Tuesday, April 7, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET

Identify & Correct Vulnerabilities to Avoid Post Event Critiques

When a crisis hits your campus, every second counts—and every message you disseminate matters. In today’s hyper connected environment, the media, your students, their families, and the public are watching closely. They’re not just looking for answers; they’re looking for missteps. One unclear message, one delay, or one piece of incorrect information can quickly spiral into confusion, mistrust and reputational damage.

That’s why effective crisis communication isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Gather your colleagues on April 7, 2026 when our crisis management expert, Dr. Grant Azdell, will equip you with the clarity, confidence, and strategy needed to communicate swiftly, accurately, and decisively when it matters most. You’ll learn how to get the message right from the very start, maintain control of your institution’s narrative, and prevent misinformation from filling the void. When a situation impacts your campus and your community is scared, confused, or searching for answers, silence—or the wrong message—can be just as harmful as the crisis itself.

Strengthen your emergency communication systems, build redundancy into your processes, and prepare your team to respond under pressure. From navigating the “gotcha” tendencies of the media to combating misinformation on fast moving platforms like TikTok, Yik Yak, Instagram, and Fizz, you’ll be ready for the real world challenges campuses face today. This is your opportunity to ensure your institution is not just reacting to crises, but leading through them with transparency, accuracy and trust.

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you: 

• Create and implement effective crisis communication plans that deliver accurate information quickly to the appropriate audiences, helping to minimize confusion and encourage prompt action.
• Identify and correct vulnerabilities in current emergency communication systems and assess who is authorized to send messages, what backup systems exist, and how information flows internally during high pressure situations.
• Combat misinformation across social media and geofenced platforms, recognizing how false or incomplete information spreads, and implement proactive tactics to maintain control of the institutional narrative.
• Craft crisis specific messaging that goes beyond canned templates, that is actionable, relevant and situationally appropriate.
• Understand how to communicate in ways that withstand public and press “Monday morning quarterbacking,” protecting both credibility and institutional trust.
• Build a culture of preparedness through regular training and scenario testing with your campus community - practice, refine, and stress test communication procedures to uncover breakdowns before a real crisis exposes them.
  

Presenter

Dr. Grant L. Azdell currently serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, and is a Professor at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia.
Click here for full bio.