In June the U.S Climate Change Science Program, which is sponsored by 13 government agencies, released a report saying that extreme weather like heat waves, heavy downpours, and superpowered hurricanes would be more common in the future. The timing of the report--coming just as officials in Iowa were surveying the damage from the swollen Iowa…

In the past two months, nearly 100 colleges have started exploring a financial concept that seems almost too good to be true: collecting hundreds of millions of dollars for long-term capital needs by taking out life-insurance policies on wealthy alumni. The idea started with Oklahoma State University, which said this spring that it had secured…

Accreditation and public safety are vital issues for colleges, but rarely do they put the two together. The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators is trying to change that. The group, known as Iaclea, started accrediting colleges' police and public-safety departments last year, holding them to a strict set of standards.…

As the number of American students studying overseas increases, it will be difficult for colleges to establish or find enough adequate programs with challenging curricula. Students desire ever more remote locations, and colleges are being pushed to support the extremely adventurous. With more students studying abroad, and amid heightened fears…

The provision, known as Section 89 of the Internal Revenue Code, that requires employers to make sure that their health and insurance benefits do not discriminate against low-paid employees, is discussed. The process of comparing employee benefits and a lack of federal guidance has complicated matters. (MLW)

American universities are turning to captive companies, a highly specialized form of self-insurance, in an effort to cope with ever-increasing premiums. Indiana University formed the Old Crescent Insurance Company in 2005 to provide coverage for the institution's eight campuses, a move that gives it more control over costs while allowing the…

Describes how colleges are scrambling to renew insurance policies as premiums rise to new levels; some may cost 300 percent more than in the recent past. (EV)

Describes how a rise in rates for medical malpractice insurance is forcing some physicians to suspend their practices, shrinking the pool of instructors for medical students. (EV)

The executive summary of of TIAA-CREF's Special Trustee Joint Committee's report "TIAA-CREF: The Future Agenda," cites new accumulation funds and pay-out vehicles; transferability of annuity accumulations; reporting, services, and planning for policy holders and institutions; and governance and implementation. (MLW)

Faculty unions are enticing new members and hoping to retain older ones with such extras as low-cost credit cards and insurance programs in addition to traditional collective bargaining functions. (MSE)

Liability suits against college sports programs can be devastating. Interest in liability insurance, which protects the institution and its personnel if an athlete sues, is on the rise, and half of all college-sports programs now own insurance policies that provide lifetime benefits to athletes who suffer catastrophic injuries. (MLW)