Don’t Let a Crisis Become Your Legacy

Public perception has become reality — reputations are made and destroyed overnight thanks to the power of social and online media and an emboldened public who has seen Twitter bring down corporate titans and foment socio-political unrest around the world.

Schools can no longer be certain they’ll avoid the media spotlight or trust that their hard-earned reputations will protect them. In 2015, the University of Missouri faced a maelstrom of hunger strikes by the football team, racial incidents and massive protests. “Official inaction” from the administration catalyzed the initial protests, and subsequent attempts at reconciliation, including the resignation of the chancellor and president and appointment of a chief diversity officer, came too late to appease discontented students, alumni and community members. Two years later, as recently reported by the New York Times, the university’s enrollment is down more than 35 percent and budget cuts have forced the temporary closure of seven dormitories and elimination of 400 staff positions.

When looked at closely, this case perfectly highlights the challenges universities face in responding to crises. These organizations tend to be complex but siloed and rely on outdated organizational structures and overlapping or even conflicting hierarchies. What is more, their constituents range from donors and board members to alumni and prospective students to current staff and government regulators. Each stakeholder will likely react differently and expect certain remedies based on how a crisis affects them.

Given these unique difficulties, the time to build an effective crisis response system is before a crisis occurs. And though planning for every possible contingency is next to impossible, identifying and training a team of professionals who understand the school and its vulnerabilities and is empowered to mobilize when necessary minimizes potential threats to the university’s reputation and lasting legacy.