Crisis Management Guidelines

Crisis Management Guidelines

Crisis Management Guidelines provide a logical framework for addressing crises involving your chapter.

These guidelines should be used if a tragedy or crisis involving your chapter occurs either on or off chapter property. Examples of such situations include, but are not limited to:

  • death or injury of a member or guest
  • fire or flood in the chapter house
  • an injury or accident involving alcohol/drugs at chapter events
  • an injury or accident involving a member and/or a non-member at or during a chapter event or on chapter property.

Some chapters may already have similar crisis management guidelines that have been developed by their national/international organizations. This document supplements those procedures by providing the names and telephone numbers of University officials who can be of assistance.

Member Education

  • The entire Executive Board of your chapter should review crisis management procedures and be familiar with important concepts of handling a crisis. Every chapter officer should have a copy of the procedures.
  • Be certain that all members in the chapter (including new members) know that the chapter president is in charge of emergency situations. Though the president may choose to consult with other members who have some expertise or insight, final authority should rest with the president.
  • In the event the president is absent, the next ranking officer should assume control. If such rankings are not already in place, chapters should define officer rankings and include them in the chapter documents.
  • All members must know who is in charge and be prepared to follow instructions. Review the chapter's crisis management guidelines semesterly. The advisor or house corporation representative should also be aware of the procedures.

General Procedures

  1. In nearly all situations, the president's first call will be to the 911 emergency number. Briefly and calmly explain the situation so that the appropriate emergency personnel can respond. Please wait to cooperate and help emergency personnel on the scene.
  2. Close the chapter house immediately. Permit only your members and appropriate officials to enter. Any guests in the house should be asked to leave unless notified by MSUPD for the guest to stay. Assign one or more responsible members to calmly control access to the facility and ask members and guests to stay off social media.
  3. Contact University officials. During business hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday), contact the Office of Fraternity or Sorority Life at 662-325-2930. Tell the person answering the phone that this is an emergency call and ask for a staff member in Fraternity & Sorority Life. If the University's administrative offices are not open, contact the MSUPD at 662-325-2121 or call the Fraternity & Sorority Life staff's cell phones. Inform the dispatcher of the nature and location of the emergency and tell him or her that you have already contacted 911 emergency personnel. Campus Police will then contact the necessary Fraternity and Sorority Life staff as well as the Student Affairs staff on-call.
  4. Contact your chapter's advisor and inform him/her of the situation. Ask him/her to come to the event location as soon as possible in order to consult with chapter officers and University officials. Contact your national/international headquarters once you have confirmed with your advisor.
  5. Assemble your members, including new members, in a group. Explain that there has been an emergency and provide any available details. Instruct the members not to speak to anyone outside the chapter about the incident except the police and University officials. Do not discuss details, speculate on events, or otherwise elaborate on the situation until told to do so. Emphasize the need to remain calm. If there is a need to inform members who are not present, the president may delegate this responsibility to another member. Before sending written communication, consult with a university or headquarters staff member.

Serious Injury or Death of a Member

  1. Do not notify the parents. In the event of a serious injury or death, medical or police personnel will notify the family. Current parent/guardian contact information should always be on file with the University and with the chapter. After you know the entire family has been contacted, it is appropriate, then and only then, for a chapter representative to call and share the chapter's concern. Please ask members not to post information on social media.
  2. If the member lives in the chapter house, do not remove any personal items from the room. Do not allow other chapter members to enter the room. Temporarily move any roommate(s) to another room in the house. Keep the door locked and allow only authorized personnel to enter the room. Keep the area clear during the investigation.
  3. Fraternity & Sorority Life staff will assist in communication with the family regarding the member's belongings.

Managing the Media

  1. If the news media contacts the chapter, only the designated spokesperson (typically headquarters staff) should speak for the chapter. With the assistance of the chapter's legal counsel, the chapter advisor, and university officials, the chapter should carefully prepare a formal statement to be issued to the media. The University can help the chapter through this process.
  2. Keep the chapter house locked in order to keep out unwanted visitors.
  3. Do not release any names to the media until a University official has advised that the timing is appropriate.

Follow-Up

Remember that University officials are always available for counseling and other assistance. Do not hesitate to call the Student Counseling Center at 662-325-2901 for assistance. Individual and group counseling are strongly recommended following any crisis situation. No matter how well things appear to be going, counseling and other support services are both wise and appropriate.