Butler Insurance Academy
The Butler University Insurance Academy, powered by ReForm School, offers a comprehensive catalog of 20 engaging, online courses designed to improve your technical proficiency in insurance products and policies. Whether you are new to risk and insurance or seeking to sharpen your current skills, the self-paced courses will help you increase your understanding and engagement with the insurance industry and allow you to apply the product and policy knowledge you gain. Take the first step in improving your effectiveness as an insurance professional by enrolling in the Butler University Insurance Academy today!
Why Choose Butler University’s Insurance Academy?
The Butler Insurance Academy was developed to meet the ever-growing shortfall of talented professionals in the insurance industry. The program’s modules are designed with the goal of providing foundational knowledge to individuals without a formal education in risk management and insurance (RMI), as well as organizations looking to upskill their personnel in numerous commercial insurance lines.
When taken in full, this program provides a base level of competency for new RMI professionals, however, experienced employees can also study individual modules to expand their skill sets or brush up on certain topics.
You can register and complete one or more of the individual courses for Butler Insurance Academy (20 total) on Instructure for $199 each or sign up for an annual subscription to access all courses for $1800.
Questions? Contact Liz Jackson at enjackso@butler.edu
Welcome to the Insurance Industry – 5.5 CE Credits
An introduction to the main functions of an insurance company including pricing, underwriting, claims and marketing. A great onboarding tool for those new to the industry or to your company!
Business Owners Policy (BOP) – 7 CE Credits
A full explanation of the popular BOP. Students will learn who can have a BOP, property coverages, liability coverage, perils covered and who qualifies as an “insured.’. This course includes lots of examples and “real life” scenarios for a solid introduction to the small business market.
Commercial General Liability (CGL/GL) – 6 CE Credits
The CGL, also known in the industry simply as a general liability or commercial liability policy, is the insurance policy that no medium to large business can be without! It covers “traditional” liability such as slip and falls and also covers liability related to advertising and related damages and injuries. This course is a must for anyone who is – or wants to be – active in the commercial markets.
Business and Personal Property (BPP/Commercial Property) – 6 CE Credits
For a mid- to large-sized business, the keystone of protection for damage to the business’s property is the BPP. In this course, the student will engage in an in-depth, yet simple to understand, review of the BPP, including several popular endorsements such as peak season and value reporting.
Business Auto Policy (BAP/Commercial Auto) – 4 CE Credits
Any business that operates vehicles, even if they are not owned by the business, is a good candidate for the BAP. But the use of symbols can be intimidating. This course will cover the entire BAP policy, including explanations of the symbols used with lots of examples and exercises to solidify the student’s learning and expertise.
Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability Policies – 3.5 CE Credits
The Commercial Umbrella and Excess Liability policies are actually two different animals. But they do share similarities and many in the insurance industry call both by the “umbrella” name. In this course, the student will become an expert in the differences, learn the various types such as “following form” policies, and learn to recognize the opportunities for these policies in the commercial market.
Worker Compensation and Employers Liability
Workers Compensation insurance is a world unto itself. Each state has its own rules and regulations. But, even in states in which workers compensation insurance is not required (due to the type or number of workers), it is often a good idea to purchase it anyway. In this course, the student will learn why as well as how the coverages apply. Since the most common workers compensation policy also includes Employer Liability Insurance, that is covered as well.
Builders Risk – 4.5 CE Credits
Builders Risk insurance (sometimes called “course of construction” insurance) is a special policy that is needed when an insured undertakes any construction project. It covers the buildings under construction, certain tools, equipment and materials used. It can be written on a temporary basis or, for construction clients, on a permanent basis.
Often called an “installation floater,” the Installation Coverage Policy covers construction materials that are not covered by a commercial property policy because they are not on the covered premises, and not covered under a Builders Risk Policy.
There are seven different insuring agreements for the Commercial Crime Policy. Unlike many other insurance policies they are “ala carte.” The insured only selects and pays for the ones he or she needs.
Contractors Equipment Insurance
For any insured in the construction trades, the Contractors Equipment Insurance Policy is a must. It protects the tools and equipment that is the lifeblood of the contractor’s business when it is on its way or at a jobsite.
The Personal Auto Policy, or PAP, is the core of many property and casualty insurance agents’ books of business. Even multi-line agents often “lead” with the PAP in hopes of converting other lines of business as the client relationship develops. It is also the most popular insurance policy in the US!
ISO Owner/Occupied Homeowners Policies (includes HO 1, HO 2, HO 3, HO 5, and HO 8)
Knowing which Homeowners Insurance Policy is right for which situation is a key to success in personal lines. This course covers the typical owner/occupied homeowners policies including the HO 2, HO 3, HO 5 and HO 8, as well as gives information about the somewhat rare HO 1.
The HO 4 is used in one situation – when an insured is renting a residence from another. And even though it is similar to other HO-type policies, it also has big differences, such as NO Coverage A for the dwelling. This course explains it all!
For owner/occupied condominiums and cooperatives, the HO 6 is the policy to use. This course is an in-depth review of that policy.
Making the Case for Life Insurance
It’s true that property and casualty insurance is often “bought” but life insurance is “sold.” This course will explain the common needs for life insurance as well as how to determine how much life insurance is needed.
The fastest growing life insurance policies are term insurance. And with innovations such as level premium and return of premium term, a term insurance policy can be customized to almost any situation.
Since the Affordable Care Act was enacted, the group health insurance market has changed. This course will explain the important (and confusing) terminology associated with health insurance as well as how group health plans are underwritten and priced. The student will also learn the basic types of health insurance offered in most group plans.
Offering group term life insurance is a basic employee benefit in many companies. This course will explain the product, the tax benefits that make it popular, and the tax issues that accompany group term life insurance. It is a great introduction to the group benefits market!
Group disability insurance is somewhat different from individual disability income policies. In this course, the student will study the mechanics of group disability from who can be insured to the benefits and taxation of those benefits. Being able to offer this to businesses can expand an employee benefits book of business!
Complete Butler Insurance Academy program can be accessed here.
The Butler Insurance Academy is open to anyone, with no application requirements or prerequisites, and it is available online to students across the world.
“This course was not only a great refresher for some topics, but I also learned some new facts! The interactive, situational questions throughout the course were very helpful and allowed me to apply what I just learned to a real world-type example.”
—Hannah T.
“Training and mentorship helped propel my career forward. After working with , I’ve been able to start my own agency and continue to see growth.”
—Chandra G.
Continuing Education (CE) Credits approved through the Indiana Department of Insurance.
Tom Faulconer, CEO and Headmaster of Re:Form School and Clinical Professor at Butler University.
Students progress through the content at their preferred pace, accessing lectures, readings, and assignments on their schedule. Support channels are available for inquiries or assistance throughout their learning journey. Completion certificates are awarded upon fulfilling course requirements. The program’s rolling basis enrollment allows individuals to join and commence their studies at any time, offering flexibility and convenience. After completing the simple registration process, students have immediate access to the course(s). Individual courses and annual subscriptions can be accessed for 12 months from the registration date.
To complete the registration process, select the registration link for the specific course(s) or annual subscription from the curriculum list. If you do not have an account in Butler’s catalog platform, you will be promoted creating one. Once logged in, you will be able to select “enroll” and complete the payment process.
Butler’s Insurance Academy offers to convenient enrollment options:
Option 1: Subscribe to the academy annually, gaining unlimited access to our comprehensive catalog of online training courses throughout the year. This annual subscription not only provides continuous learning opportunities but also allows individuals to explore various modules at their own pace, ensuring a holistic understanding of insurance products and policies.
Annual Subscription Rate: $1,800
Option 2: For those looking to focus on specific areas of interest, we provide the option to purchase individual courses. This a la carte approach enables students to tailor their learning experience according to their specific needs or career objectives.
Individual Course Fee: $199
Insurance Academy program will enable you to meet the following Program Learning Objectives:
- Improve technical proficiency in insurance products and policies.
- Increase engagement with products, policy and industry.
- Apply product and policy knowledge to improve effectiveness as an insurance professional.
The program activities, including the video lectures, examples, exercises, study guides, and knowledge checks are designed to support the student in achieving these objectives and the learning objectives of each course.
Indiana’s insurance landscape presents a thriving sector within the state’s economy, showcasing promising opportunities and growth.
Indiana Insurance Market Summary:
- Insurance carriers and related activities make up 63.85% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for financial institutions in Indiana.*
- Indiana ranks 13th nationally in the total number of domestic insurance companies with 133 companies as of 2021.**
- Employment in the insurance industry in Indiana has experienced steady growth since 2014 with 47,103 employees reported in 2021.***
* Source: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
**Source: NAIC Insurance Department Resources Report
*** Source: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Insurance professionals can apply their professional development hours from the Butler Insurance Academy to the twenty-four (24) total hours of Indiana insurance continuing education (CE) required every license renewal period. CE hours are listed for approved courses.