So at the end of January, John Lawson, formerly CIO at Tulane University in New Orleans, was invited to speak before the system's IT leadership council, which includes CIOs from each of the schools, about his experience dealing with Hurricane Katrina.

"I thought it was just riveting, compelling, and if we don't listen to this man, we're idiots," said Paul Weiss, who heads technology support services for the 2,000 employees of the university system's office of the president in Oakland, Calif. "He's lived reality."

Lawson's most important point, according to Weiss, was that IT operations must first restore contact with employees after a disaster hits.

The University of California system, with its statewide high-speed networks, can easily build alternative systems and create Web sites that can be used as points of contact, Weiss said. Most employees will be able to find some means to access e-mail, he said.

Nonetheless, Weiss said Lawson's remarks prompted a review of the employee communications plan to make sure it's up to speed.