Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU) Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) program was recently named the top vote recipient in Best’s Review monthly magazine’s biennial poll of collegiate programs.
EKU was lauded for its applied educational experiences, interaction with online students and adaptability to the COVID-19 crisis. Voters included insurance professionals and magazine readers who were asked which RMI programs are doing the best job at preparing students for a career in the industry.
“EKU’s ability to provide educational opportunities to students in all stages of life anywhere in the world is second to none,” said EKU President David McFaddin. “This top ranking for the Risk Management & Insurance program proves that our alumni value their excellent educational experiences and wish to pay it back by providing similar experiences to students following in their footsteps.”
There are fewer than 50 RMI programs across the country and EKU boasts the only RMI program in the state of Kentucky.
"Our program provides many opportunities for our students to interact with our accomplished alumni and friends in the insurance industry," said Lisa Gardner, director of the RMI program and Robert B. Morgan chair of insurance. "These include our RMI Scholarship Fundraiser and Golf Outing, RMI Career Fair, Women's Leadership Day, company visits and various travel opportunities. We invite all of our students to participate, no matter where they are."
RMI students at EKU are able to earn a degree no matter where they choose to study – via on-campus or online learning – and it is important to faculty and staff that all students are able to take advantage of the same opportunities.
“Our full-time faculty members prioritize student learning, while working hard to ensure they stay current with their own knowledge base through research, publication and professional designation work,” Gardner said. “Our staff prioritizes student learning and does a remarkable job of helping us deliver top-notch learning experiences, both in and outside of the classroom.”
While the COVID-19 crisis and the transition to online learning was a challenge for many colleges and universities in 2020, EKU was well-prepared to handle the needs of students because of its long-standing online classroom presence. Even though staff had only a week to prepare the transition from face-to-face classes to entirely online, EKU’s previous experiences in the online setting provided a much smoother conversion for faculty and students.
Faculty teaching online courses are provided studio space, green screens and training for recording lectures.
Online students take advantage of virtual internships and reimbursements for professional designation exam materials and fees.
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Note: Best’s Review is AM Best’s monthly insurance magazine. AM Best is the world’s largest credit rating agency specializing in the insurance industry.