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Higher Education Attorneys

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College and universities deal with a myriad of issues that impact students, faculty, and administrators. Mattie (2007) asserts “risk can be defined as any issue that impacts an institution’s ability to meet its objectives” (p. 3). Issues like sexual harassment, student discipline, free speech, academic misconduct, tenure, race and religion are risk but how they are managed can impact institutions. This review will examine Carol L. J. Hustoles 2012 dissertation Through the Eyes of Higher Education Attorneys: How Department Chairs Are Navigating the Waters of Legal Issues and Risk Management. The dissertation discussed what institutional risk management is and the role of department chairs in relation to legal issues as well as their role …show more content…

Hustoles (2012) asserts the manner in which higher education administrators deal with legal matters can greatly impact their departments, colleges, institutions, and students in numerous ways. Institutions try to reduce or eliminate legal matters through risk management. Kaplin and Lee (2007) states risk management “stabilize the institution’s financial condition over time but it can improve the morale and performance of institutional personnel by alleviating their concerns about potential personal liability” (P. 63). Chairpersons are administrators that have an important role in risk management on campus. Hustoles (2012) asserts chairpersons are middle level management that is often involved in conflict, controversy, and debate. He also states chairpersons should understand their role as department heads to permit certain conduct, promote institutional rules and understand their legal …show more content…

Based on some of the findings from the study, it is suggested that institutions should: be proactively providing training for their department chairs on legal and risk management issues while involving legal counsel in training, increase the amount of training chairpersons receive, continuously involve campus attorneys in issues that arise, and chairs should become familiar with the provisions in collective bargaining. The study conducted by Hustoles provides great insight into how attorneys view the role and performance of administrators. Although risk management is the task of everyone on campus, attorneys have to deal with all legal issues on campus. Hustoles (2012) study also sought to fill in the literature gap as there is no literature that discusses the attorneys view in risk management. According to Hustoles this is the only study that offers that data. The study can be beneficial to institutions as they train administrators to deal with risk

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