One of the administrative listservs I read has been buzzing about liability insurance of late (also see a recent article in The Chronicle). Liability insurance is one of those things that makes most people’s eyes glaze over until it suddenly becomes a very real need when there are threats of litigation.
Most folks assume that they are covered by their campus policies or that a professor or administrator’s meager salaries and savings would make him/her an unattractive target of litigation. The reality is that neither of these may be true. At private institutions in particular, liability insurance may not cover many scenarios or offer very high dollar ceilings for claims. The latter is even more dangerous: Depending on state laws, the damage to one’s fiscal holdings can be severe to the point of bankruptcy. What’s sad is that personal and professional liability insurance is actually quite inexpensive, especially as a rider on things like homeowner’s insurance. A couple of hundred bucks per year is a great deal more manageable than swallowing a million-dollar judgment.
Have you ever asked about the liability coverage your institution provides for your professional role? Have you purchased a separate policy for yourself?
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3 Responses to Advanced Liabilities
npkropf - October 12, 2009 at 8:02 am
I’ve thought about this question many times. As the Director of a Dept at a large, urban university – I’ve encountered some desperate students. I recently joined the AAUP as a result of the recent Chronicle article – only to read that administrative responsibilities are not covered through the liability insurance that is offered??? SO – are there policies that cover administrative roles as well as traditional academic ones?
bstevens - October 12, 2009 at 4:59 pm
When I was negotiating my job as president of a small community college, I asked the Board to pay for personal liability insurance, which I was able to purchase through my personal property insurer for about $200 per year, and the Board reimbursed me for that expense. I had been on the fringes of enough lawsuits to know that if someone is unhappy with a decision that you had a role in, they will sue you in your official position and also personally. That’s why I wanted the personal policy as a backup to the Board’s E & O policies. Fortunately, I have never had to use it, and it was an inexpensive item for the Board that helped them demonstrate their support for me.
jaabell3521 - October 15, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I have had to purchase a professional liability policy as an adjunct engineering professor.