Description: Actuarial science is at a cross roads. Many are urging that our highly successful examination process be partially abandoned in favour of accepting university courses in a number of basic subjects. This drive is based in part on the difficulties in supporting the present system, the experience elsewhere and a misplaced confidence in the quality of the university system. This paper explores where the university system is and where it needs to go in order to adequately serve the interests of the actuarial community.

Description: Table of Contents

Description: More than a decade ago, Jim Hickman visited Lebanon Valley College to talk to high school summer program participants about the actuarial profession. Then, and at other times since, Jim has expressed sincere interest and concern for undergraduate education, and special affection for the small liberal arts college. This paper describes some student undergraduate research projects undertaken by actuarial science students at Lebanon Valley College. It briefly considers getting students involved, where to get ideas for projects, types of projects, and then summarize some specific projects which have been completed by Lebanon Valley students. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1994, Vol. 1.

Description: Provides non-standard methods to determine correct answers to problems in life contingency examinations without necessarily solving the problem. Document includes population problems, problems using special rates of interest, and more.

Description: This paper addresses the success stories about how continuous process improvement programs and the use of statistical methods have cut costs in companies while improving the quality of products. Suggestions regarding implementation are presented. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1993, VOL. 1.

Description: This 1994 paper describes proposed changes in the SOA exam structure and provides arguments in support of the proposal. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1994, VOL. 1.

Description: This study examines the relationship between the administrator of a pension plan [the principal] and the actuary [the agent]. The objective is to design a contract for both the plan administrator and the actuary so that the actuary provides the appropriate level of information to the plan administrator. The study uses a simple model- one principal [the pension fund administrator] and one agent [the actuary] in a one-period model. In standard principal-agent models, working harder means higher productive output. In this model, it means more accurate information. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1999 Vol. 1.

Description: In the past, discussion of actuarial education has focused on curriculum content [what is to be learned] and mode of delivery [university course versus part-time correspondence course]. Little attention has been paid to how students learn, and how that learning can be facilitated to develop actuaries with the knowledge, skills and values the profession needs. This paper deals with the university-related content of a more comprehensive paper prepared by the authors for the 1993 Convention of The Institute of Actuaries of Australia. It concentrates on students' learning in the undergraduate actuarial program at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, but it is likely that many of its findings and conclusions would apply equally to university actuarial courses elsewhere. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1994, Vol. 1.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the undergraduate research in actuarial science at Ball State University. Abstracts of 23 honors theses, with brief comments about the students' careers, are given. Common characteristics of the theses are described. Helpful techniques for advising thesis writing students are provided. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1996, Vol. 1.

Description: This is the agenda for the 28th Annual Actuarial Research Conference held in Madison, WI August 19-21, 1993. From ACTUARIAL RESEARCH CLEARING HOUSE, 1994 VOL. 1.