An evaluation of a university of technology’s crisis communication strategy during the #FeesMustFall movement

Abstract

This research evaluated the crisis communication strategy of a higher education institution during one of the biggest crises to engulf universities in recent years – #FeesMustFall. Protests at higher education institutions have become a regular occurrence in South Africa and present a challenge for university communicators as they often dominate traditional and social media and could result in reputational damage. Effective crisis communication strategies are therefore needed to protect the reputations of these institutions. The study was guided by Situational Crisis Communication Theory, which provides guidelines for selecting response strategies during a crisis. Semi-structured interviews with communicators were conducted while Facebook posts, which were used as part of the crisis communication strategy, were also analysed. The study found evidence of a lack of planning for the crisis, which contributed to communication challenges. By evaluating the crisis communication strategies used by a university of technology during the #FeesMustFall movement and making recommendations for future crisis response strategies, the researcher aimed to contribute to existing knowledge on crisis communication at higher education institutions.