> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • Student Success Resource Center
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
News
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

In Case of Emergency: Advice From Campus Leaders

By  Lee Gardner
February 29, 2016

Have a plan. Presidents should assemble a group of advisers whom they can call on quickly in a crisis, says James H. Newberry Jr., a lawyer who counsels colleges. The group should include senior administrators as well as communications and social-media specialists. Looking for outside public-relations help at the last minute could delay a response by several news cycles, and “that’s a killer,” he says.

Think before you speak. It is important for leaders to respond quickly to a controversy, but an ill-considered response can make matters worse. “Attempt to respond in substance very quickly, and it’s easy to make a mistake or overlook something,” says Cornelius M. (Neil) Kerwin, president of American University. A quick statement that sounds tin-eared or clueless about the issue at hand can prompt a reaction that makes things even more contentious. Then, says Mr. Kerwin, “you begin to lose control over your own narrative.”

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

Have a plan. Presidents should assemble a group of advisers whom they can call on quickly in a crisis, says James H. Newberry Jr., a lawyer who counsels colleges. The group should include senior administrators as well as communications and social-media specialists. Looking for outside public-relations help at the last minute could delay a response by several news cycles, and “that’s a killer,” he says.

Think before you speak. It is important for leaders to respond quickly to a controversy, but an ill-considered response can make matters worse. “Attempt to respond in substance very quickly, and it’s easy to make a mistake or overlook something,” says Cornelius M. (Neil) Kerwin, president of American University. A quick statement that sounds tin-eared or clueless about the issue at hand can prompt a reaction that makes things even more contentious. Then, says Mr. Kerwin, “you begin to lose control over your own narrative.”

But don’t overthink. Academics tend toward deliberation and lengthy, nuanced answers, which don’t often cut it in a situation stoked by social media. “Brevity and specificity and directness are highly valued,” Mr. Kerwin says.

Give empathy, and you might get empathy. “The first thing you have to be able to project is that you’re listening, you understand, and you’re empathetic,” says Robert Moore, president of Lipman Hearne, a marketing-and-communications firm that works with colleges. Even if a leader doesn’t have all the answers to a controversy right away, “if you are seen to be somebody who is sincerely trying to get to the bottom of things and understand the underlying issues, you’re given a little leeway.”

Stay focused. Controversies on campus may play into larger societal problems, but it’s important for presidents to stay focused on the people connected to their institutions, says Rita H. Cheng, president of Northern Arizona University. She advises against getting “tied up in the larger, national political agenda, but really looking at the facts and the current on-campus needs.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Lee Gardner writes about the management of colleges and universities, higher-education marketing, and assorted other topics. Follow him on Twitter @_lee_g, or email him at lee.gardner@chronicle.com.

A version of this article appeared in the March 4, 2016, issue.
Read other items in this The Trends Report: 10 Key Shifts in Higher Education package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Lee Gardner
Lee Gardner writes about the management of colleges and universities. Follow him on Twitter @_lee_g, or email him at lee.gardner@chronicle.com.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Content

  • The Reactive Leader
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin