Presented by Terri L. Clay, MPA Assistant Professor.

Presented byTerri L. Clay, MPA

Assistant Professor

History of Savannah State University

1890 - founded as part of the Morrill Land Grant Act - legislation was passed creating the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth - the college originally operated in Athens, Georgia

October 1891 - moved to its current permanent location in Savannah.

1898 - the first baccalaureate degree was awarded

1921 - the first female students were admitted as residents on campus.

1932 - became a full member institution of the University System of Georgia and renamed Georgia State College

1996 - the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia elevated the status of the college and changed the name to Savannah State University

History of Savannah State University

Savannah State University, located in a coastal, urban,

port city setting, serves residential and commuter

students from diverse educational, geographical, and

racial backgrounds. In a beautiful and unique setting of a

live oak forest next to a salt marsh estuary, the University

is well situated for the study of commercial,

technological, environmental and urban issues.

History of Savannah State University

The University serves a primarily African-American student

population, enriched by a diversity of traditional and nontraditional

students from other countries, cultures, and races. The University's

mission is to graduate students prepared to perform at higher levels

of economic productivity, social responsibility, and excellence in their

chosen fields of endeavor in a changing global community. The

educational goal is realized through program offerings in the College

of Business Administration, the College of Liberal Arts and Social

Sciences, and the College of Sciences and Technology, which lead to

baccalaureate, and master's degrees.

Mission

History of Savannah State University

Continue the original vision of a “value-added” approach

to education as we use the principles of the past to guide

our future. With the modern tools of today and our

outstanding faculty, staff, administration, alumni and

friends, we will not only provide academic and

professional education, but we will seek to enhance our

students’ self worth, social involvement and leadership

skills through targeted programs.

Vision

The HSEM Program

The Homeland Security Emergency Management Program at Savannah State University is a progressive program designed to provide graduates with a comprehension of the theory and practice of homeland security and emergency management.

Demonstrate knowledge of and competency in understanding the threat, vulnerabilities and consequences associated with natural and human-caused hazards, as well as, competence in oral and written communication, use of analytical and decision-making tools, organizational dynamics and team-building, and appropriate HSEM-specific technologies.

The HSEM Program

Demonstrate an understanding of the functions, structure and processes of levels of government, their roles and responsibilities in homeland security and emergency management, and interactions with other governments and international groups and organizations.

The Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Urban Studies, completed the development and the approval process of the Homeland Security Emergency Management Program for inclusion in the 2007-2008 academic year.

The HSEM Program

This program is unique in many ways:

It is the only opportunity for students to obtain a bachelor degree in this major in the University System of Georgia.

It combines both Homeland Security and Emergency Management into one curriculum.

It was the first program developed in a Historically Black College and University.

The HSEM Program

The program design is to prepare students with

competencies necessary to work in an all-hazards

preparedness environment. In addition to general

competencies, our graduates will have distinctive

competencies in addressing the socioeconomic

and cultural diversity issues of homeland security

and emergency management.

The HSEM ProgramFaculty

This program is located in the College of Liberal Arts and

Sciences and the Department of Political Science and Public

Affairs and has the following staff:

1 – Assistant Professor (Program Director)

1 – Assistant Professor (full-time)

1 – Assistant Professor (shared with the Political

Science Department)

The HSEM Program

Mission

The HSEM Program prepares students for leadership and

careers in homeland security and emergency

management or public policy with broad-based

knowledge, skills, and abilities to leverage resources for

the protection of lives and property in preparation for

and in the occurrence of any type of disaster.

The HSEM ProgramCurriculum

Students complete 125 hours of course work that includes core curriculum courses, homeland security emergency management specific courses, an opportunity to gain experience, and work with current incident management technologies.

HSEM Core Courses Intro to HSEMRisk and Vulnerability AssessmentPolitics and Policy of HSEMLaw and Ethics in HSEMEmergency Planning, Mitigation and Incident ManagementDiversity Issues in HSEMTerrorism in the Modern WorldTools for Decision making in HSEMEffective HSEM Communication and Leadership HSEM Internship Senior Capstone Seminar

The HSEM Program

HSEM Elective Courses

HSEM 3122, International Humanitarian Law

HSEM 3360, The Intelligence Community and the Intelligence Process

HSEM 3400, Public Health Issues in HSEM

HSEM 4000, Independent Study

HSEM 4601, Topics in HSEM

Curriculum

The HSEM Program

Minor in Homeland Security and Emergency Management (15 hours)

For students majoring in other disciplines. Requirements for the HSEM minor are:

Assessing Risk and Vulnerability*

Emergency Planning, Mitigation and Incident Management*

Plus three additional HSEM courses at 3000-level or above.

*HSEM 1101 is a pre- or co-requisite; it does not count toward hours for the minor.

Curriculum

The HSEM Program

Students

The HSEM Program

Graduates

HSEM Program Future

An on-line certificate program is being developed for distance learning students. It will consist of the following courses:

Intro to HSEMRisk and Vulnerability AssessmentPolitics and Policy of HSEMEmergency Planning, Mitigation and Incident ManagementEffective HSEM Communication and Leadership

This program provides a basic understanding of HSEM plus giving the student a foundation for completing the full course work and earn a Bachelor Degree at a time when convenient to them

The future also holds the possibilities of developing a Masters Degree in HSEM to serve our undergraduate students and students from other colleges and universities with an interest to further their education in HSEM

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

The SSU Department of Political Science and Public Affairs, and its HSEM Program are involved in activities to strengthen integration of all-hazard vulnerability analysis -- across natural and human-caused hazards – and planning, particularly for disadvantaged and underserved populations.

Collaborative faculty research is analyzing vulnerability and efficacy of various approaches to communicating hazard and protective measure messages to potentially impacted communities, compared to demographic data.

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

Curriculum development activities include preparation of course

content focused on integration of hazard analysis methods or

tools, allowing for comprehensive analysis of vulnerability

combined with socioeconomic data. The program will use results

from faculty research under this project and from DHS Centers of

Excellence and other institutions, for development of instructional

approaches to improve practice and education in the area of all-

hazard planning for underserved and special needs populations.

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

2007-2008Accomplishments and activities:

•Project faculty completed initial project research, including literature review, development of research methodology, and hazards and demographic data collection.

•Faculty developed project web page.

•Formal student involvement in the project began with one graduate student assisting with literature review during the summer of 2008 and four students receiving fellowships/scholarships in the fall of 2008 to assist with project research and activities (forms developed and applications received in spring 2008).

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

2007-2008

Accomplishments and activities (continued):

•Faculty presented on the project and on initial demographic

data at a workshop at the June 2008 Emergency

Management Institute Higher Education Conference. The

workshop provided an opportunity to engage in conversation

with other emergency management academics on social

vulnerability course content, project design, related research

and texts, and special needs populations issues.

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

2007-2008

Accomplishments and activities (continued):

•Faculty proposed and submitted a chapter for the Higher Education Conference 2008 proceedings publication.

•Faculty met with representatives of the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) regarding project objectives and hazards data availability. Faculty planned a meeting with city of Savannah officials to review the project with representatives of the mayor’s office.

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

2007-2008

Accomplishments and activities (continued):

•Four students participated in the October 2008 Science and Technology minority-serving institutions conference in Washington, D.C., where they gained good background on DHS Centers of Excellence and other research priorities. The students reported excellent networking opportunities from the meeting.

•Faculty and participating students generated reading and course content for HSEM 3140, Diversity Issues in HSEM, in preparation for delivery of course in spring semester 2009.

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

2008-2009

Year two accomplishments and activities to date:

•HSEM faculty delivered the course HSEM 3140, Diversity Issues in HSEM, in spring semester 2009.

•Four students continued participation in the project with fellowship/scholarship support.

•Faculty and students identified target neighborhoods for survey data collection through examination of social vulnerability factors identified in social vulnerability literature.

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

2008-2009

Year two accomplishments and activities to date (continued):

•Faculty and students collaborated to develop initial survey to collect information about target populations’ understanding of hazards and sources of information about hazards and emergency preparedness activities.

•Faculty and students piloted the draft survey with one Chatham County neighborhood association, with approximately 30 completed survey results.

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

2009-2010Year three goals and objectives:

•Complete any remaining data collection needed.

•Analyze survey data and identify and address gaps or discrepancies.

•Combine/compare survey results with initial demographic and hazards data.

•Develop draft report of project findings.

•Report to county and city officials on draft findings of project.

HSEM ProgramDHS Grant Project

2009-2010Year three goals and objectives (continued):

•Present findings of project as appropriate at local, regional and national meetings; involve students as feasible.

•Evaluate and refine course content for HSEM 3120. Identify learning objectives or insertion points in HSEM bachelor’s curriculum and/or Urban Studies and Planning master’s curriculum.

•Develop final project report and submit article(s) on findings for publication.

The Homeland Security Emergency Management Program at Savannah State University though a new program is advancing in its student numbers, involvement in the community, and research capabilities.

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