Crisis Response for Globally Connected School Stakeholders and Programs
GEBG Member Schools possess characteristics that make times of global crisis—like a global pandemic—uniquely challenging. With international partners, travel programs, international students (and families), and mission-level commitment to global competencies; how can schools balance best practices in crisis response with special considerations for these globally interconnected programs and stakeholders?
1. Understand the nature of the crisis
Globally interconnected crises often require a more complex assessment of the nature of the crisis itself, and in GEBG Member Schools, the understanding of the crisis often involves a broader and deeper understanding of the crisis. Member Schools report:
» Leveraging internal expertise, often beyond senior school leadership (travel program directors, international partners, medical staff/experts, leaders in equity and inclusion efforts, etc…);
» Trusting professional communities to help establish clear standards of care and practice during rapidly developing situations;
» Recognizing of unique impacts on particular constituents (international students and families, traveling students and families, international partners, etc…);
» Ensuring proactive communication and often rapid response time by committing to an iterative risk-management and communications process that may consider multiple time zones, languages, etc…
Click here to read the full article, originally published in April 2020 in GEBG’s Annual Magazine, Interconnected.