From a Fire Department official in a coastal community in Florida nearly totally devastated by Hurricane Michael in 2018:

What I have learned in this course is that the field of emergency management is that there is much more to Emergency Management than operational and response training to large-scale emergency events and disasters. The breadth of the materials covered is both fascinating and informative. There is a mountain of information to review and cover in a short period of time, but the material is interesting and thought-provoking which keeps the student interested. The interaction among students is frequent and helps to clarify points that may be missed, misinterpreted, or misread during online learning forums as opposed to brick-and-mortar class discussions which have context and non-verbal communication cues.

That said, the level of passion and knowledge on the subject exhibited by Dr. Gordon is the most significant thing that I learned in this course. When there is an instructor that is passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated to the myriad issues (..e-technology, Pre/Post-9/11 mentalities, etc.) as Dr. Gordon it motivates the student to examine the issues more deeply and thoroughly. Her dedication is obvious in her research, writings, and interactive responses with the students on the discussion boards and that is the mark of a great course.

From a person transitioning to a career in emergency management:

Prior to taking this certificate course, after I made the initial decision to pursue EM as a potential second career, I enrolled in a master’s program in EM with a different university. The lead professor was very focused on research – with the expectation that we would be learning/honing those skills throughout the program for application in the EM field. There is a place for that, but I was looking to learn about the EM field as a potential practitioner. More searching – and I found the Auburn certificate program. My earlier experience provided an excellent contrast to what I found here. This course provided an excellent look at the spectrum of EM, as well as the many and varied needs that remain unmet since 9/11 and Katrina. “Unmet Needs” casts a wide net; there are so many things to understand, investigate, and hopefully contribute to fixing, which will require an understanding of why the needs remain unmet – lack of funding, lack of political will, lack of public support or attention – one or all could apply in any given instance. And while I certainly value research, and will no doubt make use of whatever is available, this course whetted my appetite – there are many issues/problems that need to be solved that will require active engagement with the community as well as various levels of government. Exactly what I was hoping for.

From a Federal official with responsibilities for emergency management and emergency planning:

I think this is a great course….

I would recommend it to anyone involved in the emergency management field or involved with emergency planning.

I would definitely want my staff to take this course….

From an official of a large university with responsibilities for campus-wide Public Safety Information & Education:

This course has really helped me realize the impact on planning and preparedness of the differences between catastrophic and non-catastrophic events and has helped me feel more equipped to address the planning challenges related to catastrophic events. In the past, I have focused mainly on technical and operational issues, but I can now see the importance of the broader perspective… It has also really emphasized to me the importance of understanding complex problems and the value of generalists, who can lead multi-disciplinary teams of experts in finding solutions to these complex problems that we face in emergency management today.

From a Retired Military Officer currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Emergency Management:

This course has shown me that there is so much information available if you simply look or ask for it. One of the main things I took away from this course is that flexibility is absolutely essential. There are so many variables that it is impossible to plan for every single situation. Even disasters that are classified the same, such as earthquakes, are very different as pointed out by Timothy Manning from a geologist's perspective. I think if you understand that there is no “one size fits all” accompanied with a solid foundation of knowledge, flexibility will provide the necessary ingredient to be successful. Secondly, mitigation and preparedness are extremely critical when it comes to disasters/threats. Proper preparedness and mitigation start with each individual, and if everybody does their part, the end result will be very different from those communities that lack mitigation practices and a preparedness plan.