Lessons Learned in Developing and Growing Empire’s on-line Emergency Management and Fire Services Administration Programs Presented at the 14 th EMI Higher Education Conference by Jim Savitt, Ph.D, Associate Professor 8 June 2011

Empire State College Center for Distance Learning (CDL) Distance Learning Since the 1980s for Fire Services, Since 2003 for Emergency Management and Homeland Security

Evolution of Course / Program Delivery: Short Version Flexible “classroom”, but rigid timing. –More synchronous than not: Snail mail to instructor and one-on-one telephone discussions. Snail mail to instructor and conference calling with classmates. Timing becomes less rigid. –Less synchronous, but some rigidity: to instructor and conference calling with classmates. to instructor and fellow students. Flexible timing within the term structure. –Asynchronous, non-linear: Threaded discussions. Individualized learning opportunities. 3

Issues in Design, Delivery, and Structure Design –Conversion from face-to-face classroom requires thought and effort. Forty lectures  five or six modules means a reexamination of chunks. Discussions and spontaneous questions take on a different shape. Delivery –Synchronous, asynchronous, or a blend. The classroom is always open. Discussions take weeks rather than minutes. –Learning Management System replaces classroom. Instructional designer as a partner. Structure –Lectures and homework problems  readings, discussion, reflection. Students are more active, and they interact with each other. The instructor becomes a guide, and learning is student-centered.

Program Growth and Market Development The Audience for Distance Learning Programs

Understanding Our Markets: Wide-Ranging Yet Constrained –CDL reaches out across the country and internationally, YET –We position ourselves as the college for working adults, YET –We are a comprehensive college offering Associates Bachelors and Masters degrees, YET –We have been a leader in distance learning, YET As part of SUNY, our primary focus is New York State. The community colleges are a rich source of potential students. The Fire Services and Emergency Management programs are directed at upper-level undergraduates. We are working to transform some distance-based fire courses into blended learning offerings.

Marketing Efforts: Lessons Learned, and Not Learned The Early Days –The college advertised in newspapers and put fliers on bulletin boards. The focus was on designing your own degree. Almost no program-specific marketing. Almost no geographic-specific marketing. Word-of-mouth in the firehouses, especially FDNY. –Alumni outreach efforts were haphazard. After Y2K –The centers, including CDL, started to develop their own identities. More efforts on regional outreach. Still heavy on print – newspapers, fliers, billboards. Recognition of the need for program-specific efforts. –Fire Services: Civilian firefighters and military personnel. –Emergency Management: Emergency managers, police, and military personnel.

Marketing Efforts: Lessons Learned, and Not Learned The Good –Renewed outreach to community colleges. –Complementarity of Fire Service, EM, and HS offerings: Leadership. –Presence at some trade shows and conferences. –Utilization of growing alumni network. The Bad –Still much reliance on print: newspapers, trade press, fliers. –Little use of other media, including social networks. –Students connect only in courses; few opportunities elsewhere. The Ugly –Website is very generic and crowded. –No obvious way to get FS / EM / HS information quickly. –Search engine is antiquated.