Mick Doxey is nothing new.

Hired in 1986, Doxey spent the last 29 years at Grand Valley State University as the director of Business Services. When President Thomas J. Haas requested the creation of a new position, Doxey signed on as GVSU’s first ever director of risk management.

Risk management is the process GVSU goes through to identify risks that the university is exposed to and understand the potential consequences that come with those risks. Once the risks are assessed, actions are taken to avoid or manage the risk. These risks are often financial in nature and deal with insurance and liability.

“The position encompassed a broad span of responsibility including campus dining, university bookstore, copy services, vending, and risk management,” Doxey said.

As GVSU continued to grow, so did Doxey’s responsibilities. Eventually, risk management had evolved to a point where it needed the full attention of a director.

“Mr. Doxey has been responsible for the risk management function at the University, in addition to other duties, for 25 years,” said Thomas Butcher, head of University Council. “Therefore, it is not a new position,”

Doxey said one of his goals is to develop training seminars for the campus community on risk management and insurance topics.

“My job is not to be and obstructionist and say no every time a risky activity is proposed on campus,” he said. “I see my role as working towards yes. I want to work with people to successfully accomplish their goals and manage their activities in a safe and responsible way.”

One way Doxey plans to manage risk more effectively is to start an enterprise risk management project. With the help of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, an organization that specializes in the business aspect of higher education, GVSU should be able to manage all risks more effectively.

“The first phase is risk assessment and we are now interviewing key university administrators, faculty, and staff to identify risks that they see as threatening,” Doxey said.

Once the risk project is fully implemented, Doxey believes it will help GVSU better understand and manage risk throughout the entire organization.

Doxey hopes that consideration of risk will weigh more on the minds of decision makers at GVSU, creating a culture of risk awareness.

Though in the past it has simply been a part of business services, risk management will now be a part of the University Counsel Office.

“I am very pleased to have Mr. Doxey reassigned to my office as combining the legal function with risk management makes sense to effectively and efficiently serve the University community,” Butcher said.

Doxey said his goals are no different than any other person at GVSU.

“The underlying ideal is simply the mission of the university,” he said. “That being said, it takes a genuine concern for the safety of our students and everyone associated with GVSU including visitors to be successful.”

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