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Preparing
for the unexpected
By
Joe Kleinsasser
The
events of Sept. 11 were a reminder that a crisis can happen at any
time and any place.
The
role of Wichita State’s crisis management team is to address
any crisis or emergency that may require decisions or actions by
the university beyond what’s normal.
Before
December 1999, when WSU’s crisis management policy went into
effect, crisis management was informal and spontaneous.
President
Don Beggs wanted a written plan in place to guide decisions if the
unexpected occurred so the committee and policy were established.
The
university’s general counsel Ted Ayres and four division vice
presidents – Robert Kindrick, vice president for academic affairs
and research; Roger Lowe, vice president for administration and
finance; Elizabeth King, vice president for university advancement;
and Ron Kopita, vice president for student affairs – comprise
the committee.
The
Sept. 11 terrorism attack gave the crisis management team a trial
run. They discussed whether the university should remain open that
day and considered the ramifications of closing.
Last
semester’s anthrax scare on campus gave the crisis management
team another opportunity to implement the policy.
"You
can’t pinpoint or define every crisis," says Ayres. "We’re
merely attempting to define parameters. The policy statement is
an effort to set forth a basic step-by-step way a problem would
be addressed and handled by the university.
"It’s
a work in progress. How can we communicate better? How do we respond?
What should be done? What should be thought of in advance?"
The
committee meets a couple of times each year to review the policy
and situations that required a response, and to improve the process.
Ayres
says it’s hard to imagine what would have to be considered
and addressed under some crisis situations. For example, if the
university didn’t have water or was without power for several
days, where would students be housed and fed?
If
an explosion or natural disaster damaged campus buildings, how would
the university establish portable classrooms and how would the university
pay for it?
"Obviously
you can’t tie yourself into a rigid scheme," says Ayres.
"Fluidity and flexibility are important, but we realize that
it’s a good thing to have a basic contingency plan in place."
The
crisis management policy can be found online at http://webs.wichita.edu/inaudit/ch19_14.htm.
Questions may be directed to any of the committee members.
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