RM Fundamentals
The resources you need to address risk management on your campus.
Where to Start
United Educators’ (UE’s) risk management (RM) experts have identified the below topics as fundamental for carrying out campus RM. For example, if you’re interested in learning more about how to review contracts or draft waivers, explore the resources in “Contracts and Waivers.” Whether you’re an administrator responsible for an area of risk or a professional risk manager, explore our fundamentals to help your RM expertise.
Analyzing Risks
Use this four-part framework to help you approach and analyze different campus risks. Learn about the risk, plan for policies and procedures, engage key stakeholders, and respond to an incident.
Contracts and Waivers
UE claims show that poor campus contracting practices, including the misuse of waivers and releases, remain a significant source of liability claims. To better understand the root problems and improve your institution’s use of contracts, explore tools in this collection.
Documentation and Retention Practices
Failure to properly document a known risk and your institution’s response to it can lead to injuries and create challenges in defending claims. To preserve timely and appropriate information, review the following resources.
- The Importance of Documentation
- Properly Documenting Employee Disciplinary Actions
- Checklist: Assessing Your Employee Performance Evaluation System
- Review Your Performance Management System
- Sample Incident Audit Reporting Form
Establishing ERM
Enterprise risk management (ERM) is a strategic process for managing institutional risks, such as risks that threaten the institution’s mission, reputation, or financial viability. Explore our ERM collection for resources to help launch and mature your institution’s program.
Identifying Risks
An important part of campus risk management is identifying potential risks. As the largest liability insurance carrier of K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, UE is uniquely poised to offer insights on campus risks. Use the resources below to help identify risks for your institution — whether they’re big, complex risks involving multiple functions (often referred to as “institutional risks”) or smaller risks that only may impact a single department.
Critical Risks Reports: These reports are based on UE risk management and claims experience and highlight liability risks that represent some of UE’s largest loss areas.
Annual Top Risks Reports: Each year, UE surveys members about their institution’s most pressing risks. These reports reflect survey results.
- 2023 Top Risks Report: Insights for Higher Education
- 2023 Top Risks Report: Insights for K-12 Independent Schools
Large Loss Report: This annual report summarizes 71 publicly reported major damage awards and settlements of at least $1 million that affected K-12 schools, colleges, and universities in 2023.
Policy Drafting and Pitfalls
Establishing sound and practical policies on campus risks is foundational to good risk management. Use these resources to understand common policy-related issues and for optimizing your policy drafting process.
Responding to Injuries and Crises
UE’s claims experience shows that how an institution responds to reported injuries can greatly impact the likelihood and value of related claims. The resources below can help promote a well-executed response.
- Responding to Injury-Causing Incidents: An Audit Guide
- Our Cool Head, Warm Heart® Philosophy
- Use Cool Head, Warm Heart® for Catastrophic Campus Incidents
- Guide to Creating and Improving a Campus Crisis Communications Plan
- ProResponse®
Training on Risks
Training on institutional policies and procedures for handling risks is critical for effective risk management. Implement UE’s online training and tabletop exercises to help with training efforts.
- Crisis Response: A Library of Tabletop Exercises
- Identify Barriers to Completing Mandatory Employee Training
- Online Course Library
Contact Us
Please email risk@ue.org if you have any questions or need assistance.