President in CrisisVirginia Tech President

Charles Steger’s handling of the 4/16/07 campus shootings

Presidential Leadership

• Administrative, political & entrepreneurial• Little control of what happens on campus but

must take full responsibility• Effective presidents must understand culture

of institution and be a symbol/spokesperson• Successful when able to separate the

university from organizational failures and associate it with organizational successes

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University• Located in Blacksburg, Virginia• Land Grant Institution Established 1872• Innovative Research University• Student population: 28,259• $524.7 Million endowment• Mission: Teaching & Learning, Research &

Discovery and Outreach & Engagement

President Charles Steger

• Age 61 from Richmond, VA• 40+ years at VT– Student (bachelors through doctoral)– Faculty, department head, dean, VP, president

• President since 2000– Expanded outreach, chaired fundraising campaign

• Calm, prefers to be out of the limelight• Excellent communicator

4/16/07 Tragedy7:15 a.m. Two students shot in dorm7:30 a.m. Police working on leads of shootings8:25 a.m. VT officials meet to debrief events9:26 a.m. VT emails community - dorm shootings9:45 a.m. 911 call - shootings in Norris Hall (30 killed)9:50 a.m. VT email: stay put10:16 a.m. VT email: classes cancelled, stay put12:41 p.m. Pres. Steger begins press conferences

President Steger’s Response

• Massacre was first of its kind in history• Minimal emergency procedures• Criticized for not notifying community faster• Awkward dialogue with reporters over

possible missteps in response• 17 page emergency plan in place (2005)• No practiced lockdowns in 2006• Governor calls for full review panel

Findings from Review Panel• Troubled student was ignored– Those who tried to help were denied by Cho

• Campus alert system would have saved lives• Quicker response would have been better• Impossible to lock down entire campus• Cho was sole cause of issue• No Administrators were named in report• 400 Recommendations Received

VT Post - Tragedy• Office of Recovery & Support• Emergency Notification Systems• VT and other Universities

• Budget• $14.8 M state cut in 2007; additional 6% cut in 2008• $12M to victim’s families• $12M first year’s emergency initiatives• $3.85M litigation• $2.65M from Federal Funds to continue counseling

• Enrollment

VT Emergency Changes

• Email and text emergency alert system• New locks/bolts from inside of classrooms• Threat assessment team established• Enhanced police department

VT reaction – Should Steger Stay“I never considered resigning”

• Immediately Blogs & petitions begin• Overwhelming support for Steger– Students, alumni, families and VA Governor

• Web Site We Support VT – 18,000+ comments• http://www.wesupportvt.com/comments.php?

start=12600• Students send Steger “We’ve Got Your Back”

VT reaction – Should Steger Go• Several parents of victims called for dismissal“I think that in this case his lack of leadership and

his lack of compassion for the families is just astounding.” – William O’Neil, parent of slain son

“It’s hard to believe that this happened, and the university made all these mistakes, and the university missed all these opportunities, and that nobody will be held accountable.” – Cathy Read, stepmother of slain student

Recommendations

• Due to unprecedented nature of shootings, Steger reacted appropriately

• Emergency systems and institutional response implemented– should continue to test and scrutinize procedures

• Continue to prioritize mental health screening and assistance

• Steger continues to be effective president

Discussion Points

• Did the Administration act quickly enough• Did Steger act appropriately?• What other things could Steger do differently?• Should Steger stay or go?• How will funding cuts affect the future of

Virginia Tech?

Resources• Steger Reflects on last year, but continues to look forward

• http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/2008/04/16/steger_reflects_on_last_year__but_continues_to_look_forward

• Virginia Tech web site• http://www.vt.edu/

• Tech president says budget cut will hit “quality”• http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/sep/08/tech-

president-says-budget-cut-will-hit-quality/• Shooting report “critical” of Tech response

• http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/aug/31/shooting-report-critical-of-tech-response/

• New Report Faults Va. Tech Response to Shooter• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14045192

Resources (cont.)• The Dilemma of presidential leadership

• P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl, & P. J Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century. (2nd ed., pp. 340-365). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press

• Virginia Tech President Haunted by Shootings• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89669537

• Virginia Tech Weighs Hundreds of Recommendations and Acts on Some• http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/us/

lnacademic/search/homesubmitForm.do• A Popular President Stumbles, Recovers

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/18/AR2007041802588.htm

• Tech gets funds to keep healing going• http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/179897