Syllabus

Master of Healthcare Administration

HCA 755: Advanced Emergency Management

Credits - 3

Description

As a continuation of HCA 705 Emergency Management I, this course will expand on the content to include a program view of emergency management across the enterprise and development processes to address deficiencies identified in evaluations. An examination of leadership and management practices, including strategic foresight and human behavior are included in this course. Building upon HCA 705, Emergency Management 1, this course will prepare participants to be able to become part of an emergency management organization – at the federal, state, local, non-profit, or for-profit organization. There will be four (4) main topical areas of the course:

  • Laws, Authorities and Policy – How EM Programs Get Formed, and Re-formed, and Re-formed Again
  • Strategic Foresight – How Being Strategic Helps You Do the Tactics Better
  • Building and Improving EM Programs – Being a Renaissance Person
  • Leadership – Skills, Knowledges, and Practices to Succeed

Materials

  • Heifetz, R.A. (1998). Leadership without easy answers. Harvard University Press.
  • Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. Penguin Random House. – requires purchase
  • (optional) Maslow, A. H., Stephens, D. C. (Deborah C., Heil, G., & Maslow, A. H.). (1998). Maslow on management. John Wiley.
  • Selected Emergency management Readings
  • Various Laws, Authorities, and Policies available in open sources
  • Video resources

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

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

  • Analyze the processes and essential elements of laws, authorities, policies, and practices that undergird all emergency management programs
  • Apply strategic foresight and an anticipatory mindset to best practices and tactics for response, recovery, and mitigation.
  • Assess the various standards of emergency management and homeland security
  • Identify and apply the organizational and management skills an emergency manager must use to be successful
  • Practice strategic planning with innovative, creative, and disciplined leadership skills when responding to novel emergency events. 

Assignments

Written Assignments

Throughout the course, students are assigned written assignments aimed at having them evaluate and discuss various topics related to emergency management, regulations, leadership, and strategic thinking in greater detail. Many of these assignments require close interpretation of laws, regulations, and event reports. All details about requirements and grading are detailed in the course.

Discussions

Each week except for the last includes a discussion prompt that requires students to engage with the material and with their classmates. Each prompt builds on the content reviewed in the course that week. Students must respond to at least two classmates to receive full credits on Discussions. All prompts and rubrics are detailed in the course.

Final Case Study

The culminating assignment for this course is a Case Study focused on the COVID-19 Response by the Maryland Department of Corrections. Students are asked to review a report and context video, then write a report analyzing what occurred and applying their own learning to the incident. All details are provided in the course. 

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment TypeTotal Points
Introductions Discussion2
Weekly Discussions (6 x 5 points)30
Weekly Assignments (8 x 7 points)56
Final Case Study12
Total100

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

All submissions are due by 11:59 PM EST on the date listed in the course unless otherwise posted.

Course Calendar

Week 1: Oct 30 – Nov 6
Week 2: Nov 6 – Nov 13
Week 3: Nov 13 – Nov 20
Week 4: Nov 20 – Nov 27
Week 5: Nov 27 – Dec 4
Week 6: Dec 4 – Dec 11
Week 7: Dec 11 – Dec 18
Week 8: Dec 18 – Dec 22

Weekly Course Schedule

Week 1: VUCA 

Learning Materials

  • Foster, D. (2020). Leading through uncertainty. Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. 
  • Fletcher, A., Faines, T.L., & Loney, B. (2023). How to be a better leader amid volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Harvard Business Review. 
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). COVID-19 after action report resources and examples
  • US Department of Health and Human Services. (2024). HHS-OIG’s oversight of COVID-19  response and recovery. 
  • The White House. (n.d.). National COVID-19 preparedness plan
  • FEMA. (2021). Pandemic response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Initial assessment report. Fema.gov.
  • There are 2 required textbooks for you to read throughout the course. Both should be completed by Week 6 at the latest.
    • Heifetz, R.A. (1998). Leadership without easy answers. Harvard University Press. 
    • Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. Penguin Random House. – requires purchase
    • (optional) Maslow, A. H., Stephens, D. C. (Deborah C., Heil, G., & Maslow, A. H.). (1998). Maslow on management. John Wiley.
  • The changing face of strategic crisis management
  • Talks at Google. (1 May 2012). Learning from the octopus. [46:25 | CC]

Due this week

  • Video Introduction Discussion and Responses
  • VUCA Events Written Assignment

Week 2: Laws and Regulations

Learning Materials

  • Regulations in the “Week 2 Assignment: Effect of Regulations on Emergency Responses”
  • Encyclopedia Brittanica. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
  • Vizcarra, H. (2020). Deepwater Horizon ten years later: Reviewing agency and regulatory reforms. Harvard Law School.
  • Gustafson, Z. and de Place, E. (2021, February 26). A Timeline of Oil Train Derailments In Pictures. Sightline Institute
  • de Place, E. and Abbotts, J. (2014, January 21). Why Bakken Oil Explodes. Sightline Institute.

Due this week

  • Agencies and Authorities Discussion and Responses
  • Effect of Regulations on Emergency Responses Written Assignment

Week 3: Evolving Threats

Learning Materials

  • Klein, G. (2017, February 8). Anticipation: How do we prepare ourselves for the unexpected? Psychology Today.
  • Klein, G., Snowden, D., Pin, C.L. (2010). Anticipatory Thinking. In Mosier, K. L., & Fischer, U. M. (Eds.). (2010). Informed by knowledge: Expert performance in complex situations. Taylor & Francis Group. (Chapter 15).
  • Strategic foresight. (n.d.). The Decision Lab. 
  • Continue reading Leadership without easy answers and Getting to yes (due before week 7)

Due this week

  • Anticipatory Thinking Discussion and Responses
  • Emerging Threats Written Assignment

Week 4: Threat and Hazard Risk Assessment

Learning Materials

  • National risk and capability assessment. (2023, June 12). FEMA.
  • Morieux, Y. (October 2013). As work gets more complex, 6 rules to simplify. [Video]. TED. – [11:49 | CC/Transcript available]
  • World Economic Forum. (2023, January 11). Press conference on the Global Risks Report 2023. [Video]. YouTube. [1:06:40 | Transcript]
  • Bach, R., Kaufman, D., Settle, K., and Duckworth, M. (2015). Policy leadership challenges in supporting community resilience. In Bach. R. (Ed.) Strategies for supporting community resilience. (2015). Crismart. (Chapter 1)
  • Dolce, C. (May 2020). 15 years ago, the most extreme Atlantic hurricane season on record began. Weather.com
  • Cowling, K., Tucker, D. (2010). Natural disasters and public health: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Academic Emergency Medicine, 17(3), e52-e53.
  • KDF Enterprises. (n.d.). Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilm.
  • Continue reading Leadership without easy answers and Getting to yes (due before week 7)

Due this week

  • Analyzing THIRA Documents Discussion and Responses
  • HIRA/THIRA Analysis Assignment

Week 5: EM Standards

Learning Materials

  • The emergency management standard. (2023). EMAP.
  • National Fire Protection Agency. (2023). NFPA 1660: Standard for emergency, continuity, and crisis management: Preparedness, response, and recovery. 2024 edition.
    • Sign up for free access on the page to review the full standard. The option is available under “Current & Prior Editions” and will require signing up with a free account with NFPA. You do not have to read the full standard
  • FEMA. (Feb 2024). National Incident Management System. Fema.gov
  • FEMA. (n.d.). Resource Typing Library Tool. Fema.gov
    • use as a resource to understand positions and skillsets mentioned within the standards
  • Wing Health. (Apr 2021). A brief overview of hospital standards. 
  • Continue reading Leadership without easy answers and Getting to yes (due before week 7)

Due this week

  • Consensus-Based Standards Discussion and Responses
  • Standards and Guides Comparison Assignment

Week 6: Facilitation Plan

Learning Materials

  • Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. Penguin Random House.
  • Heifetz, R.A. (1998). Leadership without easy answers. Harvard University Press.
  • TED. (4 May 2010). How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TED. [Video]. Youtube. [18:34 | CC]
  • Brownlee, D. (4 Aug 2021). Facilitation skills just might be the best kept leadership secret. Forbes. 
  • Miller, K. (n.d.). 20 most effective facilitation skills for group and meeting leaders. Future of Working: The leadership and career blog.

Due this week

  • What kind of leader are you? Discussion and Responses
  • The facilitation plan Assignment

Week 7: Leadership Styles

Learning Materials

  • McKinsey & Company. (17 Aug 2022). What is leadership?
  • Chartered Management Institute. (2015). Understanding management and leadership styles checklist 256
  • LEAD. (18 Apr 2016). The speed of trust – Stephen M.R. Covey @LEAD presented by hr.com. [Video]. [25:30 | Transcript]
  • Mind Tools Content Team. (n.d.). Albrecht’s four types of stress. MindTools.
  • Trusted Advisor Associates LLC. (n.d.). Understanding the trust equation.

Due this week

  • Analysing SEA meeting Assignment
  • Feedback on new plans Discussion and Responses

Week 8: Decision Making

Learning Materials

  • Bureau of Justice Assistance. (2024). Maryland’s response to the COVID-19 threat to corrections: A case study on statewide collaboration. – draft used with special permission
  • Felix, R., Pyrooz, D., Novisky, M., Tostlebe, J., and Dockstader, J. (2022). Effects of COVID-19 on prison operations. U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections. 

Due this week

  • MD Corrections Case Study Assignment
  • Video Course Reflection Assignment

Student Resources

Online Student Support

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ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

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The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Policies

AI Use

The Graduate Programs in Healthcare Administration hold the position that AI writing and generative technology should not be used when completing course assignments unless explicitly permitted by course faculty and assignment instructions. These tools do not support a student’s personal and direct capacity to develop and hone skills in creativity, logic, critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, theorization, and writing, which are central to graduate-level rigor, assessment, and research. Use of these tools when not explicitly permitted may result in an academic integrity infraction.

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Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Attendance Policy

8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

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Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.