Member Update

November 2025: New Resources to Manage Emerging Risks

We continue expanding how we connect with members through campus visits, regional meetings, and national conferences, to listen, collaborate, and share insights to help protect your institution.

Why it Matters:
Liability claims are becoming more severe, influenced by factors such as third-party litigation financing, increasing distrust, and plaintiffs’ attorney advertising. A collaborative approach to resolving claims remains essential. Ernst & Young has outlined practical strategies to mitigate the impact of social inflation and manage claims costs effectively.

What’s New:
We are advancing our approach to risk transfer by exploring new products and higher limits. At our latest Risk Management Advisory Committee meeting, members discussed how AI and other digital tools present risks and opportunities.

Resources for You:
Explore these timely UE materials to support your work:

• Are You Prepared for “Smart” Glasses?
• Considering Staffing Reductions? Know Your WARN Act Obligations
• Safely Handle Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries

Join our Dec. 4 webinar on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Event Safety Planning. [Register today.]

Next Steps:
If you have not already, please complete our annual UE Experience survey. Your feedback directly shapes how we serve you and your institution.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Sarah Braughler
Vice President of Risk Management

July 2025

Commencements may be behind us, but the challenges educational institutions face continue to grow.

We are here to help.

At United Educators (UE), our commitment to education is stronger than ever. Here’s how:

• Enhanced Pre-Claim Advice Credit
  This valuable benefit is designed to help institutions effectively manage incidents and reduce costs. [Read more.]
  
  
• Expert Claims Resolution 
  Early evaluation, clear communication and careful selection of defense counsel prepared to go to trial when needed are key to better outcomes.
  
  
• Fighting Predatory Litigation Funding
  Third-party litigation financing (TPLF) is driving up insurance costs. Some schools may be unknowingly investing in it.
  
  
• Learn more in a TPLF deep-dive Net Assets article from UE CFO Sean Barnes and an editorial in The Wall Street Journal calling out the tax breaks fueling this trend.

 Let’s keep the conversation going.

Catch up with me at a July 27 NACUBO panel in Washington, D.C., on “What keeps business officers up at night.” My co-presenters are Bill Guerrero of the University of Connecticut and Josh Moody of Inside Higher Ed. And join Sarah Braughler, UE’s Vice President of Risk Management who is leading an ERM Bootcamp the same day at NACUBO with UE Board Member Bronté Burleigh-Jones of American University, Keesha Trim of the University of Richmond and Michelle Smith of URMIA.

Your insights matter.

We value your partnership navigating today’s complex risk environment. We are always happy to hear from you about how we can help meet your risk transfer needs.

Best,

Rick Mills
President and CEO

April 2025

We understand the cost of insurance is a concern. We created a new resource to help explain the factors increasing the cost. We encourage you to talk with your broker about it and ways we can partner on mitigating and transferring risk.

**NEW** Liability Market Insights: Factors Increasing the Cost of Insurance

These additional resources found on our Market Insights page, including external reports, provide further context about the challenging litigation environment.

• SwissRe Institute published this study on litigation costs driving claims inflation includes global comparisons.
• Risk & Insurance article Building an Effective Defense Against Nuclear Verdicts: Key Strategies for 2025 outlines how proper defense and prevention tools can help.
• Large Loss Report 2025 summarizes publicly reported major damage awards and settlements that affected K-12 schools, colleges and universities in 2024.

We hope you find these resources helpful and welcome your feedback. Contact UE Support if you need assistance logging into your My UE account.

As always, you or your broker are welcome to contact your underwriter with any account-specific questions.

Best,

Bryan Elie
Vice President of Underwriting and Product Management