Crisis & Disaster Planning

An ever-growing repertoire of physical disasters (9/11, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornados) and human and reputational crises (Duke LaCrosse, Ohio U. privacy data leaks, unexpected deaths of presidents and chancellors) remind us that higher education institutions regularly face challenging, unexpected circumstances with an intensity well beyond that found in routine operations.

Many disaster and crisis communications plans exist in departmental silos, often well below the attention of individuals with positions of responsibility with regard to the mission and strategic vision of the institution. With the growing popular understanding of the positive roles colleges and universities play in our society, those entrusted with the stewardship of campuses need to work toward the goal of linking all such plans to the institution's strategic planning.

Related terms: crisis management, disaster mitigation, emergency planning, risk analysis, crisis communications

Related SCUP Resources

SCUP's Emergency Management Planning Knowledge Community: This topically-related email discussion list is open to all.

This link is to the results page of a search of scup.org for the term "space."

Lessons From the Front: The Presidential Role in Disaster Planing and Response (PDF, free) is a timeless SCUP monograph (2007) that should be in the briefcase of every college and university president and cabinet member.

Strategic and Collaborative Crisis Management: A Partnership Approach to Large-Scale Crisis and Managing Disaster Recovery Centers on Campus: The Experience of Southeastern Louisiana University are fairly recent articles from Planning for Higher Education, SCUP's journal.

Featured Other Resources

How prepared Are America's Colleges and Universities for Major Crises? was originally published in Change magazine in 2006 and reproduced on SCUP's website with permission.

Building a Disaster-Resistant University is a useful (free) document from FEMA.

Campus Public Safety Preparedness for Catastrophic Events: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes and Explosives (PDF) is a useful document sharing lessons learned from the perspective of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) with assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security. Includes 15 detailed mini-case studies.

The Business Continuity Planning Model (Word) is a draft document from the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

Business Continuity Planning is a collection of (as of 12/15/09) 121 related resources, primarily but not wholly focused on maintaining information systems and networks in times of emergency. It is a product of EDUCAUSE.

Related Organizations

There are a number of higher education professional associations with a focus within the topical area of this resource page. Each has varying degrees of resources available through its website.

The University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA): "URMIA is the preeminent source of innovative and effective risk management ideas and solutions to the challenges facing institutions of higher education in the pursuit of their academic, social, and economic goals." As of 12/15/09 it maintains a useful list of news and alerts relating to the H1N1 flu pandemic.

The Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA): "Excellent health, safety, and environmental protection understood and integrated into teaching, research, and service throughout the educational and research communities."

The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA): "[A]dvances public safety for educational institutions by providing educational resources, advocacy, and professional development services." 

Search Higher Education Media

Enter your terms in the box above to search several higher education news media publications, trade magazines, and websites, including: American School & University, The Chronicle of Higher Education, College Planning & Management, Inside Higher Ed, Today's Campus, and University Business.