Costs and Reimbursements
SEMA courses offered in this publication are provided at no cost to the attendees. SEMA will pay for lodging and meals for those traveling more than 50 miles to the course and are required to stay in a hotel to attend the course.
Students attending Missouri course offerings will NOT be reimbursed for meal expenses if they live within the 50 mile commuting distance to the course. Students will be on there own for meals unless otherwise provided with the course. Mileage expenses are the responsibility of the student or his/her sponsoring organization.
Any short course or workshop 6 hours in length or less will have no hotel arrangements paid by SEMA.
Out of State Students
Students from states other then Missouri are welcome to attend SEMA training on a space available basis. There is no charge for SEMA training. However, Missouri WILL NOT reimburse for hotels or meals for students from other states. Students can pay for expenses from their own funds or arrange for reimbursement with either their organization or their state emergency management agency prior to the course.
Local Offerings
Classes identified as Local Offering Only are classes specifically requested by local jurisdictions. Individuals living within 50 miles of the class location have priority for seats. State Agency personnel living within 50 miles of the class have priority over individuals living further then 50 miles from the class site. Individuals and State Agency personnel who live further then 50 miles from the class site can attend the training providing seats are available. SEMA will not reimburse anyone for meals or hotels for classes identified as Local Offering Only.
State Agency Only Classes
Classes identified as State Agency Only offerings are usually classes requested by or pertaining to State Agencies. Individuals employed by state agencies have priority for seats. However, other individuals can attend the training providing there are seats available. SEMA may not reimburse meals and lodging.
Student Acceptance and Student Cancellations
Students can determine if they have been accepted to a course by checking a course roster attached to the course listing on the SEMA web page. If the student’s name appears, they have been accepted to that particular course. Acceptance letters will be posted on this page containing the latest information concerning the course location, administrative instructions, pre-class work instructions and/or any advance class materials. If students do not have access to the Internet, they will be sent an acceptance letter by fax or mail. The deadline for applying to a course is two weeks prior to the start date.
Any student who is unable to attend a course for which they have enrolled and have been accepted, is requested to notify the Training Department prior to the day of the course. Failure to notify SEMA of a cancellation will be considered as an unexcused absence. Two unexcused absences within a fiscal year could result in the student not being selected to attend any SEMA course for six months. Exceptions will be made for personal or jurisdictional emergencies. If you are unable to attend a course due to emergency response, you should notify SEMA and a notation will be made to your transcript indicating the absence was excused. Students are also responsible for canceling their hotel reservations.
Course Cancellations
In the event that the number of applicants for a scheduled course is insufficient to warrant proceeding with the course or there is some additional problem requiring cancellation, a notice of cancellation and /or rescheduling will be sent to all applicants. SEMA will make will make every effort to notify all participants of course cancellation decisions five full working days prior to the course start date, unless there is an emergency requiring short notice of cancellations. Students enrolled in a canceled course will be notified by email, fax, letter or phone call.
Attendance Policies
Students are asked to attend ALL sessions of each course, seminar or workshop. Due to extenuating circumstances, participants are sometimes called away from training. However, in order to maintain the integrity of the program, participants should attend a minimum of 90% of the session. Certificates may not be awarded to participants that miss more than 10% of a course presentation. Please notify the course manager if you expect to miss any class sessions. If an individual is unable to attend a course for which he/she has been accepted, he/she must cancel prior to the course start date.
Dress Code
In order to maintain an appropriate and professional learning environment, all students attending any training program sponsored by the State Emergency Management Agency are required to adhere to the following Dress Code:
Minimal acceptable attire shall be “business casual”, described as follows:
Men- Trousers, (denim is acceptable)
Shirts with collars
Women- Slacks, skirts, dresses, (denim is acceptable)
Blouses or shirts
Shoes are required. Thong-type sandals (flip-flops) are not acceptable.
Students shall wear clean and well-maintained attire and adhere to acceptable personal hygiene standards.
Examples of unacceptable attire:
Torn, patched/faded clothing, shorts, skorts, halter tops, tube tops, tank tops, muscle shirts, strapless sun dresses, shirts with non-department logos or large-letter advertising, sweatsuits/warm-up suits, sweat pants. This list is not all-inclusive, but represents the types of clothing to avoid.
Students not in compliance with the above will be asked to leave the classroom.