Call for Session Ideas for CAS/SOA Diversity Symposium
The Joint Casualty Actuarial Society and Society of Actuaries Committee on Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity (JCIED) is holding its second annual Diversity Symposium on July 31, 2024 in Philadelphia. The Symposium will bring together CAS and SOA diversity champions, and you are invited to participate!
By attending the Symposium, you will have the opportunity to connect with other diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) champions in the actuarial space, and learn about different approaches, challenges, and successes in enhancing DE&I in the actuarial profession - at an industry/professional level, an affinity group level, and within your company.
The JCIED is inviting the submission of ideas and proposals for Symposium sessions and presentations, with a goal to offer an intimate experience for creating connections through a collaborative, discussion-based program. Please note:
- Sessions should be planned for 50 minutes.
- We are open to a variety of formats, such as panels, roundtable discussions, and workshops, with a specific interest in interactive sessions that provide actionable takeaways.
- If you do not have an entire session to propose but have an idea or are interested in moderating or participating on a panel, please let us know your topics of interest, as there may be opportunities to include you in the program.
Examples of the topics of sessions that would be ideally suited for the Symposium include:
- Employer Perspective: What are the most effective diversity recruitment initiatives that companies are employing to build a diverse workforce?
- Employer Perspective: What are the most effective retention initiatives that companies are using to maintain their diverse workforce? How are organizations developing strong actuarial candidates at all experience levels, such as through exam support, job placement, and career navigation? In particular, what are organizations doing to facilitate actuaries in moving from mid-level to executive leadership positions? How are organizations retaining talent at the highest levels?
- Affinity Group Perspective: What experiences, knowledge, challenges, and success stories can affinity groups share to assist other affinity groups and the broader actuarial profession in DE&I efforts?
- Bias Training for Actuaries: How can we help arm actuaries with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify and mitigate biases inherent in statistical models and decision-making frameworks? What are best practices to address the types of biases most prevalent in actuarial work, including selection bias, confirmation bias, and model overfitting? Are there case studies that highlight the real-world consequences of unchecked biases in actuarial practices and the importance of diversity and inclusivity in data interpretation?
This list is not exhaustive; we welcome any other ideas for session topics that will benefit the actuarial profession’s DE&I efforts.
How to Submit Session Ideas and Proposals
Please submit your session ideas by June 12 through our online submission form. Ideas will be reviewed by the Symposium planning working group, which will respond to all who submit an idea or full proposal.
Additional Symposium Details
When: July 31, 2024, from 10:00 to 4:00 pm ET, with a reception to follow. Lunch will be provided, courtesy of Ezra Penland Actuarial Recruitment.
Where: In-person in Philadelphia, PA at CIGNA, the day prior to the kick-off of the International Association of Black Actuaries (IABA) Annual Meeting. Symposium attendees are encouraged to also attend the IABA meeting. There is not a virtual option for participating in the Symposium.
Who: We hope to attract 100 attendees from the DE&I community, including JCIED members, affinity group leaders, members of the CAS Diversity Committee and SOA Diversity Committee, CAS and SOA leaders, and the Chief Actuary Forum, among others.
Registration: Registration will open in June. There is no fee to participate in the Symposium.
Questions: Please direct any questions about the CAS/SOA Diversity Symposium to diversity@casact.org.
