Biz Briefs has a new moniker, and adds a new feature—Transitions: New Leaders in Business School—to its compendium of goings-on in the Graduate Management Education Industry. So with apologies to The Bard: “What’s in a name? That which we call biz briefs by any other name would read more compleat.”

Universities Lag in Managing Risk, Study Finds
How well do colleges and universities manage risk? A new study of university administrators suggests that higher education could be doing more.

The findings indicate that just 25 percent of colleges and universities conduct annual comprehensive risk assessments. Half of those polled (50.8 percent) said that board members and senior administrators at their institutions completed risk assessments only on an as-needed basis. And just over 60 percent said their institutions do not conduct comprehensive risk assessments. Less that half of respondents (41.7 percent) reported that their institution frequently or routinely monitored “political or reputational” risks. Just 41 percent agreed that risk management is a priority at their institution.

Among other findings, the study recommends that institutions conduct periodic comprehensive, strategic assessments to identify risks that could imperil success. The study also suggests that risk tolerance ought to be a stronger factor in guiding strategic and operational decisions.

The study was conducted by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges and education insurance company United Educators (UE). Calling the survey results a wakeup call for leaders in higher education, UE CEO Janice Abraham said “colleges and universities have an opportunity to be a model for the entire business world in implementing robust enterprise risk management practices and policies.”

Pepperdine Offers Life-Long Learning for Alumni
With an eye toward ensuring that its graduates keep their skills honed—and to offer support in difficult economic times—the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University has started a new life-long learning program for alumni.

The program, called MBA Plus, will provide up to 75 percent reduced tuition for alumni who have already completed a Graziadio School MBA degree and who want to refresh their skills, learn new developments in their field, or pursue a different career focus. Starting this fall, MBA Plus will offer qualified candidates the opportunity to apply for a limited number of seats in the school’s Fully Employed MBA program evening and weekend courses.

Beach Reading for B Schools
Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell, tops the 2009 edition of the “Top 10 Summer Reading List for Business Leaders,” from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. The school’s sixth annual list also includes The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World, by Niall Ferguson, Getting China & India Right: Strategies for Leveraging the World’s Fastest Growing Economies for Global Advantage, by Anil K. Gupta, and The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life, by Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff. Visitors to the book list can support scholarships at the Smith School by clicking through to purchase recommended reading on Amazon.