Blogs

Higher Ed Checklist: Reporting Campus Sexual Misconduct: Elements of a Policy

Establishing a sound campus reporting structure is critical for addressing the risk of campus sexual misconduct, yet many campuses do not include details about reporting in their Nondiscrimination/Title IX/Sexual Misconduct Policy.  This checklist guides higher education administrators in evaluating or drafting their sexual misconduct reporting policy.
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Background Check Fundamentals

This publication helps human resources administrators assess the soundness of their background check screening sources, practices, and policy. More institutions are implementing background checks for all employees, contractors, volunteers, and other individuals affiliated with the school, to protect community members and the institution’s resources, improve the quality of hires, and reduce organizational risk.
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Strategies to Minimize Unrest After Racially Charged Incidents Occur on Campus

Racially charged incidents are occurring on campuses at alarming rates. This blog outlines actions administrators and presidents should take to address concerns and reduce the potential for campus unrest.
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Best Practices: Investigations of Sexual Violence and Harassment

A checklist highlighting best practices for conducting investigation of student and employee complaints of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, and stalking.
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Powerpoint Summary of Safeguarding Our Schools From Sexual Predators: What Public and Charter School Leaders Should Ask

This powerpoint summarizes the key questions detailed in UE's publication Safeguarding Our Schools From Sexual Predators: What Public and Charter School Leaders Should Ask
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Safeguarding Our Schools From Sexual Predators: What Public and Charter School Leaders Should Ask

Investigations by schools have revealed decades of educator sexual abuse involving scores of victims. Read this publication for key questions principals, district superintendents, and school board members should ask and suggestions for creating a culture of prevention and reporting.
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“Operation Varsity Blues” Reinforces Need for High Schools to Review Counseling Practices

This piece provides guidance on how schools should audit their college counseling practices to help prevent admissions fraud.
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Firearms and Weapons Policies

Every institution should have a policy that directly addresses the possession and use of firearms and weapons on campus.  This blog provides suggested guidelines for drafting or revising a firearms and weapons policy.
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Safeguarding Universities from Sexual Predators: A United Educators Symposium

This report summarizes the symposium attendees’ conversations about challenges, details possible solutions the participants suggested, and provides high-level risk management action steps derived from the attendees and from UE research.
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Powerpoint Summary of Safeguarding our Schools from Sexual Predators: What Independent School Heads and Trustees Should Ask

This powerpoint summarizes the key questions detailed in UE's publication Safeguarding Our Schools From Sexual Predators: What Independent School Heads and Trustees Should Ask
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Powerpoint Summary of Safeguarding our Communities from Sexual Predators: What College Presidents and Trustees Should Ask

This powerpoint summarizes the key questions detailed in UE's publication Safeguarding our Communities from Sexual Predators: What College Presidents and Trustees Should Ask
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How Institutions Can Respond to “Operation Varsity Blues”

In the wake of the "Operation Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal, this piece recommends actions institutions should take to prevent admissions fraud.
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Safeguarding Our Schools From Sexual Predators: What Independent School Heads and Trustees Should Ask

Recent historical investigations by schools have uncovered decades of educator sexual abuse to scores of victims. Read this publication for key questions school leaders should ask and suggestions for creating a culture of prevention and reporting.
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Safeguarding Our Communities From Sexual Predators: What College Presidents and Trustees Should Ask

Universities have faced sexual predator scandals involving scores of victims, and some leaders were uninformed. Presidents and trustees can safeguard their communities by asking key questions and following these suggestions for creating a culture of prevention and reporting.
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Prevention and Protection Podcast: The Role of Campus Diversity and Inclusion Offices in Campus Protests

In this episode of the Prevention and Protection podcast, United Educators attorney Kimberly Cole interviews Dr. Leah Cox, vice president for inclusion and institutional equity at Towson University, about the role that campus diversity and inclusion offices can play in managing campus protests.
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Webinar: Tenure Evaluation Challenges

This webinar addresses challenges that higher education institutions face when considering tenure candidates.

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Foundations of Risk Management: Rise Above Uncertainty

The videos and resources in this training will introduce the foundations of risk management and provide practical guidance for committing to a sustained process.

Responding to a Social Media Crisis

When signs arise that a crisis is unfolding related to your college or university, the social media team should assess the situation to determine the facts and potential impact throughout your communities.
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The New Digital Normal on Campus

This blog summarizes steps institutions can take to evaluate their current social media team, craft and enforce a social media use policy, and respond to a social media crisis, bringing the institution in line with the "new normal" of a social media-driven world.
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Reviewing Your School's Performance Management System

Effective employee performance depends, in part, on the ability of the school to provide timely and meaningful feedback as part of an overall employee performance management system. This blog provides tips on how to evaluate your current system and implement necessary changes or improvements.
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Understanding Your Institution's Duty to Make Technology Accessible

New technology is appearing on campus faster than the disability office can respond. However, it is the institution’s legal responsibility under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that students with disabilities can have full use of electronic information, such as institution web pages.
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Rise Above Uncertainty: Advancing Risk Management at Independent Schools

This report summarizes the findings from a year-long project by UE and NAIS to assess the state of risk management in independent schools. It identifies common practices that can help every independent school succeed at risk management.
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Preventing and Responding to Tenure Denial Claims

Tenure denials often result in claims from the unsuccessful candidate. Institutions can take steps along the way to manage the reaction to an unexpected outcome and help both the institution and the candidate cope and move on. This blog summarizes UE’s 2017 review of claims unsuccessful tenure candidates brought and lessons learned from those claims.
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Problems Arising From Tenure Denials: A Review of Recent Claims

Tenure denials often result in claims from the unsuccessful candidate. Institutions can take steps along the way to manage the reaction to an unsuccessful outcome and help both the institution and an unsuccessful candidate cope and move on. This claims review examines the types of claims unsuccessful tenure candidates bring and lessons learned from those claims. The publication also examines how institutions can avoid these claims with clear tenure policies, training faculty on that policy, and conducting a fair and impartial review process.
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Charging Back the Cost of Risk

This blog addresses considerations for higher education institutions when contemplating whether to charge the costs associated with risk management and claim defense to the responsible campus departments.
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Learn How to Build an ERM Program From Scratch

Institutions that would like to implement enterprise risk management (ERM) but are uncertain how to begin may find helpful this blog describing how a two-person team at Claremont Graduate University got its ERM program started -- and did so on a budget.
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Preventing Greek Organization Hazing

In most states, hazing is a criminal offense. Forty-four states have anti-hazing laws. Despite these prohibitions, the practice continues. In a study of 162 United Educators Greek claims received from 2010 to 2014, 12 percent of the claims came from hazing incidents—most occurring  at a pledging or initiation event. Read this Insights blog to get ideas for preventing hazing on your campus.
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Responding to Reports of Sex Abuse at Independent Schools

Today’s independent school students, parents, and alumni have raised expectations for how schools prevent and respond to any reports of sexual abuse involving students, present or past.
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Improving Athletics Compliance in Higher Education

At many institutions, athletics sits as an island mostly disconnected from the college’s compliance efforts. Administrators often struggle to integrate the institution’s athletics department into its compliance program. Yet, institutions should view athletics programs as allies that can help lead and shape the compliance culture. This Insights blog offers recommendations for improving compliance.
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Greeks and Risk: Lessons From Claims

UE conducted a five-year study of 162 claims to extract best practices and recommendations for dealing with Greek organizations. This publication highlights the risks presented and the steps institutions can take to reduce injuries arising from Greek activities.
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Checklist: Safety in Student and Employee Transportation

This checklist is designed to help risk managers or employees charged with fleet management at higher education institutions use best practices in student and employee transportation safety. Administrators may also find this checklist helpful when creating vehicle use policies.
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The Family Medical Leave Act Liability Hot Spots

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides benefits to employees in need, but it is difficult to understand and susceptible to abuse. This United Educators (UE) analysis of common FMLA mistakes provides best practices that can help your institution avoid a costly mistake.
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Are You Sacrificing Your Reputation to Protect Sacred Cows?

What are the sacred cows at your institution? Every college or university has programs and people that are a great source of alumni and student pride. But while they are an important part of the campus experience, these revered traditions or people can present risks when boards turn a blind eye to any issues that their existence raises.
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Member Spotlight: Grinnell College Makes ERM a Priority

Most higher education institutions haven’t embraced the concept of enterprise risk management (ERM), according to recent research. Instead, they tend to tackle one hazard at a time, which is less likely to identify and resolve damaging risks. Grinnell College is trying to change that—one small liberal arts college at a time—beginning at home.

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Sample Enterprisewide Risks for a Liberal Arts College

Here are some risks a liberal arts college might face that could necessitate the implementation of an enterprisewide risk management (ERM) strategy.

Managing Fan and Player Violence at Sporting Events

The high tensions that accompany athletic rivalries can lead to violence that cause injuries and property damage. This United Educators (UE) bulletin discusses ways to manage athlete and fan behavior before, during, and after a game to avoid a potentially costly and public riot.
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ERM: Making Progress a Priority

The Association of Governing Boards (AGB) and United Educators (UE) have worked together on risk management for more than 15 years producing short white papers, a book written by UE’s president, and two comprehensive national surveys on enterprise risk management (ERM). The issue continues to be of significant importance to AGB and UE as we work to help you ensure the long-term success of this country’s colleges and universities.   

A Wake-up Call: Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) at Colleges and Universities Today

Higher education institutions continue to consider risk on a largely ad hoc basis. A recent study conducted by UE and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) indicates that boards and administrators are not yet substantially committed to enterprise risk management (ERM), which offers an approach for assessing and addressing threats and seizing opportunities. 

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Identifying Risks With a Spotlight and a Flashlight

Last week, I attended two events that helped me understand how leaders are thinking about the emerging risks faced by higher education. The first was the launch of a leadership development program sponsored by Georgetown University and Arizona State University and the second was the EACUBO workshop where I spoke on the current state of enterprise risk management (ERM). 

A Collective Risk Register for Higher Ed

I just returned from the EACUBO/Cornell Administrative Management Institute (AMI), held on the beautiful Ithaca campus each summer. My role in the week long seminar was to weave together the variety of risk issues administrative managers face and share an ERM framework for addressing these risks. Having just written Risk Management: An Accountability Guide, I had a great opening for our discussion.
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The Long-Term Impact of the Freeh Report

As a risk management and governance report, the Freeh Report stands out for providing guidance, reflection, and a road map for administrators and trustees as they consider ways to improve communication, establish accountability, and reduce risks. And Penn State (PSU) has made great strides since the report was first published, strengthening security to protect minors, improving the structure of the board, conducting training on the Clery Act, and making a significant commitment to train the entire PSU community on abuse awareness.

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What Did the Recession Teach Us?

As the economy recovers, albeit more slowly than any of us would want, I wonder: will we look back on the great recession with the comfort and perspective of hindsight and judge education as over-reacting to the risks, ignoring the opportunities? Did some colleges and universities miss opportunities for investments, hiring faculty, expanding into new enrollment markets or other strategic and, yes, courageous moves? Did higher education fail to understand the societal shifts that were changing the behavior of students and their families? Looking inward instead of focusing a clear eye on the environment is a risk.

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10 Takeaways From the ERM Session at AGB

I just returned from the AGB national conference where my book was formally introduced. A few takeaways from the roundtable session on ERM attended by trustees, college presidents, and general counsels and moderated by Michael Somich, Duke University and Raina Rose Tagle, Baker Tilly (both were great moderators):

• The Board's most important role in risk management? Changing the culture so everyone cares about management of risk. 

Risk Management and Governing Boards

AGB just published a book I wrote, Risk Management: An Accountability Guide for University and College Boards.

An interesting story of how it came to be. Back in the 1990s when risk management focused on buying insurance and safety concerns, AGB approached UE to help trustees understand their role in the risk management process. A 16-page pamphlet was produced. Ten years later, in 2008, AGB asked UE to respond to consistent and persistent requests from governing boards on what they should be doing about risk management. The result was a national survey on the state of risk management and a 28-page pamphlet, which is one of the most downloaded documents on the AGB website.

Lessons From Tenure Denial Claims

As a result of handling more than 2,000 costly and complex tenure denial cases, UE offers ways to better handle the tenure process to ensure fairness and prevent claims.
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Increasing Use of Whistleblower Hotlines

Whistleblower hotlines for reporting misconduct on campuses have become increasingly popular, but questions about how to best manage them have led to confusion. This report discusses issues related to hotlines and how to choose the best option for your institution.
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Managing Fan and Player Violence at Sporting Events

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Managing the Unthinkable PowerPoint

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Crafting Anti-Harassment Policies in Public Schools

Sexual harassment is only one of many forms of harassment that schools need to address in their anti-harassment policies.

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Resources

Reference Materials Implementing Enterprise Risk Management: Practical Guidance for Boards and Campus Administrators United Educators Roundtable Thursday, September 17, 2009 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time Reference Materials Contents Speaker Biographies ..........................................................................