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University Communications

Crisis Communication

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  • The Vice President and Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer shall serve as the crisis response director along with a second executive officer. In a physical emergency, that second executive officer will be the Vice President for Finance and Administration. In an issue-based crisis, the second executive officer will be determined by the issue.
  • The Vice President of Student Affairs and/or Dean of Students, Chief of Police, the Assistant Vice President for University Communications -- Media and Public Relations, and the Associate Vice President for Facilities shall be the crisis response coordinators.
  • Whenever a situation affecting the campus reaches proportions that cannot be handled by routine measures, the crisis response coordinators shall notify the Vice President and Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer, the crisis response director.
  • Grand Valley Police Department (GVPD), and/or other appropriate personnel will be dispatched to determine the extent of the crisis and determine the necessary action to insure the safety of persons and property.
  • Each university administrator, upon being notified, is to provide applicable information to those persons under his/her direction as per the crisis notification system.
  • Main and field crisis command posts shall be established as required by the situation and shall be equipped with communications systems required to utilize resources.
  • The crisis response directors conduct liaison activities with the other executive officers and Board of Trustees.
  • The crisis response coordinators will follow the crisis notification system when the crisis is over.

Following the crisis, the crisis response coordinators will gather all appropriate individuals for debriefing and review. Appropriate action will be determined.

WEATHER

Building weather safety coordinators, appointed by GVPD, will notify and direct all those within the building to safety areas upon activation of the Tornado Warning Siren. They are responsible for keeping those within the building in the sheltered areas until the end of the warning time, unless notified by the University’s Alert Notification System that the “all clear” has been given.

PURPOSE

The crisis procedures outlined in this plan are offered to enhance the protection of lives and property through effective use of university and community resources. Whenever a crisis affecting the university reaches proportions that cannot be handled by routine measures, the crisis response director may declare a “university crisis,” and this plan may be implemented. Since a crisis may be sudden and without warning, these procedures are designed to be flexible in order to accommodate contingencies of various types and magnitudes.

SCOPE

These procedures apply to all personnel, buildings and grounds, utilized by Grand Valley State University to include those peripheral areas adjoining campus and embraces a natural or man-made disaster situation. In any crisis or disaster situation, the primary objective will be the preservation of life, alleviation of human suffering and minimization of property damage.

DEFINITIONS

CRISIS RESPONSE DIRECTOR

The Vice President and Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer shall serve as the overall crisis response director during any crisis or disaster where the Crisis Management Plan is implemented. In the absence of the Vice President and Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer, the crisis response coordinators will move to a designee.

CRISIS RESPONSE COORDINATORS

The Vice President of Student Affairs and/or Dean of Students and Dean of Students, Chief of Police, the Assistant Vice President for University Communications -- Media and Public Relations, and Associate Vice President for Facilities shall serve as the crisis response coordinators and shall manage all crisis response operations. They maintain direct operational control of the university crisis or disaster and the university crisis response team. The crisis response coordinators, as necessary, brief the crisis response director on the status of the situation.

NOTE: Each crisis response coordinator will have a designee in the event of his/her absence listed on the contact list.

Page last modified February 26, 2026