Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Purdue University Develops Online Course on Disaster Recovery

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/06/21

Purdue Online has recently launched a Disaster Recovery Certificate course for construction professionals. The course was developed as a means to educate workers in the construction industry on the nuances between disaster recovery work and normal construction practices. According to a news release, some of the major differences include working against a ticking clock, dealing with unusual and unexpected conditions, and performing to a particular standard of timeliness and perfection in an emergency setting.

The course was developed by Randy Rapp, an associate professor with Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s School of Construction Management Technology and a disaster recovery expert who responded to Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. “I had the background in construction, but I was missing the nuances that make disaster recovery different,” said Rapp of his inspiration for creating the program.

 The course’s target audience includes conventional construction professionals, disaster management professionals, government personnel involved in disaster recovery, and those interested in project management. The curriculum introduces the process for dealing with a large regional disaster, noting that professionals can easily adapt the principles to smaller disasters as needed. It teaches professionals the right technical questions to ask and how to employ contractors with the appropriate skills.

Its four modules discuss the specifics of dealing with water damage, smoke and fire damage, personal property damage, and microbial damage. Other topics covered include the various impacts of disasters; communication and documentation standards; and the basics of bids, delivery methods, contracts, and proposals, logistics, and material management and procurement.

The fully online course is self-paced but takes about 20 hours to complete (about 5 hours per module). Rapp noted that professionals can make their way through the material within a week to prepare for a disaster recovery job. The course costs $295, and upon completion, students earn a Purdue Disaster Recovery Certificate.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • New City School

    Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Transforming New City School

    When New City School in St. Louis suffered catastrophic flood damage in July 2022, the event could have marked a serious setback for the 100-year-old institution. Instead, it became a forward-looking opportunity.

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

  • Beyond Four Walls

    Operable glass walls provide a dynamic solution for educational spaces. They align with today’s evolving teaching methods and adapt to the needs of modern learners. Beyond the functional versatility, movable glass walls offer clean, contemporary aesthetics, slim and unobtrusive profiles, and versatile configurations that cater to the evolving needs of students and educators alike.

  • North Texas School District Completes Third New Elementary School

    The Denton Independent School District in Dallas, Texas, recently finished construction on its third prototype design elementary school, Reeves Elementary, according to a news release.