Welcome to 2011! And Welcome to Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance. We at the Academy of Insurance are excited about this year’s program of study. Because of our commitment to the insurance industry and its place as a “profession,” we have designed 2011’s courses to accomplish three primary goals:
- Be high quality;
- Be relevant and immediately useful; and
- Be presented in a convenient, easily accessible format.
More than 2,000 insurance professionals attended Academy courses during 2010, our inaugural year. And in 2011, the Academy offers even greater e-training opportunities for insurance professionals serious about treating insurance as a profession.
What is a Profession?
Clearly the Academy’s focus is on improving the insurance profession and industry professionalism; but what is a “profession?” A “profession” is a calling that: 1) requires specialized knowledge; 2) has legal and/or educational barriers to entry; 3) requires the practitioner be dedicated to the vocation itself; and 4) necessitates a commitment to continual study and the increase in applied knowledge — all with the goal of protecting and/or bettering society. This intimates focused attention on the profession’s depth and details; a passion to be better tomorrow than today; and surrendering to the fact that the well of knowledge is infinitely deep and its waters are not adequately explored shy of ongoing, personal study. Getting paid doesn’t make a vocation a profession or a worker a professional — it’s the commitment to learning and training.
True professionals accept the challenges of their calling by dedicating themselves to studying and understanding the industry, the client and the mechanism. In short, professionals value education and training.
Professionals do not ask how many continuing education (CE) hours are provided by a particular course or class; they don’t care. The question professionals ask before attending a class, lecture or online study is, “Will this make me better at what I do?” If the answer is “yes,” then CE is secondary — an afterthought. But if there is no CE credit, the professional doesn’t care — it’s about the desire to be the best. Professionals make their good, better and their better the best through dedicated study, education and training.
The Academy of Insurance has built a core of insurance professionals dedicated to insurance as a profession. Beyond seeing insurance as a profession, each faculty member has proven to be professionals in their own careers. Each is passionate about their profession and all portray this passion in their teaching.
Academy of Insurance Format
Academy courses are conducted via live Webinar allowing students to learn from the best without leaving their desk. The Academy’s 2011 schedule offers 105 class sessions covering a broad range of topics including:
- Agency management;
- Personnel management;
- Sales and new producer training;
- Coverage analysis; and
- Executive training (special training program offered).
All Webinars begin at 1:30 Eastern /10:30 Pacific and generally last one hour. Every Academy course is recorded and within three business days of each live class all registered students (whether able to attend the session or not) are provided a link to the class, a copy of the presentation and an MP3 of the audio. This allows students the opportunity to review the material any time they desire.
In addition to the Academy’s live classes, most programs are made available on an “on-demand” basis. On-demand classes allow students to download and attend courses as their schedule allows. The only difference between our live classes and on-demand classes is the lack of access to the question and answer session held at the end of each session. However, faculty members do provide their contact information allowing on-demand students to pose questions — just not on a “real time” basis.
The Academy of Insurance Web site
More information about the Academy of Insurance can be found at www.ijacademy.com. Check the site regularly to stay up-to-date on Academy happenings. In addition to the upcoming class schedule, the Web site includes a library of all on-demand classes, faculty bios, a blog and a list of available books.
2011 First Quarter Schedule
January 13 — February 10
Practical Workers’ Compensation: What You Need to Know (5-part Series)
Christopher J. Boggs — Director of Education IJ Academy of Insurance
January 19 — January 26
Increase Your Sales by Improving Your Sales Stories (2-part Series)
Bill Whitley — The Bill Whitley Co.
February 2
Increase Sales by Learning How to Ask the Right Questions
Bill Whitley — The Bill Whitley Co.
February 9
Is it Legal to Use Social Media in Hiring, Performance Management or Firing?
Nancy Germond — Owner, The Insurance Writer
February 15
The Real Effects of Granting Additional Insurance Status
Christopher J. Boggs — Director of Education IJ Academy of Insurance
February 16
How to Prepare a P&C Underwriting Submission: Move to the Top of the Pile and Get the Best Pricing!
John Anderson — Senior Managing Consultant, IBM Global Business Services
February 17 — March 3
Is Your Agency Ready? Developing a Program to Grow Your Agency (3-part Series)
Mary M. Eisenhart — Eisenhart Consulting Group
February 23
How to Prepare Executive and Miscellaneous Liability Underwriting Submissions
John Anderson — Senior Managing Consultant, IBM Global Business Services
March 1 — June 7
Producer Performance Development Program (8-part Series)
Steven Walker — Sales and Marketing Director, Polestar
March 2 — March 23
Green Risk Boot Camp and Training Series (4-part Series)
Trent Massey — Vale Training Solutions
March 10
Basics of Personal Injury Protection
Storm Wilkins — Precedent Corporate Training
March 17
Advanced Personal Injury Protection
Storm Wilkins — Precedent Corporate Training
March 24 — 29
What is an Owner Controlled Insurance Program (an OCIP)? (2-part Class)
Bob Titus — Claims Manager, Academic Risk Resources & Insurance, LLC
March 30
The Proper Care and Feeding of Certificates of Insurance
Stuart Powell — VP Insurance Operations, IIANC
Topics Training Development
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