CAS Hosts WebEx Conference on Basic Education Initiatives

Following the success of its first Web-based conference earlier this year, the CAS hosted its second WebEx conference on June 28, this time for employers of actuaries. Chief actuaries and individuals responsible for administering student programs at their companies were the target audience for this one-hour session on basic education initiatives. People across the country from more than 80 locations participated in this distance-learning program. Joanne Spalla, vice president-marketing and communications, opened the conference and introduced Tom Myers, vice president-admissions, who conducted the presentation and answered questions from the participants.

"The education of casualty actuaries is one of the most important services of the CAS, and as the employers of actuaries, you are the consumers of this service," Spalla remarked to the audience. "We thought it was important to have this conference to make you aware of the changes that are coming up and to enable you to ask questions about them so you'll be able to take these changes into account in planning your student program."

Myers led the attendees through a series of slides covering verification by educational experience, computer-based testing, the code of professional conduct as it applies to candidates, the modeling workshop, and activities of the Task Force on FCAS Education. Participants were able to ask questions by submitting them through the WebEx program. Half of the conference was devoted to responding to questions about the changes to the basic education system.

Attendee feedback was favorable on both the use of technology and the content of the presentation. Based on the positive returns, other WebEx conferences are being planned for the future.

The conference was recorded, and anyone whose schedule did not permit them to participate in the original conference can view it at their convenience through the web site.