What is Risk Management?
Risk Management is the process of identifying conditions that can cause injury or loss of assets, then devising strategies to eliminate or control those conditions. The most common form of risk management is insurance.
To avoid injuries, reduce disruption to education and research, and save money, the Office of the President has devised and maintained programs that:
- provide systematic risk analysis
- develop techniques to reduce potential exposure to loss
- procure and administer insurance
What does the Risk Services Office handle?
a. Insurance certificate approval
b. Accidents, vehicle and non-vehicle (reporting and claims)
c. Property damage (reporting and claims)
d. identify, evaluate risks; address risk mitigation techniques
e. Provide risk management advice, training, and information to campus
f. Campus liaison for liability claims and lawsuits
g. Liability/risk issues pertaining to events, field trips, international travel, sports, vehicles and other high risk issues
Why should I be concerned about risk management?
The campus is assessed for self-insurance program costs based on the actual number of and expenses associated with UC Merced claims. When claims go up and expenses are high, UC Merced is assessed at a higher rate than when costs are low. So this cost allocation rate (known as "GAEL") goes up or down based on actual UC Merced claims experience. The Risk Services Office tracks claim trends and works with departments and units where claims are high in order to reduce claims and resulting costs to UC​.
