Without a doubt it's been a turbulent week across the nation and around the world. All of us have been affected by this tradegy in some way, whether through people we knew attending or working at VT, or simply through the connection of higher education.
In light of this, I'd like to briefly touch on potential changes to our web presence. Keep in mind that we are currently coming up with a plan of action, so things may change. But in short, web communications needs to be better prepared to handle communications during a crisis. We are looking at a number of ways to optimize the SU website to be able to handle emergency communications.
One of the lessons learned by news organizations on the morning of 9/11 was that website traffic quickly becomes a high priority. Most news organizations began that morning displaying photos of what was happening at the towers. As more and more people found out what was going on, the website traffic skyrocketed and servers crashed one after another under the stress of the load. Slowly, the websites got stripped down, less images, less design, less ads. After a few short hours CNN's website was a simple white background with only text on the page. The amount of text was limited to bullet points of facts, rather then the long, detailed reports you normally find. It was essential to get the information out, in the most efficient manner possible.
The information itself is absolutely key. In a crisis, visual presentation is not the critical component. The priority is getting the facts out in the quickest way possible, keeping things clear and concise and easily accessible to everyone. The last thing you want is for someone to have to click on one link, then another, and another to find the phone number they need to call to find out if their children are alright.
In the case of Virginia Tech, the website adapted quickly to meet these essential requirements. The design was quickly stripped out, and the facts were posted in a clear way, with phone numbers and other resources right there. A number of students interviewed by the media have said they relied on the website for information as they waited patiently in their dorm rooms and classrooms.
With all of that said, Seattle University is putting together a plan. A website that is flexible and designed specifically to handle crisis communications. We will update everyone on the process as we move through it. We also invite any and all thoughts you might have on this. You can comment on this article directly, or if you prefer anonymity, you can use the website feedback link that is found at the bottom of the SU website.
It is my sincere hope that we are all able to take something away from
this experience. We need to take an honest look at ourselves on every level and figure out ways that we can improve. Let's not make a tragedy worse by failing to learn
something from it.