Jax State Renews Partnership with Center for Domestic Preparedness

01/22/2024

University and CDP officials signed an agreement on Jan. 19 to continue partnering through 2032. Pictured, from left: Leigha Cauthen, JSU Chief External Affairs Officer; Dr. Christie Shelton, JSU Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Tanveer Islam, head of the JSU Department of Emergency Management and Public Administration; Tony Russell, Superintendent of the Center for Domestic Preparedness; and Dr. Maureen Newton, Dean of the JSU College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Photo by Alyssa Cash.

by Buffy Lockette

Jax State has renewed its partnership with the FEMA Center for Domestic Preparedness, signing an agreement to collaborate on research, internships and academic credits through 2032

University and CDP leaders met on Jan. 19 to discuss ways to continue to strengthen the relationship between the two institutions, with CDP Superintendent Tony Russell and JSU Provost Christie Shelton signing a Memorandum of Understanding.

Through this agreement, JSU will offer free college credit to CDP students in certain courses taken at the CDP – which can be applied as an elective course towards a bachelor's or master’s degree in the university’s emergency management programs. In addition, JSU students will continue to be offered opportunities to conduct research using CDP facilities and training data, as well as participate in internships that meet their college and career goals.

"We are going to collaborate together to ensure that our students have maximum opportunity to participate with CDP activities – taking courses, receiving academic credit and participating in research and internship opportunities," said Dr. Shelton, stating that approximately 560 students have received academic credit to date from training received at the CDP.

"This is an important partnership, as it brings together the academic with the practitioner," Russell said. "You have to have both of those to shape the future of preparedness, response and recovery – and to really impact the national goal of a secure nation."

The Jax State Department of Emergency Management and Public Administration offers top-ranked online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs to students worldwide. It is home to the only Doctor of Science in Emergency Management program Alabama, and one of the few in the nation. The department is located at JSU McClellan, near the Center for Domestic Preparedness, which provides all-hazards training to more than 50,000 emergency responders each year.

JSU offers a First Responder Scholarship Program to eligible full-time employees of law enforcement agencies, fire departments and other emergency services.