Campus Continuity Goes Mainstream
Just got back to the office after addressing the 38th Annual CAAT Facilities Conference hosted by Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario. This is an annual meeting of Ontario's colleges and institutes and this year the theme seemed to be a familiar one - risky business. The agenda of the conference reflected the important role played by facilities personnel play at their institutions in creating and ensuring a s safe, supportive environment for students and staff.
It was coincidental that this year's conference focused on a theme that closely aligned with our Campus Continuity program that we launched in the spring. Not suprisingly, my topic was Campus Continuity, and I used the opportunity to point out to administrators that in order for campus risk to be adequately addressed, it is very important for administrators to think beyond issues of public safety, and consider things such as the financial dimension of disruptive events.
I began the session by discussing the major components of a business continuity plan, then did something a little different - I asked the audience to assume the City of New Orleans was a business, and as a business, I asked them to evaluate how all the components described in section 1 were met. Finally, I said that if we were so presumptuous to liken a city to a business, why couldn't we use those same standards in evaluating how an educational institution uses these practices.
I have a condensed version of the presentation I will post on the site in the next week or two.
It was coincidental that this year's conference focused on a theme that closely aligned with our Campus Continuity program that we launched in the spring. Not suprisingly, my topic was Campus Continuity, and I used the opportunity to point out to administrators that in order for campus risk to be adequately addressed, it is very important for administrators to think beyond issues of public safety, and consider things such as the financial dimension of disruptive events.
I began the session by discussing the major components of a business continuity plan, then did something a little different - I asked the audience to assume the City of New Orleans was a business, and as a business, I asked them to evaluate how all the components described in section 1 were met. Finally, I said that if we were so presumptuous to liken a city to a business, why couldn't we use those same standards in evaluating how an educational institution uses these practices.
I have a condensed version of the presentation I will post on the site in the next week or two.
