FIU Leads Florida Emergency Management Education Expansion

Florida International University has taken the lead role in implementing a statewide emergency management education initiative announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year. The Coalition for Operational Readiness in Education, or CORE, held its first official rollout at FIU on Aug. 26, with 11 Florida institutions committed to participating.

The initiative connects higher education, workforce development and hands-on training to prepare students for emergency management careers. However, FIU President Jeanette Nuñez noted that the university already operates much of what CORE aims to establish across Florida's colleges and universities.

FIU has awarded more than 800 degrees to emergency management personnel, first responders, law enforcement officers and firefighters through its existing programs. The university offers both bachelor's and master's degree programs in disaster management through the Academy for International Disaster Preparedness, housed within the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work. Senior Director Robert M. Jorge leads the academy.

The university's approach to emergency management education extends across multiple disciplines, including public health, communications, nursing and law. Nuñez emphasized her interest in expanding this interdisciplinary reach as CORE grows statewide.

"I think I'd like for some of our other students to be a little bit more open to thinking about: How does their particular major interface with the concept of emergency management?" Nuñez said.

The Bachelor of Arts in Disaster Management operates exclusively online, while the Master of Arts can be completed either online or in person. Online master's students complete their coursework remotely but must participate in an in-person field course serving as their capstone. The in-person master's program meets Saturdays and can be completed in one year.

The field course allows students to apply classroom knowledge through emergency management exercises involving the National Guard, law enforcement, first responders and firefighters.

As other institutions incorporate CORE into their programs, they will look to FIU's existing framework as a model. The university does not anticipate hiring additional faculty, constructing new facilities or creating new degree programs as a result of CORE, according to Nuñez.

The initiative extends beyond students specifically studying disaster management. According to the Governor's Office, students in fields including finance and communications, along with those in trade schools and military programs, could find specialized pathways into emergency management careers.

Nuñez, who served as Florida's lieutenant governor for more than six years before becoming FIU president, said emergency management and workforce training were frequent topics during her time in state government, though she was not involved in developing CORE specifically.