Higher Education Institutions Adopt Cross-Department Risk Management Strategies

Risk managers from colleges and universities are advocating for institution-wide approaches to managing hazards that span IT, operations, finances and reputation. University leaders are breaking down departmental silos to ensure IT staff, procurement teams and other departments understand their shared responsibility in identifying and mitigating risks. Examples from Dallas College and Colorado School of Mines demonstrate how improved communication and collaboration between formerly isolated departments strengthens overall institutional resilience.

The 2026 EDUCAUSE conference highlighted a structural problem in how many colleges manage institutional vulnerabilities. University leaders have historically treated risk assessment as an isolated function rather than a campus-wide responsibility, creating gaps where hazards go unreported. The presenters demonstrated that effective mitigation requires identifying a single accountable party for each risk category, then systematically evaluating the likelihood and potential damage before deciding whether to mitigate, accept, transfer, or eliminate the threat. Communication breakdowns between departments—illustrated by Dallas College's literally closed door between risk management and procurement—allow preventable failures to occur.