By Jeff Murphy,
March 22, 2016
WARRENSBURG, MO - Representatives of the University of Central Missouri were joined
by Missouri Senator David Pearce in St. Louis recently to participate in a program
that is helping higher education institutions save millions of dollars. They attended
the Master Property Program (MPP) Loss Control Workshop, made possible through Missouri’s
membership in the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC).
The MPP is a regional collaborative venture that provides comprehensive property coverage,
specifically tailored to the needs of today’s college campuses, while reducing insurance
costs and improving asset protection. According to Carla Ahrens, property program
manager for MHEC, the program was established in 1994 upon recommendation of MHEC’s
Risk Management Committee, and has generated more than $114 million in savings for
its Midwest participating institutions since its inception. Participation in the program
includes more than 160 campuses with total insured values exceeding $105 billion.
Missouri state colleges and universities were among the first groups of institutions
to participate in the program, Ahrens said. In Fiscal Year 2015, Missouri higher education
institutions saved more than $4 million.
MHEC annually hosts participating institutions for the Loss Control Workshop, which
takes place over a day and a half, to focus on loss control. This includes a series
of concurrent sessions on relevant higher education topics for campus professionals
in areas such as risk management, facilities, and emergency management/safety. This
year’s attendees for UCM and the units they represented were Sharon Brinton, Administration
and Finance; Lori Dake, Environmental Health and Safety; Larry Ray, Facilities, Planning
and Operations; and Jeffrey Robinson, Legal Affairs and Risk Management. Senator Pearce,
who serves as MHEC’s commission chair (2015-16), joined the UCM group and other attendees
in St. Louis to show his support for the program. He also had the opportunity to visit
with many participants.
“I am thrilled UCM participated by sending four people to the event,” Pearce said.
Pearce noted that the Master Property Program Loss Control Workshop conference provided
members of colleges and universities an excellent opportunity for professional development
and to network with peers from institutions around the nation who experience similar
campus challenges.
Pearce added, "It is an honor to serve as chair of MHEC this year. The compact serves
our higher education institutions in cost savings and collaborative agreements. Missouri
benefits greatly by belonging to the compact."
Individuals who want to learn more about the MHEC or the Master Property Program Loss
Control Workshop and participating institutions of higher education are urged to visit.mhec.org/programs/property-insurance.
