Overview
Everyone manages risk. When you buckle your seatbelt and drive responsibly, you are taking ownership of your risk and mitigating it. We all do this in a number of ways on a daily basis both personally and professionally. The role of the UM Office of Risk Management is to support those efforts. We help departments analyze their risk and assist them as needed. In our support role, we employ three types of techniques: risk control, risk financing and risk transfer.
Risk Management coordinates risk control programs, including but not limited to the Driver Safety Training & Vehicle Management Program, the Sexual Misconduct Training Program, and the State of Alabama Board of Adjustments On-the-Job Injury process.
The Risk Manager reviews contract language for risk & liability in policy changes, liability and University insurance.
Risk Control is a category of techniques designed to reduce loss frequency and loss severity. We work collaboratively with all departments to analyze exposures and select appropriate risk control measures. The departments implement and administer the measures. Examples include working with Housing to make the “move-in” process safer and working with Student Life to make campus events safer. Our office and the departments collectively monitor the results.
Risk Financing is a category of techniques designed to pay for losses that occur. Both the expected long-term cost of the program and the potential disruption to the university in the event of a loss are considered when selecting the technique. These techniques include insurance, self-insurance and retention.
Risk Transfer is a category of techniques designed to contractually transfer exposure from the university to other entities. We also addresses requests from other entities to contractually transfer exposure to the university. The category includes contracts, waivers, releases, assumptions of risk, requests for proposals and similar documents. We provide general, non-legal risk management advice to departments related to risk transfer, and we coordinate these efforts with the Office of Counsel.
