Disaster Recovery Planning and Presented at Southeast Regional Conferences

Disaster mitigation and business continuity planning remain critical issues for all institutions. Whether by acts of God or acts of man, events can occur that demonstrate the fragility of the underlying infrastructure that connects IT resources with people. Schools must have actionable plans that will support the ongoing delivery of instruction and mission-critical business functions through the entire life cycle of an event. This presentation will discuss two different types of disasters that severely impacted business operations. Middle Tennessee State University, the largest undergraduate institution in Tennessee, recently faced the prospect of extended degradation of business operations when a construction accident pulverized communications across campus. Eckerd College, a small private liberal arts college located on the water in St. Petersburg, has been confronted with the challenge of temporarily transforming the college from a small campus-based residential community into a geographically dispersed virtual community in the aftermath of repeated evacuations due to hurricanes. Lessons learned and strategies developed will be discussed.

Along with Charley, Ivan, and Katrina, hurricanes and other natural disasters are a part of life in the Southeast. Beyond the weather, many other calamities might hit us at any time. While many of us have been involved in efforts to develop emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans, often these sit on a shelf and have little to do with how the institution really responds in an emergency. How can we plan and prepare in a way that is realistic and meaningful? How can we collaborate in advance so that we will be prepared to help each other when disaster strikes? What are the critical functions of IT before, during, and after an emergency? How can IT best facilitate long-term recovery efforts? This panel will feature several IT professionals who have experienced disastrous situations first-hand and can offer valuable insights to others.