GREATER QUAD CITIES CHAPTER
CORPORATE MEMBER PROFILE
The University of Iowa is a comprehensive public university with a long-standing commitment to teaching, research and service with over 30,000 students, 15,000 employees, and 129 major buildings located over 1,700 acres with property valued at over $6.9 billion.
But we are more than the facts. Every day Risk Management, Insurance and Loss Prevention is working with faculty, staff and students to plan events, purchase insurance, review contracts, and develop policies and procedures. We assist individuals with claims, work with student organizations, the public who visit our campus, and vendors who sell us products and services.
As a state agency, The University of Iowa is self insured for general liability, professional liability, and workers compensation. For automobile liability, the Iowa Regents schools have funded a reserve for claim payments. In addition to the self-insurance programs, we purchase commercial insurance policies for property, fidelity, media professional liability, national flood insurance, fine art, and liquor liability.
All property and liability claims are managed by Risk Management. Since the spring of 2006, we have had a tornado, two ice storms and the flood of 2008. Our staff has more than doubled since the flood. The expected flood loss will exceed $743 million. The flood claim process includes working with our property insurance company, the National Flood Insurance Program, two Fine Arts companies and FEMA.
Risk Management has five (5) staff members, excluding the flood staff who were added specifically for that claim. Our staff is encouraged to work toward professional designations. We have an ARM, CPCU and CIC in our office. In addition to membership in RIMS, we are members of the University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA); Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA), and Society for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU).
Our property insurance company’s philosophy is that it is “better to prevent a loss than pay for one.” The University of Iowa’s Risk Management department supports that loss prevention philosophy in all areas for property protection and beyond to include all University operations. We have a Hot Work Permit process, a Fleet Safety program that has set out guidelines for who can drive University vehicles and for what purpose, and we serve on the University’s Student Organization Review Committee.
The University of Iowa supports the risk management and insurance industry by offering an undergraduate academic program. Through the Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance, within the Tippie College of Business, students in any major may complete a 24 semester hour Certificate of Risk Management and Insurance. During the fall 2010 semester there were 60 students completing the certificate and 15 students were participating in the mentoring program sponsored by the Greater Quad Cities RIMS, the Vaughan Institute and the student organization, Gamma Iota Sigma. Since its beginning in 2005, more than 100 students have graduated from the Institute with a Risk Management and Insurance Certificate.