Defining Best Practices in Crisis Communications for Institutions of Higher Education: Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Institutions of higher education have the burden of managing internal and external crisis communications. The nature of a crisis is that it is unexpected, which then facilitates a knee-jerk response. Specifically, crises such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have redefined the need and scope of crisis communications. Considering this responsibility, what COVID-19 communications definitively tell us about crisis communications and the prominent approaches to meet the needs of such high-stakes situations is explored. The primary intention of this research is to make the case for culturally responsive crisis communications. The paper uses the work of scholar Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle, to define what crisis communications should not be: a Spectacle. Based on that understanding, a case study of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is developed in order to demonstrate crisis communications strategies that “disrupted the Spectacle” and were rooted in characteristics of the university’s culture. Finally, based on The Society of the Spectacleand UMBC’s case study, three best approaches are offered to improve crisis communications: (1) Leaders are symbols of institutional culture… make sure they are visible; (2) Involve all stakeholders in crisis communications planning and; (3) Diversify the mediums used for crisiscommunications. This research ultimately acts as a guide to effectively and appropriately respond to a crisis within an institution of higher education.