What Went Wrong and What Can We Learn? Understanding the System-wide Impact of the University of Missouri Crisis Jason M. Martin, Ph.D., University of Missouri-Kansas City Stephanie K. Van Stee, Ph.D., University of Missouri-St. Louis

Crisis & Presentation Overview University of Missouri Fall 2015 semester Short-term impact Long-term impact Today’s Presentation Image repair Selected crisis events and responses Rhetorical analysis & discussion Moving forward Future directions

Image and Image Restoration Importance of Image and Image Repair Image Repair Theory (Benoit) Communication is goal-directed activity Maintaining a favorable reputation Image Repair Discourse Attacks on image, face, or reputation Crisis Communication and Image Repair Image Repair Strategies

Typology of Image Repair Strategies Denial Simple Denial: Did not perform act Shift the Blame: Someone else performed act Evasion of Responsibility Provocation: Respond to another’s act Defeasibility: Lack of information or ability Accident: Mishap Good Intentions: Meant well

Typology of Image Repair Strategies Reducing Offensiveness of Event Bolstering: Stress positive traits Minimization: Act is not serious Differentiation: Act is less offensive than similar act Transcendence: More important values Attack Accuser: Reduce credibility of accuser Compensation: Reimburse victim/s Corrective Action: Plan to solve/prevent problem’s recurrence Mortification: Apologize

Leading Up to the Crisis August 2014 Michael Brown and Ferguson Dozens of Missouri students demonstrate MU for Michael Brown… Concerned Student 1950 December 2014 Concerned Student 1950 protest April 2015 Swastika drawn with ashes August 2015 Graduate student rights

The Tipping Point September 2015 Payton Head incident and Facebook post 9/12 Chancellor Loftin’s response 9/16 Tweet: Hate has no place on the Mizzou campus Bolstering Statement: Please join me in standing against acts of bias and discrimination Differentiation, bolstering, shifting blame, defeasibility & good intensions, corrective action President Wolfe message 9/21 Racism lives here campus protest 9/24

The Escalation October 2015 Racism lives here campus protest 10/1 Legion of Black Collegians incident 10/5 Chancellor Loftin’s response Multiple tweets 10/5 Statement: Racism and Mizzou 10/5 Bolstering, shifting blame, corrective action, mortification Statement: Loftin’s Weekly Update 10/5 Bolstering, shifting blame, defeasibility

The Escalation October 2015 (Continued) Chancellor Loftin Statement: Diversity and Inclusion Training 10/8 Shifting blame, defeasibility, corrective action Activists respond 10/8 Homecoming Parade incident 10/10 Concerned Student 1950 issue demands 10/20 Swastika, drawn in feces, found on campus 10/24 President Wolfe meets with Concerned Student /26

The Escalation November 2015 Jonathan Butler’s hunger strike 11/2 Forum on graduate rights and Concerned Student 1950 meet with President Wolfe 11/3 Chancellor Loftin tweet 11/3 Bolstering President Wolfe Statement 11/3 Bolstering, defeasibility, corrective action President Wolfe Statement 11/6 Bolstering, mortification, differentiation, defeasibility

The Climax November 2015 Black football players boycott and join student protests 11/7 Coach Pinkel, white players, and Athletic Department support 11/8 Politicians weigh in 11/8 President Wolfe Statement 11/8 Bolstering, Defeasibility, Good Intentions President Wolfe and Chancellor Loftin resign 11/9 UM System Statement 11/9 Bolstering, Mortification, Corrective Action

The Recovery November 2015 Interim chancellor (11/10) and interim president (11/12) named UM System Statement 11/12 Bolstering Interim President Middleton’s Blog 11/12 Bolstering Remainder of 2015 Interim President and Interim Chancellor actions Blog post and other statements Media appearance and interviews Presidents’ Report to the Board of Curators

Moving Forward Spring 2016 Semester Events Wolfe lashes out Curators resign Curators meeting interrupted Concerned Student 1950 re-issue demands Melissa Click firing Concerns Lower credit rating Political fallout Funding cuts Applications and enrollments at MU System-wide impact Effect on Missouri

Future Directions This Project Manuscript in progress Analyzing Other Artifacts Mizzou Alumni Association Local and regional media Community response System Wide Faculty, Staff, and Student Reactions and Impact Qualitative research

Questions? Jason Martin, Ph.D. Department of Communication Studies University of Missouri-Kansas City Stephanie K. Van Stee, Ph.D. Department of Communication and Media University of Missouri-St. Louis