Issues and Crisis Management

Entrants in this year's competition addressed both immediate and ongoing campus problems and actual and potential crises. The judges reviewed plans and execution of elaborate crisis trial runs in preparation for the possible "real thing," responses to such longstanding issues as alcoholism on campus, and the management of an immediate and searing tragedy. As noted by the judges, the entrants' responses to these challenges made this category both intriguing and uneven.

The gold medal winner, Northern Illinois University, won high praise for its preparation and superb application of a well-thought out and highly responsive crisis communications plan when a lone gunman burst into a crowded lecture hall on campus, ultimately killing six people (including himself) and injuring many others in February 2008.

The entry "Putting ‘Lessons Learned' to Work: Managing Communications after a Campus Shooting," outlines how Northern Illinois used a mix of traditional and nontraditional strategies and tactics that reflected both the nature of the challenge and the special needs of its key audiences.

The judges noted that Northern Illinois already had a crisis plan in place that was based on a thorough study of other campus' responses to crises and that, in its own description, "was well grounded in the growing body of knowledge about university crisis management." Key elements of Northern Illinois' plan that worked especially effectively included the centralization of authority for "first alerts" to the campus community, strong use of the Web, texting and other appropriate technology, and a "partnership" approach to the media.

In particular, the judges were impressed by how the decision to empower the communications team to move forward immediately, following "one brief authorization of the president," with emergency alerts to students, faculty and staff, had a dramatic impact on the success of these efforts. They also commented upon the effectiveness of treating the media as partners, not adversaries, in getting information out quickly and accurately and of not allowing the demands of national media to draw attention away from the needs of local and regional media.

Overall, the judges found the entry highly organized, structured, and comprehensive, with a responsive, action-oriented approach based on a sound study of best practices in crisis communications.

Other entries illustrated some innovative and promising approaches to issues and crisis management challenges. An alcohol awareness campaign from one entrant, for example, utilized clever graphics and messages to raise awareness of a persistent campus problem. Indeed, while other entries also had merit, the judges agreed that they would have been helped by better and more detailed descriptions of research and outcomes and more use of new media technology to reach key audiences (for example, texting).

Gold Medal

Northern Illinois University - "Putting ‘Lessons Learned' to Work: Managing Communications after a Campus Shooting"