By Kathy Hargis, Associate Vice President of Risk Management and Compliance, Lipscomb University and URMIA President.
Over the last three years, URMIA has continued on a steady upward trajectory. The association has grown in membership, conference attendance and member offerings. In 2016, we implemented significant website improvements designed to prepare higher education risk managers for the future and attract new members. Member dues and event sponsorships have supported URMIA’s mission and its growth. URMIA could not have made any of its recent accomplishments, however, without the imagination and hard work of URMIA’s greatest asset – its people. In the continued revision, assessment, accomplishment and measurement of the association’s goals, our members strengthen our commitment to URMIA’s core values.
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As part of URMIA’s strategic planning efforts, a relationship has been building with the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA) to strengthen our appreciation for our disciplines. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between URMIA and ACUA to be part of the ACUA Midyear Conference in Austin, Texas, on March 26-29, 2017.
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By Stephen Wagner, Esq., Marshall Dennehey.
On October 28, 2016, the Department of Education ("Department") published a new federal standard and process for determining whether a borrower has a defense to repayment on a student loan based on an act or omission of a school (81 F.R. 75926). In addition, the Department amended its Direct Loan Program regulations to prohibit schools participating in the Direct Loan Program from using mandatory arbitration clauses and class action waiver clauses. These regulations bring clarity to a large sect of students who allege to have been defrauded by post-secondary educational institutions.
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Welcome to 2017! Each year, URMIA hosts in-person regional and annual (national) conferences around the country, as well as online webinars designed to minimize your cost and time away from the office while maximizing your educational and networking opportunities. Read on to learn about the now available content from URMIA's 5th annual Risk Management Week, resources from our biggest annual conference ever, ERM training dates for 2017 and much more.
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Each month, this article provides some of the latest risk management resources, as well as a calendar of upcoming events, webinars, conferences and other learning opportunities in which you or your campus colleagues may be interested.
Risk management resources
- 21st Century Cures: Modernizing Public and Private Research, McDermott Will & Emery. Signed into law by President Obama on December 13, this act will have a big impact on university research. It encourages biomedical research investment and facilitates innovation review and approval processes. Through National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding mechanisms, the act prioritizes certain areas of innovation and will likely steer both public and private funding priorities for years to come. The legislation also includes other provisions aimed at revamping NIH operations, streamlining research regulations, encouraging research collaboration, and expanding privacy protections for research subjects, among others. Click here for full text of the 21st Century Cures Act.
- FLSA Injunction–Changes Made, Changes Stopped and Changes Reversed, CUPA-HR. Following months of preparation for the December 1 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) changes, an injunction issued on November 22 temporarily stopped implementation, requiring quick action by higher education HR and other campus leaders. CUPA-HR collected data from chief HR officers regarding actions taken and provides this comprehensive summary from institutions across the country. Included are both an infographic, which provides an overall summary of actions taken, and a summary report, which provides more detail regarding specific actions taken by institution type.
- Report on Challenges in Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence at Community Colleges, National Center for Campus Public Safety (NCCPS). NCCPS has issued a new report on sexual violence at community colleges. While community college students represent nearly 45 percent of all undergraduate students in the United States, the differences in the nature of their campus communities are significant. These differences impact the risk of campus sexual violence that community colleges face.
- OSHA requests comments, schedules meeting on standard to prevent workplace violence in healthcare, social assistance, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). On December 6, OSHA announced a Request for Information on whether the agency should propose a standard aimed at preventing workplace violence in the health care and social assistance sectors. The deadline to submit comments is April 6. In addition, a public meeting on the matter took place on Jan. 10 in Washington, DC.
- Health insurance marketplace changes. As research in best practices indicates, multiple sources/opinions should be evaluated in any major change or decision-making process. To this end, below is a list of scholastic and media publications examining the possible catalysts of change in the health insurance marketplace and the potential impact on the health care industry:
- URMIA Career Center. Did you know that URMIA has a career center? URMIA works with a third party to host our career center, which displays ads for higher education risk management positions. You can post your resume there and check out open positions. URMIA receives revenue for this service, which is one way we keep your membership dues low.
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Again, welcome to 2017! As we head into this new year, URMIA is excited to welcome many new members. Also, see what professional updates your colleagues have to share from the last month.
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