Emergency Management and Continuity of Operations ...

Emergency Management and

Continuity of Operations Considerations:

A Faculty Guide

2014

Carol L. Cwiak

North Dakota State University

ii | C a r o l L . C w i a k , N o r t h D a k o t a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y

Thank you Dean Kent Sandstrom

for understanding the importance of this effort and supporting it.

iii | C a r o l L . C w i a k , N o r t h D a k o t a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

University Expectations and Obligations 2

Faculty and Department Basics 4

Teaching 9

Research 11

Service 14

Additional Resources 15

“Preparation is the key to success”. ~Alexander Graham Bell

1 | C a r o l L . C w i a k , N o r t h D a k o t a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y

Introduction

Every day events occur on college and university campuses and in the local communities they

serve that can result in harm to people, property, or the environment; cause economic loss;

result in reputation damage; or interrupt critical operations. The genesis of these events could

come from any number of hazards, to include: natural hazards, technological hazards, health

hazards, violent acts, social movements, facility or infrastructure damage or failure, data theft,

IT issues, or a widely publicized scandal. College and university administrators have become

acutely aware that preparing for such events is a necessary part of institutional operations.

The bulk of college and university planning has typically been undertaken by campus police,

safety, and facility personnel with varying levels of success. The campus planning challenges for

such personnel lie in three key areas:

1) Accessing and communicating the necessary information to audiences such as students

and faculty;

2) Training and advancing capability in the student and faculty audience; and,

3) Lack of depth of understanding and reach regarding faculty needs relating to continuity

of operations.

This guide is intended to help address the three aforementioned challenges with the faculty

community as a primary audience, and the students as an audience readily accessed by faculty.

Historically, college and university emergency management and continuity of operations

planners have viewed these two audiences (particularly faculty) as difficult audiences to

address in comprehensive planning efforts. Staff are much more readily accessed and trained,

and their continuity of operations needs tend to be more clear-cut.

The same is not true with faculty who tend to operate more as independent agents with diverse

teaching, research, and service agendas. In addition, faculty partner across the campus,

community, state, region, country, and world on intellectual endeavors, scholarly contributions,

and grants. As such, every faculty member has a unique institutional and professional

fingerprint that is part of the institution’s daily operations and continued success. This creates

a difficult task in regard to continuity of operations. Planning staff do not have the necessary

expertise across the expanse of disciplines and the diversity of faculty activities to enable them

to create a plan that would be effective for each faculty member, department, and college (and

that is if there happened to be requisite planning staff depth to even attempt such a feat –

there simply is not such depth on any campus). For such planning to occur and be truly

effective, it must be generated department by department by faculty who understand the ways

in which their critical operations can be interrupted and what can be done to a) protect these

operations from potential interruption; b) minimize interruptions that could occur; and,


c) resume operations timely after interruption. This guide seeks to empower faculty and

departments to actively engage in creating a better prepared institution that is ready to

respond in the event of emergencies and disasters and is primed to handle operational

interruptions.

This guide also includes the general expectations of faculty by the institution regarding

standardized training relating to workplace safety and draws attention to other areas where

faculty carry heightened responsibilities. Issues related to reputation management (individual

and institutional) are covered where applicable throughout the guide. Faculty awareness and

savvy can make a dramatic difference in the reputation management arena.

It is not the intent of this guide to present all the right answers or a one-size-fits-all path;

instead, this guide is intended to create awareness, promote discussion, and provide tools.

While it is primarily geared toward faculty and department level administration, there are many

areas where college and university level administrators may likewise find value. A well-

prepared institution is one in which everyone is engaged in safety, security, and continued

operations.

University Expectations and Obligations

NDSU has a number of established expectations and obligations in regard to faculty. There are

many mandatory trainings that faculty are required to complete annually. This guide focuses on

the mandatory and recommended trainings managed by the University Police and Safety Office

(UP & SO). A list of available UP & SO online training materials can be accessed at

(www.ndsu.edu/police_safety/training/). Every faculty member must complete Baseline Safety

Training annually. If the faculty member supervises graduate students or other employees,

Supervisor Safety Training must also be completed.

A number of other valuable informational and training links relevant to lab, research, and

workplace safety are available on the UP & SO training page. Based on the types of activities

faculty members are engaged in on campus, additional training modules may be required.

When in doubt about what training is required and relevant call the Safety Office at 231-7759.

The Active Shooter Awareness Training, while not classified as a mandatory training by the

university, is a critical training module for faculty and should also be shown to students. This

training is a 20 minute video that is accessible on the NDUS site via the UP & SO training page

(www.ndsu.edu/police_safety/training/). It provides valuable information on how to enhance

your chances of surviving an active shooter event and is designed for the campus community.

Ideally, faculty and students should view this video every semester.

http://www.ndsu.edu/police_safety/training/

http://www.ndsu.edu/police_safety/training/


Faculty should also be aware of NDSU’s Annual Security Report (posted on the University Police

page) and Emergency Procedures (NDSU Policy 164). Faculty members are expected to be well-

versed in NDSU’s Emergency Action Guide. The Emergency Action Guide provides easy to

follow, concise information about what to do in the event of an emergency and can be printed

on 8.5 x 11 inch paper to enable faculty to include it as part of a course syllabus or other class

handout (www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policesafety/docs/Emergency_Action_Guide_Poster.pdf).

Ideally, faculty should distribute a copy of the Emergency Action Guide to students in each class

at the beginning of each semester and discuss with students the actions the class will take in

the event of any of the listed hazards based on the physical location in which the class meets.

During such a discussion is an ideal time to point out the classroom and facility exits, to note

whether classroom doors can be secured, and to make clear the faculty member’s policy

regarding the Campus Emergency Notification System (CENS) messaging.

Because faculty members are in control of the classroom, students will look to faculty for

direction in an emergency event. As employees of the university, faculty members have a

heightened responsibility in such situations to help direct students to safety (based on the

actions specified in the Emergency Action Guide). Faculty should also note that students who

are new to the campus, or new to the building the class is offered in, may not be fully apprised

of all stairwells and exit locations. Taking a few minutes at the beginning of each semester to

go over basic information with students could reduce the potential of injury or death in an

actual emergency.

In the event of an emergency or disaster, the CENS system will be utilized for warning, offering

protective action steps, and information updates. This system is now a mandatory system for

students (it has always been mandatory for university employees). CENS is not a prioritized

system wherein some audiences on the campus can be notified before others. Faculty and staff

members are not notified before students. It is entirely possible that students will receive a

CENS message before faculty. In fact, there could be a considerable time difference between

when one person receives a message and when another person receives the same message;

hence, this reality should factor into faculty in-class phone policies. Faculty should maintain at

least one open phone line to receive CENS messaging, and ideally would be able to allow all

lines to stay open to such messaging to better ensure timely message receipt (as opposed to

requiring phones to be turned off and stowed).

Should an event occur on the campus, all media inquiries should be directed to University

Relations at 231-8330. In the wake of such events, the media will access everyone and anyone

who is willing to talk. In a situation where injury, death, or other loss has occurred, NDSU

employees’ should be very careful in the statements they make which could affect victims, the

http://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policesafety/docs/Emergency_Action_Guide_Poster.pdf


family of victims, or the university negatively. The mishandling of such events can result in both

individual and institutional reputation damage and potential lawsuits.

Similarly, faculty should be cautious as employees of the university as to what they post on

social media regarding such events. Regardless of the privacy levels faculty may maintain on

these sites, there have been many instances where faculty comments have found their way into

mainstream media. In fact, social media entries that relate to university events of any scale (to

include personnel squabbles) should be avoided unless they are something that could

comfortably be shared in the local newspaper without causing the university embarrassment or

detriment. To better manage the potential fallout of social media, colleges and universities are

increasingly looking to follow the private sectors’ lead and have begun establishing social media

policies with disciplinary consequences. Existing policies that address employee conduct and

include an expectation of professionalism (such as NDSU Policy 151) could be used to address

social media missteps.

Also of note, faculty are reminded that university email (and any other written material,

electronic or not) that is not sensitive material or protected by a privacy act, is subject to open

record requests. If you are not comfortable with your words being publicized by the media,

used in a civil suit or criminal prosecution, or finding their way into an internet meme, - avoid

writing them. Anything on your NDSU devices or sent through NDSU email or voicemail is

accessible to NDSU without your permission, is presumed to be work-related, and is expected

to be in compliance with all NDSU policies. These devices are owned by the university and are

tools of employment; hence, faculty should harbor no expectation of privacy. Faculty should

likewise note with every keystroke entered on a university device or via a university-based

system (e.g., email, Blackboard, Campus Connection) that university administration could be

reviewing that very same email or document next week. Items protected from the reach of

open record requests are not shielded from supervisory review.

Faculty and Department Basics

This section addresses basic information, activities, and tips that individual faculty and

departments can utilize to prepare for events that may occur. Specific and more detailed

suggestions and guidance are offered on teaching, research, and service in subsequent sections

of the guide.

Communication - Department Level

Individual faculty and department level administration should annually compile an off-site

contact list for members of the department. Home or cell phone numbers should be pulled

together in a short list for the purposes of enhancing communication capability during an


enduring event. This information should be printed, stored electronically, and transmitted via

email to all members of the department. In the event that faculty are hesitant to have such

information distributed to all of their colleagues, a few key department members should be

tasked with the responsibility of maintaining access to a printed and electronic version of the

list both at home and at the office.

Communication – University Level

CENS is the official emergency notification mechanism used by NDSU (and potentially NDUS as

well). All university employees are expected to act in accordance with messaging instructions

and to encourage others, such as co-workers, students, and visitors, to likewise act in

accordance with messaging instructions. At NDSU, safety and security is viewed as everyone’s

responsibility and that responsibility is clarified in mandatory annual baseline safety training

provided by UP & SO. All university employees are expected to know what protective actions

should be taken in the emergency events detailed on the Emergency Action Guide. All too

often, events will occur and protective action will be necessary before a CENS message can be

transmitted. In simplest terms, protective actions can be classified as either a “STAY” or “GO”

proposition (see table below).

Table 1

University Operations

The university has three operational states: 1) full operations; 2) classes cancelled; and, 3)

campus closed. When classes are cancelled, employees are still expected to fulfill their regular

obligations. When the campus is closed, only essential personnel should be on the campus

(essential personnel are pre-designated operational staff). University administration rarely

cancels classes or closes the campus. When closure does occur it is typically only for a day.

Protective Actions – STAY or GO

STAY GO

Tornado Fire

Haz Mat Incident Bomb

Active Shooter * Active Shooter *

*Depends upon shooter’s location and ability to safely get out


However, an extended closure could occur and individual faculty and departments should

consider what that would mean to their teaching, research, and service engagements.

University Insurance

Faculty should be apprised that items in their work spaces that are not university property are

not likely covered by university insurance. Some, but not all, homeowner insurance policies

extend coverage to personal items in work spaces. Faculty members concerned with the

potential uncompensated loss of personal items from fire, theft, or some other event on the

campus, should contact their insurer to see if their policy includes or allows them to add off-

premise protection for these items. Additionally, note that insurers typically place a low cap on

intellectual property loss claims under standard policies. This is particularly relevant to

educators in that the loss of annotated books, teaching materials, articles in production, and

other such items are likely in an event that damages campus facilities.

Situational Awareness

The university counts on faculty, as it does other employees, to be mindful of what is going on

in and around the classrooms they teach in, their work space, and the areas of the campus they

traverse. All employees are expected to report things that seem out of place, suspicious, or

dangerous to university police. This includes, but is not limited to: dangerous facility and

outdoor conditions (i.e., loose stair railings, slippery sidewalks, malfunctioning elevators, fire

hazards); items that seem out of place in the environment they are in (i.e., a backpack left

unattended near faculty offices, an unmarked box in the hallway, a person wearing layers of

bulky heavy clothing on campus on a hot summer day); students or colleagues who are

evidencing a dramatic personality shift, have made comments, or are displaying erratic

behavior that may indicate that they could be a threat to themselves or others; and, activities

that are in violation of university policy or local law (i.e., possession of a weapon; alcohol

consumption on campus; physical assaults).

There are resources on campus tasked with addressing all of the above examples. One

resource of particular importance in regard to students is the Behavioral Intervention Team

(BIT). The BIT is “a collaborative interdisciplinary team of campus-community members that

meets weekly to discuss students exhibiting behaviors indicative of crisis and elevated risk”

(www.ndsu.edu/student_life/behavior_intervention_team_bit/). Due to the level of consistent

contact faculty members have with students, the BIT relies heavily on faculty to alert them to

students who appear to be struggling.

Table 2 provides some of the most common resource contact points for faculty members to

share information pertinent to campus safety and security, student and employee safety and

http://www.ndsu.edu/student_life/behavior_intervention_team_bit/


well-being, and policy or law violations. In all instances regarding situational awareness

matters, faculty members should report what they see or learn about even if they think it is

fairly minor. Often a complete image of a situation comes through multiple reports with

varying pieces of information. When in doubt about who to call about a non-emergency

situation contact University Police at 231-8998.

Table 2

Personal Safety and Security

Faculty members should be aware and advise students that the blue light phones on campus

function as emergency lines and connect directly to campus police. Short duration personal

calls can also be made on most of the blue light phones on NDSU’s campus. Additionally, the

university police department offers a 24/7 police escort service for faculty, staff, and students

both on the main campus and at the Barry, Klai, and Renaissance Hall locations. The service

Type of Issue Resource(s)/Contact Information

Report an injury in immediate need of care Emergency 911

Report a near miss injury or actual injury per university policy (documentation)

Safety Office 231-7759 www.ndsu.edu/police_safety/ public_health_and_safety/incident/

Report a situation or condition that poses immediate danger to life safety

Emergency 911

Report a situation or condition that looks like it could escalate, is suspicious, or otherwise needs documentation or attention

University Police 231-8998

Report an urgent facility or outdoor safety issue University Police 231-8998

Report a facility or outdoor safety issue that is important, but not urgent (to include parking lots, streets internal to the campus, and sidewalks)

During operational hours: Facilities Management 231-7911 [email protected]

After hours: University Police 231-8998

Report a student behavioral concern BIT [email protected]

Report an employee behavioral concern Your immediate supervisor

Report a policy violation Department or office assigned to overseeing policy implementation and enforcement (see policy language)

Report witnessed violations of law or campus regulations (not urgent) on campus

University Police 231-8998


offers university police accompaniment and/or transport to and from these locations or areas

immediately adjacent. This service is a safety-focused service and can be requested by calling

university police at 231-8998.

Healthy Classrooms and Offices

While the spread of illness on a campus cannot be entirely avoided, there are small steps that

can help decrease employees’ and students’ odds of becoming ill during peak cold and flu

seasons. The best tool for creating healthy classroom and office spaces is a strong illness policy.

Ill employees and students should be encouraged to stay home. Any policy that requires a

doctor note for a singular absence creates an environment wherein those on the front and tail-

end of illness will come to work or classes. To the extent possible, doctor’s notes should not be

required until at least the third day of absence. Additionally, healthy behaviors such as regular

handwashing (www.cdc.gov/handwashing/), utilizing the proper cough and sneeze technique

(www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/etiquette/coughing_sneezing.html), and other easy steps

(www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/stopgerms.htm) that reduce the spread of illness should be

encouraged. Unfortunately, the lack of attention to healthy classrooms and offices at any place

on the campus can reach quite quickly across the campus and into the community. Vigilance in

regard to healthy behaviors is important as a person infected on the campus could transmit the

illness to a vulnerable family member that is much less able to weather the illness.

In the event of a health emergency (such as a pandemic), university administrators will activate

much more stringent expectations than the aforementioned and may cancel classes or close

the campus. These plans are already in place and are built upon established triggers from the

Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Limited operations or closure

due to a health emergency is an ongoing threat and one that should be heavily considered

when examining continuity options in regard to teaching, research, and service.

Graduate Students & Adjunct Instructors

Many departments utilize graduate students in a teaching or research capacity that puts them

in positions of responsibility akin to faculty-level responsibility. Graduate students with such

responsibility should be apprised of university expectations in relation to these roles. For

example, graduate students teaching a course should understand the heightened responsibility

of the course instructor in informing students about emergency procedures and ensuring

students’ safety and security should an event occur; the necessity of allowing an open line for

CENS; the importance of a healthy classroom policy; and, the need to complete university

training requirements.

Similarly, adjunct instructors should also be advised of such expectations. Additionally, adjunct

instructors that are not intimately familiar with the entire campus and do not have daily access

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/etiquette/coughing_sneezing.html

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/stopgerms.htm


to faculty and the department administration, would benefit from a short overview training

prior to the start of their teaching engagement with NDSU and an annual refresher to update

them on any new policies or expectations at the department, college, or university level. In

regard to the institution’s expectations regarding classroom safety and emergency procedures,

adjunct instructors and graduate students carry the same responsibilities as full-time faculty

members.

Workplace Safety 101

As is true with all workplaces, there are a slew of general safety regulations, procedures, and

reporting expectations. The vast majority of these regulations, procedures and expectations

apply to all employees – which includes faculty. Noncompliance in this area can create

problems for both the employee and the university. NDSU’s annual Baseline Safety Training

provides concise coverage of the basic expectations for all employees, but those who seek

additional and more detailed information should visit the North Dakota Workforce Safety and

Insurance website (www.workforcesafety.com/safety/videoresourcelibrary.asp) where a

collection of informative video resources are housed. This resource is particularly important for

those engaging in inherently dangerous activities that are more likely to result in injury (e.g.,

tool safety, dealing with hazardous chemicals, operating heavy machinery, etc.).

Teaching

Course delivery is a primary mission of the university; as such, faculty should consider what

actions can be taken to enable course instruction in the face of an interruption. Interruptions

to course delivery can take many forms. For example, course delivery could be interrupted by

faculty illness or emergency, facility issues, a health crisis, or an emergency or disaster that

affects the campus or nearby community. The type of interruption often dictates the options

for continuity plans and resumption activities.

NDSU’s Information Technology (IT) Division has long been part of the campus planning team

and is prepared to support movement to online course delivery in the event of an extended

operational interruption due to a health of other event that limits campus access. Alas, IT’s

readiness does not translate to a faculty body that can carry-on instruction with ease. There

are certain conditions that must be present for faculty to successfully move courses online,

such as: a Blackboard shell that students are able to gain access to during an interruption (this

additionally assumes students will have access to computers and internet offsite); faculty online

course delivery skill sets; and, materials and assignments that are well-situated to an online

course environment.

http://www.workforcesafety.com/safety/videoresourcelibrary.asp


A more likely and common interruption of course delivery lies in faculty injury, illness, or family

emergency. With this type of interruption, the faculty member may or may not be able to work

with another faculty member, graduate student, or administrator to help facilitate course

delivery and may or may not have ready access to the course materials (i.e., lecture notes,

assignments, tests, etc.). These types of interruption can occur at any time during a semester

and can have indeterminate timelines in regard to a faculty member’s return.

There are many things faculty members and departments can do to help ensure that course

instruction is not interrupted for an extended period of time. While factors such as the nature

of the interruption, the subject matter of the course, and the timing of the interruption (e.g.,

pre-semester as opposed to middle of the semester) can affect resumption options, the below

recommendations should help faculty members and departments lay the groundwork for

success.

Are faculty course materials captured and stored electronically on a shared

departmental drive or in a Blackboard shell that can be accessed by an administrator?

It is much easier for other faculty members, graduate assistants, or administrators to

step in for another faculty member if they have the necessary course materials

available. Creating electronic copies of as many materials as possible allows faculty an

additional layer of protection should course materials be destroyed.

Is a Blackboard shell created for the course? Even if a faculty member does not

typically use Blackboard for classes, creating a shell and letting students know that it will

be used in the event of interruption to continue course instruction is an easy

preparedness step. As stated previously, all course materials can be stored in the shell

in a protected format in the event they are needed.

Have faculty members thought about the handling of assignments and other

scheduled items if there is a short-term closure? During a short-term closure (a week

or less), will students still be expected to turn in assignments electronically on their due

date or will they be allowed to turn them in upon the resumption of classes? Will tests

be cancelled or rescheduled? How will missed student class presentations be handled?

Each faculty member should share with students early in the semester (or in the

syllabus) how such assignments and scheduled requirements will be handled. In the

absence of a detailed discussion, an advisement that students will be notified by the

instructor in the event of class cancellations or campus closure as to how course

assignments and expectations will be affected helps reduce student stress regarding

expectations and ensures that they will not proceed to campus to turn in an assignment.


Does the department have a short list of possible adjunct instructors that can be

utilized in the event of an unexpected extended faculty absence? Many faculty

members teach coursework in focused topical areas that are not easily covered by

someone outside the topical area. Asking faculty members to identify possible adjunct

instructors to teach their courses in their absence allows the department to have a

better starting point for what will likely need to be a very quick process. In this

identification process, faculty members should consider adjuncts from the public and

private sector, retired faculty, and graduate students as applicable.

Is video capture of lectures in regularly offered courses an option within the

department? Many departments offer fairly standardized courses (e.g., general

education offerings) every semester. Capturing and storing lectures from these

offerings allow the department flexibility should an extended faculty absence occur.

Such capture could also have value for online course offerings and could provide

coverage for more typical faculty absences (e.g., short-term illness, conference

attendance).

In course delivery instances where special equipment or facilities are necessary, have

back-up sites off-campus been identified? While the university may need to be involved

in facilitating the movement of a course to a site that is off-campus (due to insurance

and other such issues), faculty members should consider other sites that they could

potentially use in the event of a facility interruption that primarily affects the campus.

Using performing arts as an example, required student performance events which were

originally scheduled in a campus facility could potentially be moved into similar facilities

in the community or on neighboring college campuses.

Research

The research continuity issues discussed in this guide take into consideration the diversity of

faculty research interests and engagements, the economic interest and stake in research held

by the university and grant-funding entities, the value of the research to advancing knowledge,

and the role the research plays in faculty members’ careers. While research projects can have

many similarities, they can also have very specific nuances that make them more or less

vulnerable to interruption. Research continuity planning is complicated by the fact that it can

be interrupted by events far removed from NDSU and the researcher’s reach. Not all research

can be protected or easily resumed, but aforethought about interruptions and potential data

loss can help better insulate faculty research from being lost due to an emergency or disaster

event or other unexpected interruption. The below questions and recommendations are


designed to prompt faculty to think about the vulnerability of their research and the things they

can do to protect current and future research efforts.

Is a lab or other campus facility utilized for the research? If a lab or specialized facility

on the campus is being utilized for research, the following questions warrant discussion:

1) In the event of campus closure (even if the lab is unaffected), does the lab need to be

accessed to preserve or monitor data? If so, are campus administrators aware of the

need to access the lab during closure? Is there more than one person who understands

what to do in regard to preserving or monitoring data? Has the process for capturing

and preserving data been captured electronically in the event something should happen

to the P.I. or primary person in charge of preservation and monitoring?

2) If the lab is damaged either partially or fully, will the research project need to be

entirely scrapped? Is critical and unbacked-up data (i.e., no electronic version that can

be accessed offsite) stored in the lab? Is daily progress captured in a way that the

project can be started again from the interruption point?

3) Is a plan in place to relocate lab materials to a more secure location should a slower

onset event (e.g., flooding) occur that may impact the lab directly or the ability to gain

access to it? Has the back-up location been identified? Is the back-up location outside

the threatened area (as opposed to just being off-campus)? How will transport of the

lab materials occur? Will specialized assistance be required to relocate the lab?

4) Does the lab contain items that could create a threat to life safety or exacerbate

other events that may occur? If so, are campus safety personnel apprised of this

potential? Have all faculty, staff, and students that access the lab been adequately

trained to maintain a safe environment for themselves and others in regard to volatile

or dangerous items in the lab? Is there a protocol in place for reporting when things go

wrong in the lab? Is this protocol posted and shared with appropriate administrators

and campus safety personnel?

Is data stored in a place wherein damage to a facility would result in the loss of the

data? To the extent practicable, data should be backed up electronically and stored in a

way that it can be accessed off-site. Even if the data that is stored is merely

photographs of logs or other items that are not typically captured electronically, it

provides the researcher an opportunity to attempt to replicate what was lost.


Could an event interrupt or damage the ability to collect data? Based on the research

being conducted, this can be a very real concern. Diversity in the types of data collected

and the ways in which it is collected necessarily make this a mental exercise for each

researcher. If data collection were to be interrupted, to what extent would the overall

project suffer? If data could no longer be collected due to the loss of research subjects

or damage to the area being researched, could the initial data still be used in some form

or fashion?

Can a change in the way, or the time period, in which the data is collected help protect

it from interruption? Some data collection processes and windows of collection are

more vulnerable to interruption than others. Researchers should particularly consider

the impact more frequent events could impose on successful data collection. For

example, conducting focus groups across North Dakota in January could be problematic

for both the researcher and participants. Similarly, spring flooding continues to be an

ongoing concern across the state and often affects the operational focus of government,

businesses, organizations, schools, universities, and households, which may in turn

impede or interrupt a data collection effort.

In the event of the incapacity or death of the primary researcher, can the existing

research be continued by another researcher? Many researchers conduct their work in

isolation or with graduate assistant support. In the event that the primary researcher is

lost mid-project (particularly on a research project of great significance or one that

involves substantial research dollars), is there adequate knowledge of the research in

others working on the project and/or has the work been adequately captured

electronically to facilitate the research moving forward?

Is the research funded by an external agency or grant source? Researchers should

always reach out to those funding research to inform them of any major interruptions or

changes in the approved and funded agenda. This is particularly true in regard to grants

with short life-spans. Keeping the funding and/or monitoring agency in the loop can

help researchers should they need an extension or modification. Such agencies will

expect that the researcher has done due diligence to protect the funded research. The

ability to reference thoughtful planning and continuity efforts undertaken by the

researcher will be helpful in protecting both the funding and the researcher’s reputation

with the funding agency. In addition, the university has a vested interest in maintaining

the reputation of a top-tier research facility and successful completion of funded

research in a timely manner is critical to that reputation.


Will the loss of research or a time setback on research affect viability for faculty

promotion and tenure? There is an opportunity to stop the clock in the tenure process.

Faculty that may be so affected by such a loss or setback should speak with their

department administrator to examine the options available to them.

Service

Faculty service comes in all shapes and sizes, can be anything from regular direct engagement

to quarterly conference calls, and exists at the campus, community, state, regional, national,

and international level. With service, faculty members have an opportunity to contribute their

energy and expertise to assist in university-level efforts, support disciplinary advancement,

engage with local community projects, and guide student engagement efforts. Even though

service is valued at a lower level than teaching or research in the university assessment

environment, it is an area in which faculty members are deeply committed to and engage many

hours in.

In regard to service, the primary considerations are: 1) the ability to continue engagement in

the face of an event or interruption; 2) the extent to which existing service obligations will

become more relevant in, or as a result of, an event; and, 3) the extent to which new service

roles may emerge based on the need generated from an event. When faculty members

consider what they can do to ensure that service commitments are not interrupted, or if

interrupted, resumed quickly, they should consider the significance of their role and

contribution in the service, the impact varying levels of interruption may have (i.e., a few weeks

is quite different than a few months), and the geographic footprint of the service (i.e., is

everyone in the service area likewise affected or is the service area larger or different than the

location of the incident?).

In a major event, it is a very real possibility that service obligations will be dwarfed by the

event-caused family, campus, and community needs. It is also quite common for new service

commitments to arise as a result of an event. As a rule of thumb, faculty members should

expect that should they or other colleagues engaged with a service project be affected by an

event that causes an extended interruption the affected parties will likely have difficulty

meeting their obligations in the short-term.

In regard to service that takes faculty members to other countries, there are some basic

precautions worth noting. Before travel, health requirements, recommendations, alerts and

warnings for the country should be checked at the World Health Organization’s site and the

U.S. State Department site (see the links in the Additional Resources section). In a worldwide

health emergency, travelers could be delayed or restricted from returning to the United States.


Similarly, in times of heightened danger in countries where the U.S. has advised its citizens to

leave the country, the ability to get out of the country can be made more difficult. Also, when

travelling anywhere in the world - for service, conferences, or vacation - it is important to

understand the types of hazards the area faces and the protective actions recommended for

life safety. FEMA’s Ready website has information on specific hazards and appropriate

protective actions (see the link in the Additional Resources section).

Additional Resources

The following resources are provided for those who want to do more to prepare themselves

and their family for emergencies, disasters, and other events that may affect them. Faculty

members who are prepared in their home life are better able to continue their workplace

obligations when the campus or community are faced with disruptive events. All of the

resources provided are free and a couple of them are available in languages other than English.

CodeRED

This is a free county-level emergency notification system that is utilized by county and city

officials. Residential, business and cell phones can be registered on this service.

Cass County, ND

https://www.casscountynd.gov/county/depts/EM/announcements/Pages/CodeRED.aspx

Clay County, MN

http://claycountymn.gov/217/CodeRED)

City of Fargo - Are You Prepared?

This free publication is available in English, Spanish, Bosnian, Arabic, Kirundi, Kurdish, Swahili,

Nepali, Vietnamese, Somali, French, and Farsi.

www.cityoffargo.com/Emergencies/AreYouPrepared/

North Dakota and Minnesota State Travel Information Map

These maps are continuously updated with current road conditions. Travelers can also call 511

for road conditions as they travel across the country.

North Dakota: www.dot.nd.gov/travel-info-v2/

Minnesota: www.511mn.org/

https://www.casscountynd.gov/county/depts/EM/announcements/Pages/CodeRED.aspx

http://claycountymn.gov/217/CodeRED

http://www.cityoffargo.com/Emergencies/AreYouPrepared/

http://www.dot.nd.gov/travel-info-v2/

http://www.511mn.org/


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC site has information on current health concerns, healthy behaviors, emergency

preparedness, diseases and conditions, traveler’s health, and more.

www.cdc.gov

World Health Organization (WHO)

This site provides current news and updates about international disease spread and emerging

health issues. It also has country specific information and links to each country’s representative

health organization (in the language of the country).

http://www.who.int/en/

FEMA’s Ready Website

This a FEMA-created preparedness site for individuals, families (households), organizations, and

businesses. It can be accessed in 12 languages other than English: Spanish, French, Haitian-

Creole, Russian, Urdu, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, and Hindi (see

http://www.ready.gov/languages). The site includes kid-focused preparedness activities as well

as specific information for seniors, families with infants and young children, and pet owners.

www.ready.gov

U.S. State Department Alerts and Warnings

The U.S. State Department maintains a page of alerts and warnings for those travelling outside

the United States and its territories. The U.S. government urges caution and additional

consideration of travel plans in regard to these alerts and warnings.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html

Flight Aware

This site provides the status of airports worldwide and shows real time flight tracking of both

private and commercial air traffic. This site provides situational awareness of alternative

options for travelers who find themselves delayed or grounded at a specific airport.

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/delays

Emergency and Disaster Information Service

This site provides a map of current incidents worldwide.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.who.int/en/

http://www.ready.gov/languages

http://www.ready.gov/

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/delays

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

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