“Disruption” has become a popular buzzword in recent years, as one technology revolution after another changes the way we do business.

But let’s get clear about what “disruption” actually means, and what it doesn’t mean.

Gee Responds to No Confidence Petition

On Monday, WVU president E. Gordon Gee released a statement after a meeting with the Faculty Senate, which had just announced it received a petition for a no confidence vote on Gee’s leadership.

In that statement, Gee said;

“I want to be clear that West Virginia University is not dismantling higher education - but we are disrupting it.”

That’s Not What Harvard Business School Says

Gee can co-opt the popular term if he wants to, but he can’t redefine it. Here’s what “disruption” actually means, according to Harvard Business School:

Disruption is the process by which a smaller company—usually with fewer resources—moves upmarket and challenges larger, established businesses. In both low-end and new-market disruption, incumbent businesses are motivated by higher profit margins to not fight the new entrant for market share.

Not Even Close to “Disruption“

That is not what WVU is doing. WVU certainly has fewer resources - but that’s where the resemblance to “disruption” ends.

WVU is not challenging larger players with a new business model. It is trying to control the damage in a financial crisis. It’s not the same thing.