Building Resilience in Higher Education: A Call to Action This National Emergency Management Awareness Month
From climate crises and public health emergencies to cyberattacks and system outages, higher education institutions face increasingly complex threats. Yet despite the unpredictability of these disruptions, the solution is consistent: resilience - not just as a response, but as a proactive, cultural imperative. As we observe National Emergency Management Awareness Month this August, it's the perfect time for colleges and universities to reflect on how prepared they are for what’s next. This annual recognition shines a light on the critical work of emergency management professionals and reminds us that readiness is not a project - it’s a mindset.
What Is Organizational Resilience in Higher Ed?
Organizational resilience isn’t about avoiding adversity. It’s about having the capacity to recover, adapt, and even thrive amid disruption. In the context of higher education, resilience spans across physical safety, academic continuity, data security, and stakeholder well-being. According to EDUCAUSE, institutional resilience is increasingly tied to a university’s ability to remain student-centered and mission-driven while navigating change. In fact, it was named one of EDUCAUSE’s Top 10 strategic priorities for 2025, emphasizing a shift from reactive response to adaptive design thinking and scenario planning.
As EDUCAUSE writes:
“Leaders must design institutions that are built not just to withstand disruption but to emerge stronger through it.”
- EDUCAUSE Review, 2025 Strategic Priorities
People First: The Human Side of Resilience
While frameworks and systems are critical, resilience starts with people. A resilient institution supports its staff, faculty, and students at every level - from communication training to mental health support and access to continuity plans. Research from the Higher Learning Commission emphasizes that leadership development and change readiness are core components of campus resilience. Institutions that train department heads and emergency personnel in change leadership are better positioned to sustain academic continuity and maintain student trust in times of crisis.
Case in point: At California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), leadership focused on education and training first - meeting with over 86% of plan owners during their first rollout of Kuali Ready. This people-centered approach led to a 73% completion rate of updated continuity plans within the first year.
Communication: The Cornerstone of Continuity
Crisis response lives and dies by communication. Before, during, and after an event, stakeholders need clear, reliable channels to understand what’s happening, what to do, and how the institution is responding. At Boston University, the value of strong communication infrastructure became clear during emergencies like the Boston Marathon bombing and a campus lab fire. According to BU’s Director of Emergency Management, Kuali Ready allowed departments to own and update their continuity plans without constant oversight, freeing emergency management to focus on high-level coordination and response.
In our cloud-first world, platforms that support asynchronous collaboration, mobile access, and role-based visibility are no longer nice to have - they’re essential.
Building with What You Have
For many institutions, resilience isn’t about throwing more money at the problem - it’s about using existing resources more effectively. That was the challenge at Sacramento State, where continuity planning once relied on a long-abandoned student-built system. With limited staff and a decentralized campus, the university needed a solution that allowed departments to build BCPs tailored to their risks - from flood threats along the American River to the challenge of supporting commuting students. By rolling out Kuali Ready across 53 academic programs, they enabled every department to contribute to a unified, flexible resilience strategy.
The lesson? Resilience planning doesn’t have to start from scratch. But it must start with intention.
Resilience Is a Leadership Issue
New research from CarringtonCrisp shows that purpose-driven leadership is a major differentiator in resilience success. Institutions that center their mission and values during emergencies see stronger stakeholder trust, faster recovery, and more innovation over time. This is especially critical in higher education, where leadership must model clarity, empathy, and transparency. Building a culture of resilience means moving beyond fear-based messaging and toward a narrative of empowerment and collaboration.
Let’s Make Resilience the Rule, Not the Exception
August is a reminder that preparedness isn’t optional. Every plan you update, every drill you run, and every conversation you have about risk brings your institution closer to resilience. But resilience doesn’t happen in isolation. It thrives on community, technology, and culture.
Kuali Ready exists to make resilience easier, not harder. Whether you're managing a small department or a large campus, Ready helps institutions build living continuity plans, enable stakeholder collaboration, and keep operations running no matter what.
Want to explore how Kuali Ready can support your emergency planning efforts? Read our comprehensive guide to continuity planning in higher education.