Student affairs staff at all types of colleges and universities need to be equipped to help manage risk and protect their institutions, the people they serve, and their resources from unintended consequences. Risk Management in Student Affairs: Foundations for Safety and Success helps practitioners understand the sources of risk in their work, and the practices and strategies they can employ to help mitigate that risk.
Written for those without legal training, the book is accessible to new and mid-level professionals as well as students preparing to enter the profession. It teaches how to limit, control, and respond to risk in order to protect oneself and one's institution. The book covers all aspects of risk management in higher education, including:
- Tort liability (such as damage due to negligence, accidents on campus, injuries resulting from alcohol use, and incidents during study-abroad trips)
- Contracts (such as off-campus incidents, contracts for events and activities, and employment and disciplinary issues)
- State and federal violations (including the freedoms of speech, religion, and the press, search and seizure, due process, OSHA, Title IX, FERPA, and ADA)
- Resource protection (including information and data security, facilities, financial resources, and physical environments)
Managing risk is an integral part of the work of student affairs, and the ability to manage risk well can save time, money, and personnel at a time when resources can be scarce. Whether you work in a public or private institution, and whether you manage personal or institutional risk, no other book addresses risk management within higher education in such a focused, comprehensive manner.