As we continue to celebrate URMIA’s 50th anniversary, we are also celebrating the major milestones and accomplishments we’ve made as an association over the last 25 years. With this post, we continue to explore each of the seven milestones that have shaped our past and positioned us for a strong future.
Milestone #6: Centering on Professional Development
As an association, URMIA was launched by its members as they recognized a need to learn from their counterparts across the country. They sought common ground, best practices, and guidance as they worked to best serve their institutions. In other words, at its core URMIA is a professional development-focused association centered on member needs.
It is no surprise, then, that professional development goals drive much of what URMIA does. From in-person conferences and online workshops to core competencies and helpful tools, URMIA is here. We strive to continually assess member needs and meet those needs through risk management education, professional development, and resources.
Resources and Opportunities for All
URMIA’s professional development offerings have grown exponentially and strategically over the decades. In recent years, here are just a few of the professional development opportunities launched for our members:
- URMIAnetwork: Launched in 2011, the URMIAnetwork arose from the popularity of the email listserv and the tremendous unrealized value in a one-stop shop for members to access resources and their colleagues at any time. Today, the URMIAnetwork offers a seamless member experience, where you can access everything URMIA.
- Professional development for those new to the profession: The URMIA Resource Guide and the Risk Inventory give those new to higher education or risk management a starting point for their careers and the risks they are likely to face.
- Core competencies guide professional development: In 2017, URMIA released the first set of comprehensive professional competencies for higher education risk managers. URMIA’s Core Competencies are a framework of the individual characteristics and proficiencies needed as you progress in the profession. These competencies also codify the extensive skill set required, ultimately impacting outcomes and performance at institutions of higher education.
And of course, you can’t miss our in-person annual and regional conferences! In September 2019, we celebrated URMIA’s 50th Annual Conference in Boston. Each spring, URMIA travels around North America for our regional conference lineup, giving members access to cutting edge topics and risk management experts in a closer-to-home format that saves on money and time away from the office.
“I will always be thankful to URMIA and how it helped my career and deepened my appreciation for the profession of higher education risk management. Other university risk managers became my valued colleagues, persons I would seek advice from; persons who helped me gain confidence in my knowledge and decision making, learning. That courage to do the right thing on campus was not always popular, or inexpensive.”
— Leta Finch, National Practice Leader, Higher Education, Aon Risk Solutions (retired) and URMIA President (1990-1991)
For a more in-depth understanding of URMIA's milestones, read URMIA's Historic Compendium: The Second 25 Years.
