This article was originally published in the March 2017 issue of BriefCASE.

When do crises typically unfold on campus?

Emergencies can happen any time, of course. But too often, says CASE speaker Katie Halberg, crises seem to strike when staff members might be least prepared to tackle them—4:30 p.m. on a Friday, for instance, or when key staff members are on vacation.

Halberg, director of social engagement at Wright State University, once had a campus crisis unfold while she was taking her son to his birthday dinner. She found herself on the phone trying to track down someone on her Dayton, Ohio, campus to remove an unintentionally insensitive sign.

This is why clear, scalable social media crisis communication plans are critical, Halberg told attendees at CASE's 2017 Social Media and Community Conference in Los Angeles.

"Do you know who to call?" she said. "Don't wait until it's too late to make a plan."

The first step in a crisis plan is to analyze the threat, she explained. Halberg offered this checklist to help teams assess a situation. If the answer to any of these is "yes," take immediate action:

• Is there an immediate threat?
• Are officials unaware of it?
• Is the crisis trigger still happening?
• Is it not an isolated incident?
• Is it not contained?
• Is it illegal?
• Is it visual (easily photographable or tweetable, for instance?)
• Has it gone viral?

Once you assess the threat, that's when the next four stages of crisis plans begin: communication, containment, resolution and recovery.

In the communication phase, develop a statement and clearly explain what has happened, what's happening now and what will happen.

"Distribute information as quickly and calmly as possible," advised Halberg. Remember that transparency is the priority, and it's OK to say you don't have the answers yet or are working to find them, she said.

The next phase—containment—is about preventing escalation. On social media, respond to questions but avoid getting drawn into debates. Although it may be difficult, remain neutral and follow these ABCs of engaging with individuals online during and after the crisis:

• Acknowledge the comment.
• Be transparent with information.
• Contact the appropriate department to confirm how to respond.

Halberg suggested adding a D to these ABCs: Do not delete negative comments.

"Let them vent, even if your [staff, trustees, etc.] may not like it," suggested Halberg. "What happens if you delete their comments? They'll repost and bring their friends."

Next, she said, engage in constructive conversations, give them appropriate contact information and move forward rather than dwelling on specific comments.