About Risk Services

Risk Services is administratively located within the Division of Finance, Operations, & Administration (FOA) within the Risk and Safety Services unit. Risk Services supports the campus by helping to identify risk exposures, recommending strategies to reduce or eliminate identified risks, and administering the campus's insurance programs.

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)

ERM is a strategic approach that seeks to manage risk to create greater financial stability and help the university achieve its mission. To this end, we facilitate implementation of campus and system-wide initiatives and gather information to inform institutional risk awareness. Additionally, we serve on campus and system-wide committees dedicated to understanding and addressing various risks.

Loss Prevention

Collaboration across units and disciplines leverages various perspectives for more successful loss prevention programs. Risk Services manages the Be Smart About Safety (BSAS) program that provides funding to support proactive loss prevention. 

The university’s goal is to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. Achieving this goal is the responsibility of every member of the university community. Workers' compensation mitigates risk by evaluating departments’ risks and assists in integrating effective risk management strategies into day-to-day operations. We provide claims data and work with the campus units to improve their incident rates and loss control measures.

The WorkStrong Program is a University of California systemwide program that is designed to promote recovery and prevent future workplace injuries. Each UC campus has its own unique program to suit the needs of the employees on its campus.

Insurance Programs

Risk Services administers the university’s insurance programs. The programs include workers’ compensation, general liability, property and auto as well as other specialized insurance programs. We also facilitate coverage for students, foundation and friends groups, vendors and event holders through the specially developed CampusConnexions insurance programs.

Claims

Risk Services works closely with campus units, employees and the university’s third party claims administrators throughout the claims process for all programs of insurance. As part of workers’ compensation claims services, we facilitate the provision of medical care and the development of transitional work assignments for work-injured employees.

Wellness

It is the mission of the Faculty and Staff Wellness Program to provide UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff with a comprehensive, integrated health and wellness program that supports healthy, engaged employees and a productive work environment. Wellness includes the Healthy Campus Network initiative which uses an integrative approach to health, guided by the core values of fostering a high level of wellness, encouraging personal responsibility, respecting diversity, and working to reduce health inequalities. Wellness also supports a Smoke and Tobacco Free Campus.   

Resource

Because we get inquiries from across the campus and across the system, we may be able to provide a different perspective on a proposed undertaking. If we don't have the subject matter expertise to help you directly, we may know of the resource that has the expertise you need. We can provide risk assessment tools for the evaluation of new undertakings or ongoing operations.

Resources are available as relates to abuse prevention of minors, using waivers and performing risk assessments.