinent to emergency responses
(hopefully, students can find some flexibility with their late afternoon
schedules on certain weeks). Although the major emphasis is on hands-on
management, the course will also include discussion of recently published
materials that analyze the emergency management response (or lack thereof) to
Hurricane Katrina.
Course Goals
1. To provide students a solid understanding of the policy problems inherent in
the domestic security and emergency management areas.
2. To provide students a strong practitioner focus on the various roles of the
emergency manager (at least at the
local level).
3. To clarify the administrative terrain of federal-level emergency management
within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and how that
impacts emergency management at the state and local level.
4. To provide students opportunities to analyze governmental responses to recent
disasters both in the
Course Requirements
Students are expected to
(and will be evaluated regarding)...
1. ....demonstrate strong attendance for entire class period.
2. ... demonstrate solid (reading preparation) for each class.
3. ...actively engage in class discussion.
4. ...prepare work consistent with (usual) graduate student standards.
Grading Criteria
Strength of Attendance
60 pts
Strength of In-class Prep./Contrib.
60 pts
Paper (TBA)
60 pts
Midterm Exam
60 pts
Final Exam
60 pts