While full-fledged crises are relatively rare, almost all deans face moments when events at the law school, media attention, and alumni, faculty, and student arousal combine to create a moment of stress and scrutiny. Often, crises involve rapidly changing situations, less-than-perfect information, and demands for speedy communication with various constituencies.
In a crisis, what should you be communicating? With whom should you speak-- faculty? staff? students? The media? All the above? Who is the best person to do the communicating?
If you do not have a crisis communication plan, it is a significant challenge to craft one on the fly.
In this session, two deans will briefly share their experiences with two very different situations, one involving a suicide and one involving a political maelstrom. Teresa Parrot, an expert in crisis communication, will comment on their experiences, suggest alternative communication strategies, and explain how you can create a crisis communication plan. We will then break into small, interactive groups to deal with real-life crisis situations that deans face.
Business meeting at program conclusion.