University President’s Crisis Handbook

University of Idaho President C. Scott Green is sharing the tools and strategies that guided the university through some of its most challenging times, including deep financial deficits, the COVID-19 pandemic and an unthinkable tragedy that shook our community.

These insights, drawn from years of hands-on leadership, form the basis of the University President’s Crisis Handbook — a practical guide for navigating complex crises in higher education and beyond. These resources are not just for presidents, but for leaders at every level who are committed to leading with clarity, compassion and resilience.

The handbook and resources below offer guidance on:

• The key factors behind U of I’s financial and operational turnaround
• Supporting a community in the aftermath of a tragic and high-profile crime
• Strategies for safely and successfully reopening campus during the COVID-19 pandemic

Vandals are brave and bold. By sharing our story, we hope to empower others to lead through adversity and emerge stronger. 

Financial crisis

In 2019, University of Idaho was in a severe financial crisis. U of I had operational and unrestricted net position deficits that, due to employee contracts, could not be fully addressed in one fiscal year and had no plan to address the fundamental reasons for the declines. The university was in trouble to the tune of $20 million in the current fiscal year alone. It was a “we have to fix this now, and I mean right now” crisis.

Resources

• Update of Program Prioritization (pdf)
• SBOE Meeting Minutes (pdf)
• Executive Summary: Economic Contributions of Vandal Athletics
• CAFE 2020 research report

Working groups

• Online education working group (pdf)
• R1/Research working group final report (pdf)
• Sustainable financial model working group white paper (pdf)
• Comprehensive campaign working group white paper (pdf)
• Sustainability working group: sustainable solutions for our university and for our state. (pdf)
• Rinker Rock Creek Ranch
• University of Idaho McClure Center for Public Policy Research “Idaho at a glance.” (pdf)

Public health crisis

University of Idaho was making great progress on the financial front and other university initiatives, but as we learned about the arrival of COVID-19, concern turned to the safety of the campus regardless of the financial impact on the university. Students, employees and the Moscow community deserved the most up-to-date information. Now was not the time to wait to reach out. Everyone on campus in a leadership role saw communication as paramount, and we established several critical lines of messaging. Concerned about an overreaction, the president deployed one of his favorite management tools. He used reliable data to determine the course of action and calmed fears with facts.

• Faculty Staff Handbook FSH 6990 contagious infectious disease emergency response
• Faculty Staff Handbook FSH 6995 face covering requirement during response to COVID-19 pandemic (pdf)
• Coordinated Community Response Team Resource Handbook (pdf)
• Coronavirus Disease 2019
• January 4 memorandum to students, staff, and faculty (pdf)

Capital crime crisis

When evil visits your campus, speculation sows fear. Invoking the university's crisis management policies was the first step to begin disseminating information to the university. The communities surrounding the Palouse’s two college towns sat stunned, shocked and scared. The hardware stores saw a marked uptick in the sale of deadbolts. Moscow, Idaho suddenly became known internationally as media from all over the world converged. The town was ripe for a clash of cultures — the straight-shooting, trusting westerners and the big city, take-no-prisoners national press. At U of I, the team remained empathetic but circumspect; staying on-message.

• Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial