Assume that you are members of the Crisis Management Team for Meriweather University (MU) located in Charleston, South Carolina. When you arrive at work one day, you discover that the place is abuzz with news of a YouTube video showing a Merriweather faculty member from the School of Business making what appear to be racist comments in a class. A student reportedly taped the remarks on her cell phone and posted the video online. The faculty member then posted a response on Facebook claiming that his remarks were taken out of context. He contends that the class was discussing the recent expulsion of fraternity members at the University of Oklahoma for participating in a racist chant. Here’s a link to a New York Times article, which provides some background: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/us/university-of-oklahoma-sigma-alpha-epsilon-racist-fraternity-video.html?_r=0

Local media have called the Merriweather’s External Relations office asking for comments from university leaders, who are concerned that in the context of the national debate on issues related to race, this incident has the potential to damage the university’s reputation nationally. Your CM team is called to duty.

In gathering information about the situation, you learn that other students have complained to School of Business administrators about allegedly offensive comments the faculty member has made in his classes but apparently no formal investigations or other actions were taken. In the meantime, you also receive word that students in the School of Business are organizing a campus event called “A Conversation about Race” to take place later in the week.

Working as a team, develop your recommendations for responding to this situation. The report, which should be addressed to university officials, should identify

key publics

key messages

channels of communication

a plan of action for the initial crisis response

a media statement

Recommended spokesperson

Next, list and discuss a minimum of three crisis prevention strategies that might have been useful in avoiding such incidents. Course readings should be reflected in your response. Post your team’s response on the Discussion Board by the due date and time.