By Megan Smedley
Ashland Community and Technical College
Ashland, Kentucky
When people think of crisis communications at a college, they often jump to worst-case scenarios: active shooters, natural disasters or major security threats. And while these high-stakes moments do require immediate and expert response, they represent only a fraction of what public relations teams manage in terms of crisis response.
For community and technical colleges, the more frequent—and often more complex—crises are those that challenge institutional reputation. From a controversial speaker on campus to a misinterpreted social media post, today’s marcom professionals are constantly managing the public narrative, working to ensure that trust in their institution remains intact.
Reputation, in many ways, is one of a college’s most valuable assets.
Strategic, Not Just Reactive
The public relations team at Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC), and other colleges across the Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) see this dynamic play out regularly. “Lower-level” crises might include a faculty member’s controversial comment, a TikTok video that misrepresents campus life, or a student complaint that gains traction online. Each of these scenarios demands a response that is accurate, empathetic, and fast—often crafted under immense pressure.
Crisis communications is not just about reacting, it’s about planning. Many colleges now include reputation scenarios in their crisis communication plans, ensuring that the institution can respond quickly to public concern while staying aligned with its mission and values.
A delayed or tone-deaf response can hurt a college far more than the incident itself. The goal should be to communicate clearly, take responsibility when needed, and reaffirm the institution’s commitment to students and the community.
One effective tool: scenario planning that includes not just physical emergencies, but also reputational ones. Having those conversations in advance means colleges are better prepared when real issues arise.
Making the Case to Leadership
Despite the vital role marcom teams play in crisis response, not every college has integrated their PR professionals into decision-making conversations early enough. When PR isn’t at the table during leadership meetings, colleges miss out on strategic guidance that could prevent a crisis—or at least mitigate it quickly. It’s not the job of a public relations professional just to ‘spin’ a situation. It’s to help shape an honest, transparent response that reflects institutional integrity.
Just as institutions invest in security training and infrastructure, leaders must also invest in communications preparedness through staff training, technology, and recognition of the value that PR teams bring.
Reputation can take years to build and seconds to damage. Every day, PR teams are not just telling the college’s story—they’re protecting it.
Megan Smedley is the strategic communications administrator at Ashland Community and Technical College in Kentucky.
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