Business Continuity Planning

This one-hour podcast was recorded at the EDUCAUSE 2007 Southeast Regional Conference. This keynote panel discussion, entitled “Weathering the Storm – Preparing for, Responding to, and Recovering from Emergencies,” features Betty Hawkins, program manager at the University of South Carolina, David Sliman, directory of technology at the University of Southern Mississippi, and Frank O’Quinn, deputy policy and IT disaster recovery officer at Louisiana State University. Using examples from their own institutional experiences, they share real advice for emergency preparedness and response, answering the question, “How can we plan and prepare in a way that is realistic and meaningful?”

Summary: Weathering the Storm -- Preparing for, Responding to, and Recovering from Emergencies

This session was recorded for podcast.

General Session
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Atlanta, Georgia

Session moderator:
Kathryn F. Gates, Chief Information Officer, University of Mississippi
Panel:
Betty Hawkins, Program Manager II, University of South Carolina
David J. Sliman, Director of Technology-Gulf Coast, University of Southern Mississippi
Frank O'Quinn, Deputy Policy and IT Disaster Recovery Officer, Louisiana State University

EDUCAUSE has identified links concerning business continuity that may be useful to the higher education community on the new Business Continuity Planning resource page, including EDUCAUSE Review and EDUCAUSE Quarterly articles, federal government policies, and university resources.

The latest EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) study, “Shelter from the Storm: IT and Business Continuity in Higher Education,” looks at IT unit readiness to foster and support the functioning of colleges and universities that are challenged by disruption. Responding to a well-documented increase of interest in business continuity and disaster recovery issues among higher education chief information officers (CIOs), ECAR designed the study to inform executives about how institutions approach continuity issues and to identify practices that are associated with good business continuity outcomes.

The study methodology included a literature review; consultation with a select group of CIOs and business continuity experts for the purpose of identifying and validating research questions; a quantitative survey of IT administrators (mostly CIOs) at 340 higher education institutions; postsurvey interviews with 15 executives and IT staff members involved in business continuity; a quantitative survey of institutional business officers (mostly CBOs/CFOs) at 247 member institutions of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO); and four case studies looking at business continuity planning and operations Florida State University, New York University, Pace University, UC Davis, and UCLA.

Business continuity and disaster recovery planning is becoming an increasing priority for higher education institutions. To facilitate this planning, many are exploring the use of business continuity planning tools, which establish a planning framework, offer direction in the planning process, and provide a common platform for the various campus groups involved. In this free February 27 EDUCAUSE Live! Web seminar, speakers from three institutions will discuss the business continuity planning tool selection process at their institutions, focusing on the criteria used and lessons learned. Those unable to tune in can visit the archives after the event.

In this 50-minute recording from the 2006 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, we'll hear from Ronald Yanosky in a session entitled Higher Education IT Readiness for Business Continuity. Using results from a survey conducted by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, Yanosky takes a look at at business continuity planning, policy, and infrastructure.

EDUCAUSE has launched the Business Continuity Management constituent group listserv, an open-subscription forum for strategic and tactical discussions on restoring business and academic services after disruptions to normal operations. Peruse other EDUCAUSE constituent groups.

In the recent article "Learning the Hard Way" (EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Volume 29, Number 4, 2006), Security Task Force Co-Chair Joy R. Hughes and co-author Keith R. Bushey discuss strategic improvements in George Mason University's emergency response.

Learn more about George Mason University's executive enterprise risk management approach in the September 2006 University Business article, "Business Continuity Planning", by Joy R. Hughes (Security Task Force Co-Chair), et al.