1. Set a schedule for testing, reviewing, and revising institutional crisis response plans. Amend plans based upon what campuses learned from practice tests and from evaluating successes and failures of other schools' emergency management protocol. 2. Establish relationships with key external stakeholders well in advance of a crisis. An effective means for cultivating these relationships is participating in drills conducted by external groups such as city or county emergency management, which can yield valuable lessons on how to interact with these critical external stakeholders. 3. Develop a graduated set of achievable tests, starting with basic drills and increasing the complexity over time. Keep in mind that it can sometimes take years to reach the stage wherein a campus is prepared to execute a full-scale crisis simulation. 4. Mix up the drills and exercises conducted annually, testing different functions, scenarios and activities. This approach will ensure stakeholders become accustomed to responding to the variety of crisis situations that can affect a campus, including environmental, facility and human-caused incidents."Too many organizations have crisis response plans drafted but fail to test the effectiveness of those plans in dealing with different crisis scenarios," explained webcast speaker Cindy Lawson, Assistant to the Chancellor for Marketing and Communications at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. "The existence of a crisis response plan provides false security for colleges and universities -- merely reading it does not mean institutional stakeholders know their role in relation to others or instruct those stakeholders regarding how to interact with the necessary outside agencies. Testing plans is critical to making campus safer for students, faculty and staff." In response to the intense demand for the webcast, a complimentary recording of which is now available at http://ai.connectpro.acrobat.com/p27934019/, Charvat, Lawson and Zdziarksi will participate in an in-depth live conference March 27-29, 2010 in Atlanta that will continue the conversation launched during Friday's webcast. The conference, "Campus Crisis Simulation: Improving Campus-Wide Response to an Emergency," will orchestrate a full-day simulated emergency, allowing institutions to test their crisis response plans and evaluate the coordination of efforts across multiple departments. In addition the campus crisis simulation, the conference will offer debrief sessions moderated by crisis management thought leaders and key best practices to designing effective tests and adjusting plans based on testing outcomes. To view the conference agenda or to register, visit http://www.academicimpressions.com/conferences/0310-crisis.php. About Academic Impressions Academic Impressions offers focused and intentionally crafted learning experiences to help higher education professionals address their most pressing challenges. Professional development programming addresses a range of issues related to student recruitment and retention, faculty support and development, alumni engagement and development, and increasing organizational productivity. Learn more at http://www.academicimpressions.com.
Contact Information: Contact: Lisa Weiner 303.433.7020