FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 22, 2026
Utqiaġvik, Alaska — Iḷisaġvik College has received approval from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) for its new Tribal Emergency Management (TEM) Certificate program. Developed in partnership with emergency management experts from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS), the Tribal Emergency Management program offers a 15-credit undergraduate certificate that will provide education focused on Tribal needs in rural, remote, and geographically isolated communities.
Approved by NWCCU effective October 2025, the program was developed to address the unique emergency management needs of Alaska Native and American Indian communities by centering Indigenous perspectives, sovereignty, and culturally grounded approaches to disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
“This certificate was created to ensure Tribal communities have access to emergency management training grounded in Indigenous knowledge and community priorities,” Justina Wilhelm, President of Iḷisaġvik College, shared.
The five-course certificate includes training in Tribal Emergency Management, Incident Command Structures, Emergency Planning, and Tribal Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs). Students complete the certificate with an emphasis on cultural and historic preservation during disasters, ideally focused their own tribal community.
The program is accepting new students now, with the first two courses offered this fall: TEM 100, Introduction to Tribal Emergency Management; and TEM 110, Incident Management Structures in Tribal Emergency Management. These classes are available to Utqiaġvik-based students and students across Alaska—or beyond—with videoconferencing and online accessibility for students in rural and remote communities.
The TEM Certificate was developed in collaboration with University of Alaska Fairbanks, and under the guidance of emergency management professionals, including Dr. John Pennington, the Deputy Director of the Center for Arctic Security and Resilience (CASR) and Director of the Master of Security and Disaster Management program at UAF; and Stephanie Nelson, Director of Emergency Management for the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope. Dr. Pennington and Ms. Nelson will teach within the program and help advise interested students. Through this unique partnership, Iḷisaġvik College students interested in continuing their Tribal Emergency Management journey can continue towards a bachelor’s degree in Security and Disaster Management (BSEM) through UAF’s nationally ranked emergency management program.
This new program supports Iḷisaġvik College’s mission to strengthen Iñupiat culture, language, values, and traditions while building a trained workforce capable of serving North Slope communities and the state of Alaska. For more information about the Tribal Emergency Management Certificate program, contact Iḷisaġvik College or visit the College’s website.
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About Iḷisaġvik College
Iḷisaġvik College is Alaska’s only Tribal college and is located in the northernmost village in the United States, Utqiaġvik (Barrow). Iḷisaġvik College provides quality post-secondary academic, career, and technical education in a learning environment that perpetuates and strengthens Iñupiat culture, language, values, and traditions. It is dedicated to serving its students and developing a well-educated and trained workforce who meet the human resource needs of North Slope employers and the state of Alaska.
About University of Alaska Fairbanks:
The University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Business and Security Management (CBSM) provides AACSB-accredited business education alongside nationally recognized programs in security and emergency management. The college offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, and workforce-focused learning designed to prepare students for leadership roles and professional success. Through applied learning opportunities and industry partnerships, the college is dedicated to position students as a skilled and resilient workforce equipped to address the evolving economic, security, and emergency management needs in Alaska and around the world. For more information about CBSM, visit its website. To learn more about AACSB International accreditation, visit the AACSB International website.
Iḷisaġvik College Contact:
Dr. Clarke Leichte
Dean of Academic Affairs
907-852-3333
academics@ilisagvik.edu
University of Alaska Fairbanks Contact:
Dr. John Pennington
Deputy Director – Center for Arctic Security & Resilience
907-474-5797
Jepennington@alaska.edu