Crisis Response

What’s truly needed to be prepared for crisis response on our college campuses? There are plans galore, but some question their validity and strength in current forms. One thing that most tend to agree on is that during a crisis, whether there is a well laid out plan or not, it is a time that administration and university president’s either rise to the occasion or fall flat on their faces. No matter what it is not a something that any institution wants to deal with, but they now it is inevitable.

            One of the debates is over all campus crisis response plans are not comprehensive or tested enough. The critique is that there are holes in what type of crises are expected. Though almost all respondents from one survey had a crisis plan, only roughly half had a response plan for a suicide or strike on campus. More than half of the respondents said their plan had been tested (June, 2007). These statistics show that perhaps universities and colleges are not as prepared as we would believe them to be.

            There are some critiques of the actual effectiveness of crisis response plans. Many argue that the best response plan is a competent leader. The role of president or chancellor is one of much responsibility. One of those responsibilities is the ability to respond effectively and with grace to a crisis on campus. In Fain’s article he quotes Michigan’s Mr. Bastedo to say “search committees are looking for leaders with charisma, in part so they will be better prepared to deal with the news media” (2007). At a conference of housing directors the majority present said they relied mostly on experience to respond to a crisis, not a crisis response plan (Hoover, 2009). The argument that can be drawn from this is that even the best laid plans can fail without the proper leader. Being able to respond to the crisis and students’ safety is half the battle, though the most important. Mr. Bastedo’s  comment about search committees for presidents or chancellors sums up that being able to handle the questions after the event are largely considered when looking at the success of a campuses crisis response. The importance placed on handling questions from the media, alumni, and public are why experience and charisma are so important in leadership roles on our college campuses.

            Crisis response plans are called to be well thought out and tested. The reality of this happening is less likely. One hopes that a crisis on a campus never happens, but they are much more likely to happen than we think. A charismatic and experiences president or chancellor has the best opportunity to assist the institution through the trying time with grace. There is no perfect answer to handle these situations and hopefully a combination of a plan and a great leader can contribute to a successful crisis response.

Fain, P. (2007). Wanted: Crisis President. The Chronicle of Higher Education

Hoover, E. (2009). During a Campus Crisis, There Is No Substitute for Experience. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

June, A.W. (2007).  Survey Results Suggest Gaps in Many Colleges' Crisis-Response Plans. The Chronicle of Higher Education.