Academy of Life Underwriting (ALU)

The Joint Education and Examination Committee, the predecessor of the ALU, was formed in 1948 by joint action of the Home Office Life Underwriters Association and the Institute of Home Office Underwriters. The Canadian Institute of Underwriters became a full partner in the Academy of Life Underwriting in 1991. The Committee's name was changed to Life Underwriting Education Committee in 1973. In 1998, the name was again changed, this time to Education Committee of the Academy of Life Underwriting. Then in 2010, the name was changed to Academy of Life Underwriting.  This occurred at the same time the current structure of the Life Underwriting Board was put into place.

The 1975 class had 9 graduates, all achieving the FALU designation by writing a project paper.  1981 was the year one could earn a FALU by passing the third exam.  In 1994, we passed the 500 FALU mark and in 2007 we designated our 1,000 Fellow. 

The ALU now provides a series of four exams leading to the Fellow, Academy of Life Underwriting designation.  In addition, we produce two educational seminars, a series of web seminars and one management forum per year.

There have been 11 past chairs of the Education Committee beginning with Art Taylor in 1974.  The others are Ben Currier (1977), Bill Phillips (1980), Bob Hale (1983), Dale Johnson (1987), Joe Dahl (1990), Barb Lutz (1993), Gloria Flattum (1996), Roland Paradis (1999), Brian Pray (2002), Marty Meyer (2005).

The Association of Home Office Underwriters (AHOU) and the Canadian Institute of Underwriters (CIU) are the sponsoring organizations for the ECALU.  The three past presidents/chairpersons of the those two organizations form the Life Underwriting Board (LUB) which has oversight over the ALU.