MetLife insurance and UC campuses partner for first multicampus benefit program

The University of California Partnership Programs (UC Partnership Programs) and MetLife Auto & Home, one of the nation’s leading personal lines insurance groups, this week announced a multicampus program that provides personal auto, homeowners and renters insurance products to faculty, staff, alumni and students at the Berkeley, Davis and San Diego campuses.

This marks the first time MetLife Auto & Home has partnered with a specific university on a comprehensive offering that spans several campuses and stakeholder groups within a university system. MetLife Auto & Home is offering its MetLife Choice platform to the participating campus communities, providing individuals with multiple quotes from highly rated insurance carriers to get coverage that meets their needs, as well as a tailored customer experience including digital access and dedicated telephone numbers for employees, alumni and students.

“The University of California Partnership Programs represents a number of constituencies from students and faculty to the university’s alumni, each with their own specific needs,” said Darla Finchum, president, MetLife Auto & Home companies. “MetLife Choice allows us to respond to each individual’s needs, delivering a variety of insurance quotes and high-quality products through a personalized experience.”

UC Partnership Programs, which launched in June 2019, works collectively with the campuses to create dynamic multicampus and systemwide partnerships between business providers and the University of California campuses. The program is part of the SupplyChain500 Initiative (SC500), which aims to transform UC procurement supply chains across the UC system to deliver $500M in annual benefit in support of the University’s mission of teaching, research and public service.

“Creating collaborative partnerships across the UC system with partners like MetLife Auto & Home not only provides favorable terms for our faculty, staff, alumni and students, it optimizes overall value for the university,” said William Cooper, UC Associate Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer. “These strategic relationships prioritize our university values, generate new sustainable revenue streams to the system, and improve financial foundations and service to the campuses.”

Through this initiative, MetLife Auto & Home will provide additional benefits to the three campuses, including discounts on individual or bundled insurance packages through the MetLife Choice platform; convenient, automatic payment options, including payroll deduction on MetLife Auto & Home insurance for employees through the UCPath system; and access to educational content and one-on-one consulting. As part of the agreement, and in exchange for various marketing opportunities, MetLife Auto & Home will support other areas of campus life including staff and student development, multicampus initiatives and research. The five year, nearly $3 million agreement also includes an opportunity to expand the program to include other interested UC campuses.

MetLife Auto & Home was selected for the UC Partnership Programs after a robust and collaborative review process by the Berkeley, Davis and San Diego Insurance Working Groups. Each campus’s Insurance Working Group included representation from various stakeholders across their respective campuses, including but not limited to undergraduate and graduate student populations; faculty; and staff from the Divisions of Student Affairs, Intercollegiate Athletics, Alumni Associations, and Human Resources. The Insurance Working Groups reviewed and scored potential partners based on a variety of areas, such as stakeholder benefits, insurance products and services, strategic brand alignment, corporate social responsibility, student engagement, research and innovation, and total campus revenue and cost savings.

“MetLife Auto & Home stood out among all the respondents throughout the process due to their commitment to meeting UC’s unique needs and values,” said Amy Gardner, executive program lead of UC Partnership Programs. “The MetLife Choice platform is a great illustration of their ability to customize offerings, as it allows our community members to find the best policy by providing more personalized options for our diverse community.”

The Berkeley campus also plans to work with MetLife Auto & Home to offer recruitment opportunities through the Career Center, as well as student-focused educational opportunities such as case studies or guest lectures.