واقع إدارة الأزمات في جامعة بيرزيت
This study sought to investigate the reality of crisis management at Birzeit University, by attempting to examine the causes and effects of the crises that the university faced, as well as to investigate the most important strategies employed by Birzeit University to deal with crises, and to demonstrate how the university avoided crises, as well as, how it benefited from its previous experiences, and how it seeks to employ its previous experiences in dealing with future crises. To accomplish this, a semi-structured interview with three models was created and conducted with a sample of five administrators, four academics, and eleven students, after the three models were checked for validity and reliability. In order to achieve the study objectives, and to answer the research questions, the researcher adopted a qualitative approach with an analytical descriptive design. The study's findings revealed a deficit in Birzeit University's crisis management, particularly the recurrent closure issues. There appeared to be a flaw in the planning and early survey processes before crises develop, in addition to the university's lack of crises’ professionals or a crisis management team, and a deficiency in dealing with problems and solving them before they grow and worsen. In terms of crises management, the findings revealed a lack of effective techniques and strategies for dealing with crises. Following the crisis, there is a deficit in the review and adjustment processes, and the university does not learn adequately from past crisis experiences, causing it to repeat the experience with varied degrees of damage each time. The findings also revealed that the causes of the university crises, particularly closure crises, can be summed up in changes in university policies and reasons related to the level of freedoms available at the university, as well as financial issues, political tensions, poor communication and participation in decision-making, and the impact of the Corona pandemic. The study found that crises have a detrimental impact on the university's reputation, as well as the relationships between its many components, as well as the techniques and manifestations of protest by various groups. In light of these findings, the study produced a series of practical recommendations for university decision-makers, including administrators, teachers, and students, as well as suggestions for future research. (Author’s abstract)