Guide to Creating and Improving a Campus Crisis Communications Plan

When your campus faces a crisis such as a scandal, crime, accident, or natural disaster, your K-12 school, college, or university must act quickly to mitigate reputational or financial risk. United Educators’ (UE’s) claims experience shows that when an institution communicates with relevant audiences in a timely manner and with honesty and compassion, it can emerge from a crisis with public trust, reputation, and financial stability intact.

• A crisis communications plan should define “crisis,” state its objectives, list key audiences, and identify a multidisciplinary crisis communications team.
• When preparing to respond, your crisis communications team should identify possible crises, prioritize audience segments, and outline your institution’s messages.
• To emerge from crises with public goodwill intact, it’s crucial to communicate effectively with your institution’s key audiences.