COVID-19 has severely impacted the higher education sector. Early institutional responses have been diverse, ranging from minimal changes to complete digitalisation of curriculum. This paper develops a preliminary higher education pandemic response model based on a comparative analysis of responses to the current coronavirus pandemic and those that came before: The Black Plague, Spanish Flu, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), Influenza A, and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Some of these have well-documented cases, and others are lacking. This manuscript adopts a critical perspective, drawing on an extensive reading of current and forthcoming literature and institutional responses. A four stages of pandemic response model is proposed based on a critical review of published knowledge: rapid adaption, improvement, consolidation, and restoration. The findings indicate that the time it takes institutions to navigate through each stage will vary, and some more advanced universities and colleges will progress through multiple stages in parallel. This paper provides a theoretical position for higher education during and beyond a pandemic and early evidence-based propositions that may support future empirical research.