Crisis Response in Higher Education: Insights from Educational Leaders

Abstract

Abstract: Crises can be sudden, disrupt routines of systems, and make significant lasting impact on people’s lives and property. Unfortunately, higher education institutions are not immune to crises and how they respond is crucial and critical. This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored how leaders in a higher education institution responded to crises events. Firsthand accounts were gathered through the purposive snowball sampling technique in conjunction with face-to-face semi-structured interviews and field texts. Interviews were conducted with eleven education leaders and external partners. Findings suggest that several factors such as crisis training for leaders, internal and external collaborations and building a crisis management team were important factors that impacts an effective crises response. The findings, insights, and experiences from this study allow for a deeper understanding, help current and future higher educational leaders better understand crises situations and how they can prepare for future issues.