Balancing the immediate with the enduring: Managing crises while building long-term university reputation
Abstract
Universities operate in an environment of heightened scrutiny, constant change and amplified voices. The question for leaders is not whether crises will occur, they will, and any given moment, a Vice-Chancellor’s inbox might contain a letter from a minister seeking assurance, a breaking news story about a staff member’s social-media activity, a student petition on international affairs, or a donor requesting reassurance about the use of their gift. And all this unfolds within a shifting policy landscape, where behaviours once expected — or even mandated — can swiftly become contested, and at times condemned. These are the daily complexities of leading institutions expected to be, simultaneously, neutral and principled, cautious and bold. The challenge for leaders is not simply how to respond in the moment, but how to ensure that a short-term crisis does not derail long-term reputation building. How a university behaves under pressure reveals its values and shapes how it will be remembered long after the headlines have moved on; and these are not competing priorities, they are intertwined. This paper explores that tension and how to manage it. Drawing on examples from universities globally, it considers how institutions can balance the urgent with the important, the immediate with the enduring. It argues that short-term crisis response and long-term reputation building must be integrated rather than treated as discrete or competing priorities and how to do that. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Tania Rhodes-Taylor is a senior higher-education leader and recognised expert in institutional reputation development, strategic positioning and trust-building in complex public organisations. She is Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs at King’s College London, where she leads the university’s global reputation strategy, overseeing communications, public affairs and engagement to support long-term academic ambition, societal contribution and institutional credibility. Her expertise has been shaped by almost three decades of experience working across multiple universities and public-facing organisations in the UK, Australia, Europe and North America. Across these contexts, Rhodes-Taylor has worked closely with senior leadership teams on the deliberate development of institutional reputation over time, helping organisations align strategy, governance and narrative with academic strengths and public purpose in markedly different political, cultural and regulatory environments. Alongside this long-term strategic focus, Rhodes-Taylor has extensive experience in crisis leadership and issues management, supporting institutions through periods of heightened scrutiny including governance challenges, geopolitical tensions, regulatory change and campus protest. She also provides executive coaching and advisory support to senior leaders and communications teams on reputation strategy, leadership in complexity and decision-making under pressure, drawing on evidence, governance experience and applied practice. Her approach emphasises the integration of timely crisis response with long-term reputational objectives. She is Chair of the World 100 Reputation Network, a global peer network of senior leaders from leading universities worldwide, supporting international collaboration on reputation measurement, rankings strategy, trust and leadership practice.
