Crisis preparedness

Wayne State is proud to be one of the safest college campuses in Michigan. Yet, as a major research university located in an urban area, we still may face a number of situations that could potentially disrupt learning and business operations and impact the safety of our community. 

Crisis preparedness is the planning we do ahead of time to be ready when a crisis happens. Examples of these crises could include:

• Active shooter
• Campus protest
• Pandemic
• Severe weather (snow storm, flooding, etc.)
• Infrastructure failure (gas leak, water main break, brownout/power outage)
• Sexual assault/racial allegations

Crisis Management Team

Wayne State is committed to responding to any potential crises quickly and effectively. The university's Crisis Management Team is composed of members from throughout the university community who are prepared to assess and respond in the event of a crisis. 

The responsibilities of the Crisis Management Team include:

• Providing leadership during a crisis, drawing expertise from campus subject matter experts throughout our campus community
• Providing accurate and timely information during an emergency
• Informing the campus about safety and crisis preparedness
• Meeting regularly to discuss best practices, current events and operations
• Conducting crisis simulations
• Developing and updating protocols for crisis scenarios

Behavior Intervention Team

As part of Wayne State's Behavior Intervention Team, student-facing units including the Dean of Students Office and Housing and Residential Life meet weekly with representatives from Counseling and Psychological Services, Title IX and the WSUPD to review students of concern or who have been disruptive. The review focuses on the individual student's mental well-being and the overall disruptions to the campus community. The team then decides whether a response is required, such as an intervention or removing the student.