Student Organizations and Risk Management

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Student Organizations and Risk Management
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What is Risk Management?

• The process of considering the potential risks
  involved in an activity and identifying ways to
  avoid the dangers of this activity, either by
  adjusting the behavior or eliminating the
  activity all together.

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Types of Risk

• Physical Physical risks can include things such
  as food poisoning, injuries that may result from
  physical activities, injuries that may result
  from travel related accidents
• Reputation Reputational risks are those things
  that may result in negative publicity for your
  organization, UMHB, your advisor and/or the venue
  where you are holding event.
• Emotional Emotional risks are those things that
  can cause a participant at your event to feel
  alienated or negatively impact the feelings of a
  member or members of the UMHB community
• Financial Financial risks are those things that
  negatively impact the fiscal stability of your
  organization and/or other organizations
  financially supporting your event
• Facilities Facility risks are those things which
  may cause property damage prevent your event
  from being held (bad weather, not enough space
  for the number of participants, lack of equipment
  or materials needed for the event)
• Retrieved from http//deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sa
  ld/riskSlideshow/ on January 23, 2008

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UMHB Campus Policies

• Alcohol
• Hazing
• Guest Speaker
• Fund Solicitation
• Travel

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UMHB Alcohol Policy

• A zero tolerance policy in regard to student use
  of alcohol or drugs,
• this policy pertains to all students whether they
  are considered a minor or are over the age of 21,
• The alcohol and drug policy covers the following
  actions or behaviors concerning the use of these
  substances possession, use (includes returning
  to campus after the use of), purchase, being
  under the influence of, the unlawful manufacture
  of, or distribution of alcohol or any narcotic,
  hallucinogenic, or other abuse of substances.
• The alcohol and drug policy applies to student
  behavior both on and off campus.

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UMHB Hazing Policy

• Hazing at the University of Mary Hardin-
  Baylor is defined as any request or force
  (psychological or physical) which one student or
  group of students imposes upon another student or
  group of students. This involves
• (1) any willful act, by one student alone or in
  partnership with others, directed against any
  other student which involves mental abuse
  (including yelling, intimidating, fault finding,
  subjecting him/her to shame or disgrace among
  his/her fellow students, humbling his/her pride
  or causing him/her to want to leave the
  university)
• (2) the administration or requirement of
  taking, applying or receiving either internally
  or externally any stimulant, narcotic, other drug
  (including alcohol or tobacco in any form),
  ointment or any distasteful or obnoxious
  substance of any kind
• (3) physical abuse of any kind or the
  requirement of any physical activity of an
  unusual, dangerous, or harmful nature (strenuous
  exercises or calisthenics, walking or running
  long distances or under unusual circumstances or
  any other prolonged activity which is calculated
  to cause fatigue, including the deprivation of
  sleep for prolonged or abnormal periods, shall be
  prohibited.) and
• (4) the deprivation of freedom of any student
  or the abduction of a student by either physical
  restraint or threat.

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Guest Speaker

• All guest speakers from outside the university,
  anyone other than full-time UMHB faculty or
  administrators, must be scheduled through the
  Associate Vice President for Student Life and
  Dean of Students and approved by the President.

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Fund Solicitation

• The support UMHB receives from businesses and
  individuals in the local communities is an
  integral part of the overall university
  fundraising activities. The Corporate Relations
  Office is charged with the task of soliciting
  scholarships and major gifts from this important
  group of donors.
• To ensure the relationship with our community
  friends is maintained at the highest level, each
  faculty, staff and student should follow the
  procedure below before soliciting any business or
  individual.
• When the need arises to request funding outside
  of the normal university budget for student
  projects, please develop a written list of
  businesses/individuals you would like to approach
  for support. (This includes solicitation of
  personal friends and/or business contacts for
  cash, gifts-in-kind, gift certificates,
  sponsorships, and advertising.)Submit the list to
  the Corporate Relations Office in person, via fax
  at 295-5013 or email to bill.townsend_at_umhb.edu.
  The Corporate Relations Office will review the
  list for solicitation and respond back to you.

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UMHB Travel Policy

• Recognized student organizations may make
  off-campus trips that are deemed worthwhile and
  approved by the Associate Vice President of
  Student Life and Dean of Students. Student
  organizations must submit a Travel Request to the
  Director of Student Organizations no later than
  thirty days prior to the proposed trip.
• Only university-approved drivers may drive
  university vehicles. Organization advisors must
  accompany the organization when overnight stays
  are required or should secure an acceptable
  mature substitute.
• Students and their parents should understand that
  participation in such off-campus trips and
  activities is at the students own risk.
• Upon approval by the Associate Vice President of
  Student Life and Dean of Students, the student
  organization advisor is responsible for
• 1. Creating and collecting a university Waiver
  Release of Liability Form from the Human
  Resources website.
• 2. Ensuring that all parties involved have read
  and signed the Student Organization Travel
  Guidelines.
• 3. Ensuring that all students involved have
  appropriate insurance coverage to attend the
  trip.

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Travel Guidelines

• Organizations/Clubs cannot drive for over 12
  hours in any given 24 period. The majority of the
  hours must be during daylight.
• Organizations/Clubs may not depart for trips or
  leave to return back to UMHB after 400 pm for
  trips exceeding 8 hours.
• Organizations/Clubs may not depart for trips or
  leave to return back to UMHB after 1000 pm for
  any trip more than 2 hours.
• Driver must be at least 18 years of age.
• Vehicles may not be overloaded. There should be
  one seat belt per person.
• If a breakdown occurs, the Director of Student
  Organizations or another representative of
  Student Development Services should be contacted
  immediately.
• When towing a trailer or using a cargo rack,
  vehicle speeds must be reduced to the legal
  limit, especially in heavy traffic. Check all
  lights and hitches prior to departing.
• A first aid kit must be taken on the trip.
• All students are required to submit a Waiver
  Release of Liability Form.
• One facility shall be approved as the official
  overnight facility, and all members and guests
  will stay in that facility except with the
  permission of the attending student organization
  advisor.
• An emergency contact number must be provided on
  the Travel Request Form.
• Men and women are prohibited from cohabitating
  during overnight events and activities.

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Case Study Travel

• Your organization is going to participate in a
  national conference held in Oklahoma City
• The conference runs from Friday morning through
  Sunday night
• You will leave Belton on Thursday night and
  return Sunday night
• You are carpooling to the conference in personal
  cars.
• You will have Saturday night off from the
  conference for free time
• No advisor is attending the trip

Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin
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Case Study TravelStep 1 List All Aspects of
Your Event

• Driving
• Attending conference sessions
• Site Seeing/Shopping
• Evening Activities Unsupervised

Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin
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Case Study TravelStep 2 List Risks Associated
with each Activity

• Driving
• Road Hazards (flat tire, mechanical trouble,
  getting lost, getting separated)
• Weather (icy roads, winter travel, rain storms)
• Inexperienced drivers (large vans, many
  passengers)
• Drowsy drivers
• Evening Activities Un-supervised/Co-ed
• Alcohol
• Unsupervised in hotel rooms
• Sightseeing/Shopping
• As a tourist, potential to be victim of theft (or
  worse)
• Potential to become lost
• Carrying large amounts of money
• Presentations/Conference Sessions
• Fatigue
• Strenuous work

Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin
14
Risk Assessment MatrixStep 3 Use RM Matrix to
Assess the Level of Risk for each Activity
Probability that Something Will Go Wrong
Severity of Risk
Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin
15
Case Study Travel
Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin
16
Case Study TravelStep 4 Re-assess Have you
reduced your risk?
Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin
17
Case Study TravelStep 6 Determine if youve
reached an acceptable level of risk

• Consider modifying or eliminating activities that
  have unreasonable risk associated with them.
  Remember to consider how the activities relates
  to the mission and purpose or your organization.

Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin
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Case Study TravelStep 4 Brainstorm Ways to
Reduce Risk

• Have an advisor accompany your organization on
  the trip
• Carry cell phones or walkie-talkies
• Go over travel route with all those traveling /
  Bring maps or GPS devices
• Develop and write down a plan in case of
  separation
• Check weather forecast
• Check vehicle for any major maintenance problems
• Make sure that more than one driver per vehicle
  is available to drive
• Establish expectations that seat belt will be
  used by all
• Establish a no alcohol policy
• Explore the possibility of hiring a driver or
  flying

Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin
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Questions to Think About

• How will this activity benefit your organization?
  How does it benefit our university?
• Are there ways that you can still engage in this
  activity and reduce the risk associated with it?
• How does this activity fit with the
  mission/values of your organization?

Used with permission by the Student Activities
and Leadership Development Office at the
University of Texas at Austin