ESCAPE

to the charm, culture, heritage, and history of Charleston.

Travel Details >

ENGAGE

with colleagues and peers through scenario-driven, hands-on learning.

Crisis Workshop Description >

ENERGIZE

your team with a proactive and strategic approach to issues response.

Focused Breakouts >

2025 Leadership Retreat

ESCAPE

Chill amongst the charm, culture, heritage, and history of Charleston, South Carolina.

Travel Details >

ENGAGE

Collaborate with colleagues, peers, and experts through scenario-driven, hands-on learning.

Workshop Description >

ENERGIZE

Cultivate a proactive and strategic approach to issues and crisis response.

Focused Breakouts >

2025 Leadership Retreat

Funding Cuts   •   Protests   •   Controversial Speakers
Feeling like you’re always behind the eight ball?

Funding Cuts, Protests, & Controversial Speakers

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Feeling like you’re always behind the eight ball?

ABOUT THE RETREAT

Looks like another challenging year on the horizon! With executive orders coming fast and furious, culture wars being waged, international relations remaining volatile, and a 24-hour news cycle in hyperdrive, tensions will be running high and campus scrutiny will only intensify.

We’ve got you!  Take a beat, focus on your team, plan proactively!

Join us in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina, for our Issues & Crisis Leadership Retreat.  With a special focus on Proactive Planning and Issues Management, this workshop is a perfect opportunity to escape the campus chaos; engage constructively through scenario-based, hands on learning; and energize your institutions approach to issues and crisis response.

AGENDA

DAY 1: WEDNESDAY, JULY 31

Arrival & Check-In (5pm)

Welcome & Evening Session

  • Introduction to Crisis Management (Nope, it’s not an oxymoron!)
  • HANDS ON: Team Exercise

DAY 2: THURSDAY, AUGUST 1

Breakfast

Early Morning Session

  • HANDS ON: Team Exercise Report Out
  • Challenges to Effective Crisis Management
  • Who’s On First? (Or who else is involved and who’s doing what?)

Snack Break!

Late Morning Session

  • Why Didn’t We Find Out About This Earlier?
  • HANDS ON: Lightning Round > Issue Snapshots

Lunch

Early Afternoon Session

  • So What Are We Going to Do?
  • HANDS ON: Team Exercise—Part 1

Mountain Air Break: Off-Campus Activity

Campus Unrest: Breakout Sessions >>

  • Option 1: Media Training with a Focus on Protest Management
  • Option 2: Protest Management Policy & Planning

Fireside Hosted Happy Hour!

End of Scheduled Activities

  • Free Time to Explore Breckenridge

DAY 3: FRIDAY, AUGUST 2

Breakfast

Early Morning Session: Campus Unrest (Continued)>>

  • Preparing for Contentious Meetings
  • Event Intervention Techniques
  • HANDS ON: De-Escalation Role Playing

Snack Break! (Hotel Check Out)
Late Morning Session

  • HANDS ON: Team Exercise—Part 2
  • What Are We Going to Say?

Working Lunch: Debrief and Q/A (1pm Wrap)

SHARE THIS:

2025 Leadership Retreat
Charleston, SC
October 1 – October 3

REGISTER HERE

Retreat Price Includes:

  • 2-night stay at the Courtyard Charleston Historic District
  • daily breakfast
  • dinner upon arrival
  • lunch & snacks during sessions
  • hosted happy hour
  • a copy of Managing Partner Simon Barker’s book “Preventing Crises at Your Institution”
REGISTER HERE

Designed For:

Leaders with a role in their institution’s response to significant issues, crises, or events including:

  • AVPS & VPs in:
    • Advancement
    • Academic Affairs
    • Communications
    • Legal
    • Student Affairs
    • Risk/Business Continuity
  • Chief of Staff to President
  • Police & Public Safety Leadership
REGISTER HERE
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONFOCUSED BREAKOUTSTRAVEL DETAILSWORKSHOP LEADERS
REGISTER HERE

AGENDA

  • Arrival and Check-in (5pm)
  • Welcome Dinner
  • Introduction to Crisis Management
  • Team Exercise
  • Breakfast
  • Team Exercise Report Out
  • Challenges to Effective Crisis Management
  • Response Structure & Team Roles
  • Snacks & Coffee Break
  • Issue Reporting & Escalation
  • Lightning Round Snapshots
  • Escalation Characteristics Matrix
  • Lunch
  • Defined Management Process
  • Team Exercise
  • Snacks & Coffee Break
  • Breakout Sessions – Media Training or Protest Management Policy and Planning
  • Hosted Happy Hour
  • Breakfast
  • Contentious Meetings, Event Intervention and De-escalation
  • Snacks and Coffee Break + Hotel Check-out
  • Team Exercise – Crisis Communications
  • Crisis Communications
  • Working Lunch, Debriefing, Q&A (1pm Wrap)
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