COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Adirondack Insurance Exchange (AIE), Financial Stability Rating of A, Exceptional, and Mountain Valley Indemnity Company (MVIC), Financial Stability Rating of A (A Prime), Unsurpassed, have created a separate, stand-alone multi-state personal lines platform that joins the writing capacity of AIE with the geographic footprint of MVIC. As a result of the transaction, AIE and MVIC will be positioned for further organic growth and expansion as a dedicated personal lines platform with a geographic footprint that covers 22 states.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120123/MM39893LOGO)

While AIE has writing capacity, it is licensed only in New York. MVIC is licensed in 22 states in addition to New York. By acquiring and reinsuring MVIC, AIE will have exposure, through reinsurance, to business in jurisdictions other than New York, thereby diversifying AIE's geographic risk profile. Separate and apart from any benefits of this transaction for AIE or other members of the Tower holding company system, this transaction will be a positive development for MVIC.

By joining MVIC's licenses with AIE writing capacity, the sale to AIE will give MVIC a market niche that is unique in the Tower holding company system, and should cause it to feature prominently in future growth strategies. The combined personal lines platform of AIE and MVIC will play central role in personal lines strategic development, initially in the northeast, with potential for expansion into other areas.

About Tower Group Companies

Tower Group Companies is one of the 50 largest providers of property and casualty insurance products and services in the U.S. Through its insurance company subsidiaries, Towerprovides personal and commercial insurance for small to medium-sized businesses through its network of retail and wholesale agents across the country. Tower also offers specialty insurance products through a national network of program underwriting agents. Visit http://www.twrgrp.com for more information.

ABOUT DEMOTECH, INC.

Demotech, Inc. is a financial analysis firm specializing in evaluating the financial stability of regional and specialty insurers. Since 1985, Demotech has served the insurance industry by assigning accurate, reliable and proven Financial Stability Ratings (FSRs) for Property & Casualty insurers and Title underwriters. FSRs are a leading indicator of financial stability, providing an objective baseline of the future solvency of an insurer. Demotech's philosophy is to review and evaluate insurers based on their area of focus and execution of their business model rather than solely on financial size. This philosophy was the catalyst for the Demotech Company Classification System, which was developed and published in Insurance Journal, in order to stratify and categorize insurers into operational categories. Visit http://www.demotech.com for more information.

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Personal Lines Strategic Development for Tower Group Companies

Hamdan student programme supervisors attend workshop

(Staff Reporter) / 16 May 2012

DUBAI - The Hamdan bin Mohammed Students Personal Development Programme launched last year by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, held a five-day workshop for public and private school supervisors assigned to ensure that the students acquire the skills aimed to be developed by the programme.

The workshop was held to familiarise the supervisors with their role under the third phase of the programme.

The workshop was opened by Abdulla Al Shaibani, Secretary-General of the Dubai Executive Council.

Al Shaibani referred to the great attention paid by Shaikh Hamdan to the youth and his directives to support the young people as they are the real wealth to build this nation and bolster its march.

The programme is working in line with the objectives of the social development scopes of the Dubai strategic plan 2015 on backing education in a strategic manner and to achieve the goals set by the programme, Al Shaibani noted. He expressed happiness at the vital role played by school supervisors in following up the implementation of the programme with students.

The programme is making big strides thanks to the good cooperation among the General Secretariat of the DEC, the Human Resources Department of the Dubai government, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the Dubai Education Zone and the schools participating in the programme.

A total of 18 supervisors of schools signed in the programme attended the workshop.

news@khaleejtimes.com

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Hamdan student programme supervisors attend workshop

Education Online Services Corporation Announces Upcoming Launch of an Online RN to BSN Degree for Southern University, School of Nursing in Baton Rouge

Education Online Services and Southern Universitys School of Nursing announce the launch of online RN to BSN degree

The Baccalaureate program at Southern University School of Nursing is approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). National licensure exam pass rates for SUSON graduates have been above the national average for ten of the last twelve years. The School of Nursing was recently named Nursing School of the Year for the second time in three years by the Louisiana Nurses Association and Louisiana Nursing Foundation.

Offering our RN to BSN degree online is the perfect resolution for the growing number of people who have inquired about our program but, because of their schedules, found it difficult to get to the campus, said SUBR Chancellor James L. Llorens. We are excited about the easy accessibility we can now provide and what it will mean to the careers of so many nurses.

With the Institute of Medicine calling for at least 80% of the nursing population to hold a BSN degree by 2020, the announcement of this degree comes at a very good time stated Ezell Brown, Chairman of Education Online Services Corporation. Last year, one of the top reasons why nursing schools did not accept qualified students into BSN programs was due to limited classroom space. Launching the BSN degree program online will not only enable Southern University of Baton Rouge to increase their student enrollments, but it will help them extend their student reach beyond their geographical boundaries, Brown continued.

The BSN program encompasses the fundamentals taught in associate degree and diploma programs plus a more in-depth study of the physical and social sciences, nursing research, public and community health, nurse management and the humanities. In addition, it prepares nurses to actively participate in assessing and developing patient care plans, educating patients on caring for their own health, prepares the new nurse for a broader scope of practice and provides a better understanding of issues that affect patients and influence health care delivery.

The American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) released data revealing that BSN credentialed graduates were much more likely to receive job offers upon graduation or soon after than graduates from other fields. Specifically speaking, according to a national survey of deans and directors from nursing schools across the United States, revealed that 65% of new BSN graduates had job offers at the time of graduation, which is substantially higher (24.4%) than the national average across all professions.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing is the largest occupation in the field of health care with approximately 2.6 million people holding nursing jobs. Salaries for nurses can be dependent upon job location, but are mostly based on level of education according to PayScale.com. Nurses who hold BSN credential tend to earn approximately $6,000 more annually than RNs.

Applications are currently being accepted for the June 4, 2012, class start; however, students may enter any semester (fall, spring, or summer). Criteria for admission to the school of nursing includes a cumulative GPA of 2.6 or higher with a minimum grade of C for all prerequisites, must pass the university writing proficiency exam, and provide evidence of a current active unencumbered state board of nursing license. Federal financial aid is also available to those who qualify. For a complete list of admission requirements and further information on financial aid, please visit Southern University Online at http://www.GoToSouthernUniversityOnline.com/RNBSN or call Southern University School of Nursing at 866-895-8019.

About Education Online Services Corporation (EOServe Corp) Education Online Services Corporation was founded by a select team of academic and marketing professional who recognized the opportunity to assist colleges and universities in underserved communities with the development of full-service online degree programs. With the primary focus on graduating students, Education Online Services Corporation works closely with the admissions, financial aid, and academic departments of each institution to help them market and increase enrollment by expanding their on-campus degree programs to online degree programs. For more information please got to http://www.EducationOnlineServices.com

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Education Online Services Corporation Announces Upcoming Launch of an Online RN to BSN Degree for Southern University ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Teenagers in Ohio would be able to take driver's education courses online instead of in classrooms under a proposed change being considered by lawmakers.

Teens younger than 18 currently are required to have 24 hours in the classroom and eight hours behind the wheel with instructors. Republican Sen. Tom Patton of Strongsville tells The Dayton Daily News allowing online courses in place of classroom work would offer families a cheaper, more flexible alternative to traditional driver's education.

Driving schools opposed to the change say it would hurt their business and allow teens to do the online work with little oversight, creating more opportunity for cheating.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association says 15 of the 26 states that require teen driver education allow online training.

___

Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com

2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Ohio lawmakers consider online driver's education

NORWOOD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mercer, a leading global provider of benefits administration, announced today that it has launched My Retirement Workshop, (www.myretirementworkshop.com) an online retirement planning and education campaign for employees whose 401(k) plans it administers. Thematically styled after todays many popular home improvement programs, the innovative website provides interactive tools and hands-on instruction to help investors fix up their retirement plans.

My Retirement Workshop addresses key findings from the 2011 Mercer Workplace Survey, which revealed that employees are feeling more personally accountable for their own retirement. In fact, despite having a broadly negative economic outlook, more employees than in past years reported stepping up their retirement planning activity, including increasing their 401(k) contributions and reallocating their portfolios.

Typically, weve found that a pessimistic economic outlook among 401(k) participants leads them to ignore and often retreat from retirement planning, said Dave Tolve, Retirement Business Leader for Mercers US Outsourcing business. With our most recent survey results, however, we saw the opposite employees seemed to be more motivated to make positive changes and take on more personal responsibility for their future financial security. My Retirement Workshop was designed to respond to this shift in attitude with helpful, action-oriented content that will give participants the tools to continuously improve their chances of a successful retirement.

My Retirement Workshop consists of four main features: a brief self-assessment tool that provides personalized feedback and a recommended action plan; a selection of hands-on projects that address common retirement planning challenges; a toolbox of helpful calculators, worksheets and widgets; and an opportunity to learn from the pros by watching videos, listening to podcasts and/or reading articles. Visitors to the site can also interact with peers through discussion boards, quick polls and share the site through various social media websites. The My Retirement Workshop online education campaign was launched in early May and will be a year-long campaign, with new content and features to be introduced in the fall.

Participants can access My Retirement Workshop through their plans website. A public version of the site is also available at http://www.myretirementworkshop.com, where mobile device users also can access a mobile-optimized variation of the site for easy viewing.

Mercers US Outsourcing business administers the defined contribution retirement programs for 1.3 million participants.

About Mercer

Mercer is a global leader in human resource consulting and related services. The firm works with clients to solve their most complex human capital issues by designing and helping manage health, retirement and other benefits. Mercers 20,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries. Mercer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC - News), a global team of professional services companies offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and human capital. With 52,000 employees worldwide and annual revenue exceeding $10 billion, Marsh & McLennan Companies is also the parent company of Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and risk management; Guy Carpenter, a global leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary services; and Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting. For more information, visit http://www.mercer.com. Follow Mercer on Twitter @MercerInsights.

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Mercer Launches “My Retirement Workshop” Online Education Program

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill which would have made broad changes to the state's online education system, officials say.

Senate Bill 1259 would have made it easier for junior and high school students to take online courses from a "master list" of courses approved by the state. Any online class currently offered would be automatically added to the list, but starting in 2019, courses would need to be submitted to the state for approval, The Arizona Republic reported.

The bill also would have required supervision for final exams to prevent cheating.

Brewer expressed concerns that it might be inappropriate for the state "or an entity on behalf of the state approving online courses or curriculum," in a letter accompanying her veto Monday.

In response to a provision would have provided schools with more state funding per student if the student mastered a subject, Brewer said: "I strongly support moving forward toward funding outcomes; however [the Arizona Department of Education] may not be able to implement the systems properly, at least as the bill is drafted."

Online K-12 education is becoming more popular across the country, with the number of students in Arizona online schools reaching nearly 37,000 in the 2010-2011 school year, almost tripling over the last six years, The Arizona Republic reported.

As online education becomes more widespread, so have concerns regarding the quality of the classes. In an investigative series, The Republic found there to be relatively lax oversight and ample opportunities for cheating.

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Ariz. Gov. Brewer Vetoes Online Education Bill

Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for students to take classes online. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

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PHOENIX, May 15 (UPI) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill which would have made broad changes to the state's online education system, officials say.

Senate Bill 1259 would have made it easier for junior and high school students to take online courses from a "master list" of courses approved by the state. Any online class currently offered would be automatically added to the list, but starting in 2019, courses would need to be submitted to the state for approval, The Arizona Republic reported.

The bill also would have required supervision for final exams to prevent cheating.

Brewer expressed concerns that it might be inappropriate for the state "or an entity on behalf of the state approving online courses or curriculum," in a letter accompanying her veto Monday.

In response to a provision would have provided schools with more state funding per student if the student mastered a subject, Brewer said: "I strongly support moving forward toward funding outcomes; however [the Arizona Department of Education] may not be able to implement the systems properly, at least as the bill is drafted."

Online K-12 education is becoming more popular across the country, with the number of students in Arizona online schools reaching nearly 37,000 in the 2010-2011 school year, almost tripling over the last six years, The Arizona Republic reported.

As online education becomes more widespread, so have concerns regarding the quality of the classes. In an investigative series, The Republic found there to be relatively lax oversight and ample opportunities for cheating.

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Arizona Gov. Brewer vetoes online education bill

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Capella Education Company (NASDAQ:CPLA - News), a provider of online post-secondary education, primarily through its wholly owned subsidiary Capella University, today announced its participation in the following webcast investor event:

A webcast of the presentation will be available on the Capella Education Company web site at http://www.capellaeducation.com. It will also be archived at http://www.capellaeducation.com in the investor relations section for 60 days.

About Capella Education Company

Founded in 1991, Capella Education Company is a leader in online education, primarily through our wholly owned subsidiary Capella University, a regionally accredited* online university. In addition, Capella Education Company offers online education through Resource Development International Ltd. (RDI), an independent provider of United Kingdom (UK) university distance learning qualifications. Capella Education Company also owns an innovative startup company called Sophia (http://www.sophia.org) - a social teaching and learning platform that integrates education with technology.

Capella University offers online graduate degree programs in business, counseling, education, health administration, homeland security, human resource management, human services, information technology, nonprofit management and leadership, nursing, psychology, public administration, public health, public safety, and social work, and bachelor's degree programs in business, information technology, nursing, psychology, and public safety. These academic programs are designed to meet the needs of working adults, combining high quality, competency-based curricula with the convenience and flexibility of an online learning format. Currently, Capella University offers 46 graduate and undergraduate degree programs with 144 specializations. More than 37,000 learners were enrolled as of March 31, 2012, with nearly 80 percent of learners enrolled in graduate degree programs. For more information about Capella Education Company, please visit http://www.capellaeducation.com. For more information about Capella University, please visit http://www.capella.edu or call 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552).

Resource Development International Ltd. partners with a number of the top 100 universities in the UK to develop, validate and deliver UK higher education qualifications, predominantly through online courses. For more information, visit http://www.rdi.co.uk.

Sophia is a first-of-its-kind social education platform that offers students many ways to learn by making free, credible, academic content available to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. The site offers tens of thousands of tutorials created by hundreds of teachers and experts that are taught in a variety of ways. The platform further enhances the learning process by offering quizzes, assessing learning preferences and providing learning paths. For more information, visit http://www.sophia.org.

*Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), http://www.ncahlc.org. Capella University, Capella Tower, 225 South Sixth Street, Ninth Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55402, 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552), http://www.capella.edu.

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Capella Education Company to Present at Upcoming Investor Conference

LOUISVILLE, KY--(Marketwire -05/15/12)- The Learning House, Inc., an online education solutions partner that helps colleges and universities develop and grow high-quality online degree programs and courses, announced today that Towson University's Center for Professional Studies (CPS) has selected Learning House to help expand its online continuing education course offerings. CPS offers programs that focus on meeting identified workforce shortages for the region and address skill gaps and career advancement needs.

Towson University has a robust set of existing continuing education programs, but CPS identified a need to develop self-paced, industry-driven, professional certification programs that leverage the expertise of the University's faculty.

"We wanted to develop our own courses and truly control the content, deployment and quality of the curriculum," said Jeff Beeson, Director of the Center for Professional Studies at Towson University. "We selected Learning House because they represented what we needed -- a partner that could help us turn classroom curriculum into dynamic online courses that engage non-campus-based learners. Their dedicated team approach is a plus because we feel very supported. Additionally, the assurance that Learning House can help with all our online education needs from course design and development to marketing, as well as provide IT and tech support is a true value add."

Together, Learning House and CPS will create workforce and professional certification courses online that align with Towson's core academic mission of business, IT and the health professions. The first courses will include a project management professional (PMP) certification course, an A+/Net+ certification course and a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) course with a health information supplement. All of these courses will directly address workforce needs in Maryland.

"Developing online courses takes a deep understanding of both the subject matter and the technology. A big mistake institutions often make is simply taking existing curricula and posting it online using a simple learning management system. Towson University's CPS team understands that reaching online learners takes something more, and we are excited to work with them to expand their professional certification courses," said Dr. David Clinefelter, Chief Academic Officer at Learning House. "Having the involvement of faculty is critical to the way we develop online courses. We plan to work closely with the faculty at Towson University to ensure they have the support they want to build engaging courses and the professional development they need to help their students achieve success."

Learning House collaborates with schools that have various levels of online education experience to achieve each institution's unique goals and create a positive student experience. For more information about how Learning House works with institutions to achieve their online education goals, visit http://www.learninghouse.com.

About The Learning House, Inc.The Learning House, Inc. is an online education solutions partner that helps colleges and universities develop and grow high-quality online degree programs and courses. Partnering with more than 100 colleges and universities, Learning House offers a business model that enables institutions to efficiently and affordably achieve their online education goals. Learning House provides a comprehensive solution to success, including curriculum development and management, faculty training and professional development, marketing and lead generation, admissions and enrollment management, student retention, 24/7 technical support, learning management systems, and management and consultation.

About Towson University (www.towson.edu) Founded in 1866, Towson University is recognized among the nation's best regional public universities, offering more than 100 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and applied professional fields. With more than 21,000 students, Towson University is the second-largest public university in Maryland. As a metropolitan university, Towson combines research-based learning with practical application. Our many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. Towson University is a founding member of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU).

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Towson University Partners With Learning House to Offer Professional Certification Classes Online

by Anne Ryman - May. 14, 2012 09:50 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

Gov. Jan Brewer on Monday vetoed a bill that would have enacted sweeping changes to the state's online-education system.

The legislation would have made it easier for Arizona junior- and high-school students to take online courses, which likely would have pushed further growth in the system. The bill also would have boosted accountability by creating a master list of approved courses and a state ranking and evaluation of each course.

In addition, Senate Bill 1259 would have required students to take final exams in online classes in the presence of another person to help prevent cheating.

In a letter accompanying her veto, Brewer said she was concerned about the appropriateness of the state "or an entity on behalf of the state approving online courses or curriculum."

She also cited a provision that would have paid online schools more state funding per student if the student mastered a course. "I strongly support moving toward funding outcomes; however, ADE (the Arizona Department of Education) may not be able to implement the systems properly, at least as the bill is drafted."

Brewer added that she believes online learning will become more common, and she looks forward to working with the bill's sponsor to improve high school students' access to quality online learning.

Sen. Rich Crandall, R-Mesa, who sponsored the legislation, was traveling on Monday and unavailable for comment, his office said. In a previous interview, Crandall said the legislation would do three things: provide students with more access to online courses, set a quality bar, and establish an evaluation process for the quality and effectiveness.

"Those are three things that really make a difference," said Crandall, who is chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

Some educators said that while the legislation provided some significant regulatory changes, it also had some big holes, including weak test-proctoring requirements and an exemption for schools that only enroll full-time students.

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Gov. Brewer vetoes bill making changes to online education