Insurance & Liability

Occasionally the University will need to provide to other parties evidence of insurance coverage. Such evidence is generally called a Certificate of Insurance and the other party may be named as additional insured under WSU’s liability policy.

Issuance of certificates requires specific information regarding the event, function, provision of services, or use of facility for which the certificate is to be issued. All such information must be submitted to the Office of Risk Management Services by the University faculty or staff member needing the certificate. All certificates are issued specific to the intended purpose. Certificates are issued by the State Office of Risk Management, through the WSU Compliance and Risk Management office.

Certificate of Insurance Request

Certificates of Insurance for Student Interns

Cooperating agencies where WSU students are serving internships may require Certificates of Insurance for coverage provided by the University for the student while serving in the internship. Please contact the Compliance and Risk Management (509) 335-6893, for these certificates.

Compliance and Risk Management assists University partners when it becomes necessary to purchase insurance for risks not covered by the self-insurance programs. It is not always possible to secure such insurance, as the ability of WSU to purchase commercial insurance is subject to approval by the State Department of Enterprise Services (DES). If authorized by DES, WSU departments may obtain insurance through the insurance broker under contract with DES, or through outside insurance providers with approval from DES. The following is a list of various commercial insurance policies that are available. Others may be available for specific activities as needed. Departments requesting these insurance policies generally bear the cost of the premium.

• Athletic Medical and Catastrophic Insurance – Covers injuries to athletes participating in sports in WSU’s Intercollegiate Athletics programs.
• Boiler and Machinery Insurance – Covers boilers and pressure vessel equipment should they explode, implode, etc.
• Builder’s Risk Insurance – Covers WSU construction projects.
• Commercial Property Insurance – Covers loss or damage to buildings, building contents, and electronic data processing (EDP) equipment.
• Crop Insurance – Covers growing crops (wheat, barley, peas, etc.) from fire, wind, hail, etc.
• Fine Arts Insurance – Covers fine arts and collectible objects for permanent and loaned collections.
• Foreign Liability Insurance – Faculty/Staff – Provides worldwide liability coverage, excluding the U.S., its territories or possessions, Puerto Rico and countries under U.S. Government Sanctions.
• Students International Medical Insurance – Covers health care for International Programs’ Education Abroad students.
• Liability for Camps and Sports Camps – Covers any illness, injury, accidental death or dismemberment to campers regardless of fault.
• Liability for Children’s Centers – Covers injury, accidental death or dismemberment to children in WSU nursery schools and day care centers.
• Special Events Insurance – Covers injury, accidental death or dismemberment to participants of most events and can be tailored specifically for special events, e.g. performances, symposiums, fairs.
• Property Insurance – Employee Relocation
• Property and Liability Insurance – Aviation/Aircraft and Marine/Watercraft – Covers aircraft and watercraft excluded from the State’s Self-Insurance Liability Program.
• Public Employees Commercial Crime Bond – Covers losses sustained through the fraudulent or dishonest acts of employees.
• Research Equipment Insurance – Covers loss or damage to research equipment in WSU-owned or leased building. Policy offers an option to provide coverage for research equipment while in transit, use and storage world-wide. Lead time to acquire coverage is usually 60 to 90 days.
• Student Intern Professional Liability Insurance – Provides liability insurance to interns participating in off-campus internships while in a non-medical practicum at off-locations not under the control and supervision of WSU employees.
• Student Medical Professional Liability Insurance – Provides insurance to interns while in a required clinical practicum at off-campus locations not under the control and supervision of WSU employees.
• Medical Insurance – Employees, Students and Graduate Students – Contact Benefit Services at 335-1472.
• Notary Bonds – Application procedures for new notary appointments or renewal of existing notary public bonds.

Departments are encouraged to require participants in activities that involve more than a normal risk of physical injury to sign release and assumption of risk forms before allowing the participant to engage in the activity. Release / Assumption of risk forms should be tailored as much as possible to fit the specifics of an activity.

Property damage claims for damage to WSU owned vehicles are made to Compliance and Risk Management per WSU Safety Policies and Procedures Manual 7.20, Reporting Motor Vehicle Accident, using a Standard Form 137, Vehicle Collision Report Form. This form is to be filled out online, with a PDF of the report forwarded to the supervisor, who will review and forward the report, via email, to riskmanagement.wsu.edu.

If law enforcement does not respond to the accident, drivers are required by law to complete and file the Washington State Patrol Collision report form 161.

Student Intern Professional Liability Insurance

Provides liability insurance to interns participating in off-campus internships while in a non-medical practicum at off-locations not under the control and supervision of WSU employees. Please review the list of specialties which can be covered by this policy. This policy has a $2,500.00 per occurrence deductible which must be paid by the student if a loss occurs.

Student Allied Health Intern Liability Insurance

Provides insurance to interns while in a required clinical practicum at off-campus locations not under the control and supervision of WSU employees. Please review the list of courses which can be covered by this policy. If your course is not listed, please contact CRM.

There is a common belief that WSU has insurance for everything. This is not accurate. In many instances of loss, the University is either “self-insured” or “non-insured.” In the case of non- insurance, WSU departments bear the cost of any loss out of their own budget. There are two areas in which WSU is insured through formal self-insurance programs: