In the early 1980s, the American Bankers Association embarked on a major initiative called the Professional Development Program (PDP) to assist in coordinating banker education. Among other goals, this initiative involved development of curriculum to be used at certain state association-sponsored schools and a systematic delivery network for banker education at the local, state, regional and national level. For the bankers served by Schools of Banking, this delivery network included American Institute of Banking classes/programs and American Bankers Association educational programs/schools as well as the Schools of Banking schools. Although the PDP concept was abandoned by the ABA in 1996, it still continues to provide a representative outline of the systematic education delivery network in place at the Schools of Banking.

AudienceCurriculumDeliveryEntry-level employees, supervisors, and junior officersBasic education in the:

• business of banking
• major functional areas of banking

LOCAL

• Schools of Banking:
  School of Banking Fundamentals
  School of Trust & Financial Services
  School of Lending Principles
  Principles of Commercial Lending School
• American Institute of Banking (AIB) Courses through the Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Associations
• Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Association Conferences, Seminars and Workshops

First-level officers through mid-managers

• General banking
• Functional banking

STATE

• Schools of Banking:
  Commercial Lending School
  Commercial Lending School - Year 2
  Agricultural Lending School
  Advanced School of Banking
  Operations School
  Bank Compliance School
  Compliance Update School
• Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Association Conferences, Seminars and Workshops

Department heads and other managers

• Advanced bank management theory and application
• Advanced functional banking and management of the function

REGIONAL

• Schools of Banking:
  Advanced Agricultural Lending School
  Advanced Trust  School
  Graduate Schools of Banking
• Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Association Conferences, Seminars and Workshops

Senior managers and CEOsExecutive development in:

• public relations
• negotiations
• strategic planning
• entrepreneurial skills

NATIONAL

• National Executive Schools
• Senior Educational programs through the Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Association as well as the American Bankers Association
• Graduate Schools of Banking

As this chart and the following detailed descriptions of Schools of Banking offerings indicate, the Schools of Banking's primary market is first-level through department head managers.

Current offerings include the following schools and graduate schools:

Designed for compliance and audit personnel who monitor or manage compliance with laws and regulations, the Bank Compliance School provides the most effective compliance training available today.  The curriculum includes all federal regulations covered in on-site compliance examinations by federal regulatory agencies.

The School faculty is comprised of experienced bankers and recognized experts in the field of bank compliance.  Mark Thomas of Arvest Bank serves as the School Director, and Stephen Lindgren of Cornhusker Bank serves as Assistant School Director.

Prerequisites:

• Compliance-related responsibilities.
• Two years of banking experience.

The Compliance Update School is designed to provide previous years' graduates of the weeklong Bank Compliance School with an update on "hot-topics" and industry trends. All attendees are provided with a completely updated compliance manual (the same one used at the weeklong school).

Faculty from the weeklong School instruct the Compliance Update School.

• Students must have graduated from the previous weeklong program in order to attend.

A general banking school designed for the new bank employee, management trainee, or specialized banker. The curriculum provides an understanding and appreciation for all major banking functions. The curriculum is developed by the faculty under the guidance of the Basic/General Banking Advisory Committee.

The faculty consists of active bankers and on occasion, consultants. With over 10 different subjects introduced within the curriculum, there are usually 10 or more faculty members.

• Recommend minimum of three to six months of banking experience.

The Principles of Commercial Lending School is designed for new commercial lenders and teaches foundational principles of commercial lending. Student participate in case studies, exercises and role plays.  Students will:

• Gain skill in applying financial analysis techniques
• Learn structuring questions
• Learn cash flow methods
• Apply the concepts of business cycles
• Calculate and interpret ratios, cash flow and breakeven analysis
• Gain skill in analyzing tax returns and personal financial statements
• Learn negotiating techniques
• Explore problem loan workout strategies
• Network with other bankers

Tom Capouch of The First & Farmers Bank in Portland, North Dakota, and Michael Wear of First National Bank in Omaha, Nebraska, serve as the faculty members.

• Basic understanding of commercial lending principles.  A minimum of one year experience in a financial institution is suggested.
  
• Successful completion of ABA Training (previously AIB courses) in Commercial Lending, Analyzing Financial Statements, Accounting, and Economics; or equivalent coursework; or completion of School of Lending Principles; or demonstrated knowledge.

The Commercial Lending School is designed to teach lenders the commercial lending process. The School provides a very solid curriculum designed to equip intermediate lenders with the knowledge needed to understand the commercial borrower's business, analyze the key financials, structure the loan, administer the lending process and monitor repayment. This school is highly regarded because of its systematic curriculum and outstanding faculty. The curriculum follows a logical progression that parallels the loan evaluation process. The School also incorporates numerous case studies, exercises and role plays.  Students will:

• Gain skill in applying advanced financial analysis techniques
• Analyze various business operating cycles
• Interpret ratios, cash flow, working investment, sustainable growth, and breakeven analysis
• Gain skill in analyzing complex tax returns and personal financial statements.
• Network with other bankers

Michael Wear of First National Bank in Omaha, Nebraska, serves as the faculty member and School Director.

• A minimum of two years experience as a commercial lender,credit analyst or have equivalent experience within a financial institution.
• Completion of high school (four-year college degree preferable);
• Successful completion of ABA Training (previously AIB courses) in Commercial Lending, Analyzing Financial Statements, Accounting, and Economics; or equivalent coursework; or completion of School of Lending Principles; or demonstrated knowledge.

The Commercial Lending School - 3 day option is specifically designed for graduates of the Principles of Commercial Lending School. Participants will have the opportunity to refresh and expand their commercial lending skills and knowledge. Students study understanding businesses, historical financial analysis and sensitivity analysis. It is the School's objective to provide lenders with three-days to practice commercial lending through a variety of real-life case studies.  Students will:

Michael Wear of First National Bank in Omaha, Nebraska, serves as the lead faculty member.

• Students must have graduated from an approved Principles of Commercial Lending School.
  

A comprehensive course for junior- to mid-level bankers desiring instruction in the important elements of ag lending. This week-long course provides intensive instruction on topics such as financial statement interpretation, loan structure, and credit analysis. Practical application is prevalent in this school which incorporates case studies complete with computer spreadsheet applications. Dr. David Kohl serves as the primary curriculum author.

Dr. David Kohl, a nationally recognized speaker, has served as lead instructor of this school since its inception in 1988. Dr. Kohl instructs the majority of classroom sessions. Other faculty members are hired to instruct some curriculum modules and case studies.

• A minimum of one year of experience in agricultural lending or credit analysis in a bank;
• Completion of high school (completion of four-year college degree preferable);
• Successful completion of ABA Training (previously AIB courses) in Analyzing Financial Statements, Commercial Lending and Accounting; or equivalent coursework; or completion of School of Lending Principles; or demonstrated knowledge.

Designed for graduates of a weeklong Agricultural Lending School, the Advanced Agricultural Lending Graduate School was created to provide students with an in-depth perspective on the future of U.S. Agriculture, advanced ratio analysis and risk rating, monitoring of complex credits, evaluation of business expansion, problem loan identification and workout, and risk assessment.

Dr. David Kohl, a nationally recognized speaker, has served as lead instructor of this school. Generally, one additional faculty member also instructs.

• Students must have graduated from a weeklong Agricultural Lending School in order to attend.

This two-year, one-week per year school is designed to prepare mid-level bankers for management positions. In Year 1 bankers are introduced to a variety of subjects including advanced banking topics such as asset/liability management, investments and bank financial analysis, complemented by management classes such as personnel management and sales management. Students leave Year 1 with improved analytical, decision-making and management skills. Between Years 1 and 2 students complete three assignments to increase their familiarity with their bank's practices and to prepare for Year 2. At Year 2 students have the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained by running a bank through a realistic computer-generated simulation called BankExec. Classroom sessions at Year 2 introduce new topics, such as negotiations, ethical leadership and hot topics in regulatory compliance. Schools of Banking works with a number of recognized authors to develop the core banking curriculum for this school. This curriculum is now used by numerous other state bankers associations. Faculty members also supplement the curriculum with outlines and exhibits.

The faculty of the Advanced School of Banking generally consists of active bankers and occasionally, consultants and academicians. With over 10 subjects introduced during the school, there are usually 10 or more faculty members for Year 1. A Simulation Director (an active banker) and an Assistant Simulation Director (also an active banker) oversee the BankExec simulation at Year 2.

• A college degree and two years of banking experience or a high school diploma and five years of banking experience;
• Successful completion of ABA Training (previously AIB courses) in Principles of Banking, Economics for Bankers and Accounting; or equivalent coursework; or completion of School of Banking Fundamentals; or demonstrated knowledge.

One of few state association-sponsored trust schools in the United States, the School of Trust & Financial Services provides bankers exposure to numerous facets of the trust business. Offered during odd numbered years, this school is ideal for the newer trust employee, management trainee, start-up trust departments, and specialized trust personnel. The Iowa Trust Association also sponsors this school.

The faculty of the School of Trust & Financial Services generally consists of active bankers, attorneys, and on occasion, consultants. With over 10 different subjects introduced within the curriculum there are usually numerous faculty members.

• Recommend a minimum of six months of trust department experience.

Offered during odd numbered years, the Advanced Trust School is designed to provide continuing trust education, instruction on technical operations and administration topics, information on up-to-date trends and changes in the trust field.

Many of the faculty from the School of Trust & Financial Services instruct at the Advanced Trust School, along with other Trust professionals.

• Graduation from the weeklong School of Trust & Financial Services OR a minimum of four years progressive trust experience.  

A basic lending school designed for lenders with specialized lending experience or less than one- to two-years general lending experience, as well as loan support personnel and personal bankers.

The curriculum provides a hands-on introduction to credit and financial principles, focusing on lending as a process with emphasis on documentation, financial statement preparation and analysis and communication.

Faculty members include: Richard Beck of STAR Financial Bank in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who instructs Introduction to Lending and Consumer Lending; Perry Haralson of Cornhusker Bank in Lincoln, Nebraska who instructs Real Estate Lending; Tom Capouch of The First & Farmers Bank in Portland, North Dakota, who instructs Analyzing Small Business Loans and Loan Documentation; and Tim Ohlde of The Elk State Bank in Clyde, Kansas, who instructs Agricultural Lending.

• Six months bank experience recommended.

Offered in even numbered years, the three-day Operations School is designed to provide specialized training for individuals who are involved in and/or manage the operational functions in their banks. The School is structured to offer a comprehensive educational package targeted specifically at operations personnel.

The School faculty is comprised of experienced bankers and recognized experts in the field of bank operations.

Prerequisites:

• One year general banking experience and completion of School of Banking Fundamentals or relevant operations experience is suggested.

Now more than 50 years after that first school, the Schools of Banking has served over 20,000 bankers. The years to come promise to be very exciting ones for the Schools of Banking and the bankers we serve. The Schools of Banking is fortunate to have dedicated bankers in the form of instructors, school administration, committee members and Board members who are willing to devote their energies and time toward quality banker education.

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