Over the last several months, we have highlighted each of the seven major milestones accomplished by our members over the last 25 years. As we close out this look into the past, consider what the next 25 years might look like. How will higher education risk management change as a profession and practice to anticipate the breadth of challenges ahead?
One might contend that a profession that encompasses the full extent of human diversity will be in an optimal position to recognize and address emerging issues. If so, then URMIA is well-positioned to succeed.
How Far We’ve Evolved
The earliest photos of URMIA’s annual conferences paint a clear picture of the demographics of risk management professionals in the late 1960s. Specifically, the majority of those in attendance were white men who came to higher education from the insurance profession. Over time, our photos of URMIA members began to change. Today, URMIA’s membership includes people of all races, ethnicities, genders, orientation, and various professional backgrounds.
In 1988, URMIA members elected our first female president, Mary Breighner (then at Columbia University). Since then, the URMIA membership has elected 12 women to serve as president. In addition, half of our current board members are women, mirroring the shifting demographics in the profession.
As URMIA’s membership increasingly includes people of color, so does our leadership. Anita C. Ingram was the first African-American person to be elected as president in 2013, and our current president-elect, Courtney Davis Curtis, similarly highlights the association’s embrace of our broad demographics.
On another level, the earliest URMIA members represented large, United States-based institutions. Today, URMIA members include international institutions of higher education, individual college campuses of all sizes and academic focus, large university systems, global businesses serving higher education risk managers, valued retirees, and students.
The Future is in Your Hands
Today, URMIA has a larger membership, but we maintain and value our strong sense of community. So the challenge is put to you: How will you engage with your peers, and what roles with URMIA will you seek to ensure that all perspectives are part of the discussion and solutions to future challenges?