Member Update

October 2026

Your Captive at Work: AM Best Rating, Loss Control, Secure File Sharing

Thank you to the members who joined our recent Bringing UE to You event at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. We appreciate the opportunity to hear directly about the pressures institutions are facing and share our insights on today’s liability environment and strategies to help reduce risk.

Here are some of the ways we are working to help reduce risks across your captive, a reciprocal risk retention group.

AM Best Rating

In September we received an A (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best for the 28th consecutive year.

The rating reflects our financial strength and favorable business profile, including our experienced management team.

Our solid financial foundation supports our ability to provide dependable coverage, responsive claims support, targeted risk management resources, and specialized education expertise for our members.

Loss Control Initiatives

We are expanding our loss control efforts to help members turn risk insight into practical action. We use education-specific claims experience, underwriting insight, and risk management expertise to help institutions address significant risks.

This work is designed to:

Help members improve existing practices.
Support safer educational communities.
Contribute to a stronger insurance program for the membership as a whole.

Secure File Sharing

We are taking additional steps to protect our members’ highly confidential or regulated data. We are now using Box for secure file sharing with members, brokers, defense counsel, and other external partners. Learn more about using Box with UE.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for the trust you place in UE. We value the opportunity to work alongside you to strengthen your institution and our member community.

Best,

sean barnes headshot

Sean Barnes
VP of Finance and Administration, CFO & CIO

Previous Updates

Legal Trends, Jury Verdicts, and Upcoming Opportunities to Connect

Thank you to the members who joined our recent Bringing UE to You event at the Illinois Institute of Technology. We appreciate the opportunity to hear directly about the pressures institutions are facing and share our insights on today’s liability environment and strategies to help reduce risk.

We look forward to continuing those conversations at our upcoming Bringing UE to You event at the Morehouse School of Medicine in September. Members can register here.

Members continue to ask what is driving rising claims costs and what institutions can do to respond. A recent Swiss Re study, Verdicts on trial: The behavioral science behind America’s skyrocketing legal payouts, reinforces that liability costs are being shaped by more than traditional economic inflation. Swiss Re found that wage inflation, medical cost trends, and consumer price index growth no longer fully explain the pace of liability claims escalation, and that emotion-driven jury awards, shifting juror sentiment, and increased litigation are contributing to higher costs, less predictability, and greater severity for insurers, businesses, and consumers. (Swiss Re)

What Institutions Can Do

These findings reinforce the importance of proactive litigation and claims strategies, including those we are incorporating in defending UE member claims. These approaches are not one-size-fits-all, but they can help institutions and defense teams better understand risk, prepare for trial, and make more informed decisions throughout the life of a claim.

Explore these resources to better understand the liability landscape and practical mitigation strategies:

UE will continue to monitor these trends and share insights to help members navigate litigation risk, manage claims effectively, and support their educational missions.

Resolutions’ leadership and team members will be in Nashville for the National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference, June 29-July 2. We are looking forward to the opportunity to connect with counsel for our higher education institutions at this annual event.

Thank you for your continued partnership. I look forward to seeing many of you in Nashville, Atlanta, or at another upcoming UE event.

Ellie Kennedy headshot
Ellie Kennedy
Vice President of Resolutions Management and General Counsel

New Resources for Members

We are sharing new market insights and risk management resources to help you better understand today’s liability environment and make informed decisions at your institution.

These resources are designed to help you anticipate risk, support coverage conversations with your broker, and strengthen practices that support your mission.

Market Insights

These resources explain liability trends, rising claims costs, and the education-specific risks shaping the insurance environment.

Review our latest Market Insights in PDF or PPT format
Read What Is Driving Social Inflation — and How Institutions Can Respond 
Understand How Evolving Education Risks Shape Pricing

Risk Management Resources

Explore practical resources to help you address common and emerging risks.

Priority Risks for Independent Schools [Independent K-12 audience only]
Strategic Oversight of Workforce Reductions
Hazing Prevention — scenario-based training, recognized with a Gold Stevie® Award!
AI Liability Risks for Educational Institutions

Connect with UE

We would love to connect with you in person at upcoming events.

Bringing UE to You, May 28, Chicago – a conversation with UE executives on current insurance market challenges and risk mitigation (local attendees RSVP here)
Public Risk Management Association Annual Conference, June 11-14, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Higher Education Risk Professionals Symposium, June 11-14, Houston, Texas
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Conference, June 24-26, New Orleans, La.
National Association of College and University Attorneys 2026 Annual Conference, June 29-July 2, Nashville, Tenn.

We will also launch the new Risk Management Premium Credit program later this month. Watch for more information about how your institution could earn up to 6% in premium credit.

Thank you for the work you do to support education.

sarah braughler headshot
Sarah Braughler
Vice President of Risk Management and External Relations

New Tools and Insights to Support Risk Management

At UE, we help educational institutions navigate risk with practical tools, timely insights, and support grounded in the realities of education.

We are sharing several updates to help you strengthen risk management efforts, address emerging exposures, and stay informed about liability issues affecting education.

Explore the Updates

Review nine new risk assessment tools covering areas such as athletics, student programs, and transportation.
Learn more about our Risk Management Premium Credit partners focused on student mental health, sexual misconduct prevention, and related campus risks.
Listen to a recent podcast episode on emerging issues affecting education.
Read the latest liability market insights to better understand current conditions.
Contact our Risk Management consultants for education-focused guidance at no additional cost via risk@ue.org.

Why it Matters:

These resources are designed to help institutions anticipate risk, support education-specific practices, and make more informed decisions about risk management and coverage.

We remain committed to providing proactive tools and timely insight to help institutions advance their missions.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

sarah braughler headshot
Sarah Braughler
Vice President of Risk Management and External Relations

Document Queue

The following documents are being prepared for download.

Go to the Document Center