The Disaster Resilient Universities (DRU) Network:
How a FEMA pilot project became a nationwide campus network and what that means for managing university vulnerability to disasters, hazards, and other emergencies
DRU Network and National Center for Campus Public Safety Findings from the 2016 National Needs Assessment
Thursday, June 9, 2016 | Room: 2167 Rayburn | Time: 1:00 pm
or
Thursday, June 9, 2016 | Room: 188 Russell | Time: 3:00 p.m.
Dear Colleague:
We cordially invite interested staffers for a panel discussion about the Disaster Resilient Universities (DRU) Network and the role universities play as stakeholders and leaders in disaster preparedness, resilience, and recovery including findings from a National Needs Assessment conducted by the University of Oregon in partnership with the National Center for Campus Public Safety (US Department of Justice).
For ease of staff, briefings will take place on Thursday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. in 2167 Rayburn and Thursday, June 9 at 3:00 p.m. SR-188.
During the past several years, colleges and universities have faced a variety of complex incidents and activities with implications for emergency management including hurricanes, tornados, floods, H1N1, Meningitis outbreaks and violence on campus.
The DRU Network worked with the National Center for Campus Public Safety and University of Oregon Community Service Center to conduct a 2016 national needs assessment to identify opportunities for staffing, training, planning and institutional commitment. This briefing will provide initial data that will be published in Fall 2016.
Guests include:
- André Le Duc, Chief Resilience Officer and Associate Vice President, Safety and Risk Services, University of Oregon
- Robert Parker, Co-Director of the Community Service Center and the Program Director of the Community Planning Workshop, University of Oregon
- Kim Richmond, Director, National Center for Campus Public Safety
- Campus Members of the 2016 National Needs Assessment Advisory Committee:
- Geoffrey Bartlett, Director, Emergency Management, Tufts University
- Jim Caesar, Campus Emergency Manager, University of California - Santa Barbara
- Paul Dean, Chief of Police, University of New Hampshire
- Krista M. Dillon, Director, Emergency Management Fire Prevention, University of Oregon
- Troy Harris, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Resilience, Westmont College (CA)
- Andrew D. MacPherson, Director, Public Safety and Emergency Management, Grayson College (TX)
- Adrian Wiggins, Executive Director, Campus and Public Safety, Morgan State University (MD)
- Graduate Student Team: Community Service Center – University Oregon
- Rory Isbell – Juris Doctor Candidate / Master Community Regional Planning Candidate
- Alexandra Lau – Architecture/ Master Community Regional Planning Candidate
- Amanda Henson – Master Public Administration Candidate
- Bentley Regehr - Master Community Regional Planning Candidate
- Mugs Scherer – Master Community Regional Planning Candidate
- DRU/IAEM − Universities and College Caucus Representatives
Background: The Disaster Resilient Universities (DRU) Network started with a small Federal investment and resulted in a highly effective national practitioner-based peer-to-peer network. In 2000, six schools participated in FEMA’s Disaster Resistant Universities (DRU) pilot initiative. Although FEMA did not continue the program, several institutions of higher education, including the University of Oregon, kept the core concept of the Disaster Resilient Universities (DRU) alive and developed it into a nationwide Disaster Resilient Universities Network in partnership with the International Association of Emergency Managers’ Universities and College Caucus (IAEM-UCC). More than 1,500 college and university emergency management practitioners from nearly 700 campuses are engaged and benefiting from sharing best practices, professional expertise and real-time assistance during emergencies.
This Disaster Resilient Universities (DRU) Network is a resource you should be familiar with, related to FEMA and DHS programs and the Higher Education Act, especially such issues as emergency management, response, business continuity and recovery in higher education.