Iisaġvik College approves tribal emergency management certificate program

A new tribal emergency management certificate at Iisaġvik College is aimed at building the local workforce North Slope villages depend on when storms, outages, flooding or search-and-rescue calls cut off outside help. The 15-credit program was approved by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and classes are scheduled to begin in fall 2026.

The college developed the certificate with emergency management experts from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, or ICAS. For a region where severe weather, communications failures, fuel shortages and coastal flooding can quickly become public-safety crises, the program is designed to prepare people who already understand the terrain, the travel distances and the realities of life in remote communities such as Utqiaġvik, Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, Point Hope, Point Lay and Wainwright.

The catalog shows the certificate is built around five courses: TEM 100 Introduction to Tribal Emergency Management, TEM 110 Incident Management Structures in Tribal Emergency Management, TEM 120 Planning in Tribal Emergency Management, TEM 200 Tribal Emergency Operations Centers, and TEM 250 Historic and Cultural Protection and Preservation. That mix points to a response model that is not limited to sirens and paperwork. It is meant to train people who can coordinate during a crisis, work across tribal governments and non-Tribal partners, and protect cultural continuity at the same time.

TEM 200 focuses on the development, structure and operations of a Tribal Emergency Operations Center, with practical instruction in coordinating emergency responses, understanding policies and protocols, and working with non-Tribal partners. TEM 110 introduces students to how sovereign Tribal Nations can use incident management structures such as the Incident Command System to respond to disruptive events. TEM 250 adds historic and cultural protection and preservation, a reminder that disaster response on the North Slope also includes safeguarding Iñupiat knowledge, institutions and community identity.

Iisaġvik said admission to the program is not restricted, though students must meet prerequisites for individual courses. That makes the certificate a possible entry point for North Slope Borough residents who want to work in tribal government, emergency coordination, planning, school safety or regional response roles without leaving the borough to build those skills.

ICAS says it has already implemented a regional tribal emergency management system to protect the life, health, safety and Iñupiat way of life across its region. In September 2025, ICAS also worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to host a four-day emergency management course in Utqiaġvik, part of a broader push to strengthen local coordination during disasters. The new Iisaġvik certificate adds a college pathway to that effort, creating a workforce pipeline before the first class even starts.