Crises can occur without notice, from anywhere at any time. They can pose
serious threats to a university’s safety, reputation and community standing. Crisis
leadership is becoming an important function of the university president. But crisis
leadership cannot be delegated to subordinates, since critical decisions should rest with
the university president who is ultimately accountable for managing the crisis. Crises
are complex and dynamic, involving multiple stakeholders, and could have
unanticipated flow-on implications for the university’s reputation. Crisis leadership
comprises six distinct but interrelated functions: preparation which facilitates
collaboration and coordination, effectively interpreting the complex context of the
incident, decision-making for a rapid and targeted response, communication to
stakeholders and constituents, and learning from the crisis.
Keywords: Crisis Management, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Emergency
Preparedness, Freedom of Expression, Homeland Security, Incident Command
System (ICS), National Incident Management System (NIMS).
