Bank School Class of 2027

Internal Links Kristen Reid Michele Dunn

Bank School Class Schedule & Descriptions

First Year Orientation

In this introductory course to your Bank School experience, you will learn about the school and your responsibilities over the next three years. Additionally, you will receive and have the opportunity to review your DiSC profile and develop a base understanding of the different communication styles as defined by DiSC. Through a series of interactive activities, you will learn how to work with a variety of different personality types making you a more effective communicator, both professionally and personally.

Bank Financial Management I

During the Bank Financial Management I course, you will develop a basic understanding of a bank’s financial statements and ratios as well as the key factors driving a bank’s financial performance including profitability, investments, capital, and liquidity management. (Pre-requisite: Recent college level accounting course, a position in an accounting function or successful completion of VBA’s Bank School Accounting Primer.)

Commercial Banking

This course will explore the key elements of successful commercial lending activities and the impact of a commercial loan portfolio on commercial banks. Topics will include financial leverage and the loan transaction, the commercial lending process with specific focus on risk mitigation, credit analysis considerations with detailed focus on financial statements, key ratios, and cash flow to support quality loan decisions. Borrower debt levels, the economic impacts to loan portfolios, and business life cycles impacts will be explored relative to financial performance and profitability of the commercial loan portfolio.

Economic Environment

Taught in a highly interactive fashion, this course features a discussion of the influence that monetary and fiscal authorities have on national income, employment, inflation and balance of payments. The course also reviews current economic conditions, and recent Federal Reserve Policy announcements.

Ethical Decision Making

This course will provide bankers with a values-based process for making decisions and shaping the bank’s culture. In these interactive sessions, we will explore trust, accountability, and other elements associated with ethical and unethical behavior in the banking industry.

Organizational Behavior

This course explores human behavior in the workplace. During the week, the class will discuss how employee attitudes, levels of motivation and personalities impact daily interaction as well as the drivers of employee satisfaction.

Strategic Marketing and Communication

During this course, you will explore the world of communication and marketing from the perspective of brand, strategy, crisis, and action. Designed to equip you with a marketing perspective, this course will broaden the way you see corporation challenges and opportunities. Prepare to think big and leave equipped with new solutions for your organization.

Bank School Convocation 

The Virtual Bank School Convocation will take place on Wednesday, July 16th from 2:00 – 2:45 p.m. During this Zoom meeting, VBA staff will walk through all of the Bank School logistics and answer any questions you may have. You will also hear from the third-year class officers about two of the social activities and how you can support a local non-profit.

Zoom Information for the 2025 Bank School Convocation

Join the Bank School Convocation here.

  • Meeting ID: 891 4196 5740
  • Passcode: 084422

You can view the recording of the Bank School Convocation here.
Passcode: 

First Year Class Materials

Please note the password for all class materials is “BankSchool2025″

Download a Bank School Notes Page Template Here.​

Home Study Assignments

Please note the password for all home study materials is “BankSchool2025″

Along with attendance at all classes during the Bank School summer session, completion of eight home study problems (4 after the first year and 4 after the second year) with a passing grade is required to graduate from the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management.

Instructions & Bank School Honor Code

It is very important that you submit your home study assignments correctly as some instructors will deduct points for formatting. Please be sure to read the instructors directions carefully and if instructions aren’t included follow the outline on the Bank School Home Study Instruction Sheet & Bank School Honor Code.

Home Study Instruction Sheet

honor code

The Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of honesty and integrity in the classroom, outside of the classroom and on the home study problems. Home Study problems are individual assignments meaning you are to work on the assignment ALONE and are not to discuss the questions, potential answers, strategy, research or data resources with another Bank School student. Also, please do not send your completed paper to another student as an example. Any evidence of shared work will be considered an honor code violation.

The Honor Code is:
On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received assistance on this assignment and that all work is my own.

Violations of the Honer Code include:

  • Plagiarism – An act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another without authorization and the representation of that author’s work as one’s own, as by not crediting the original author.
  • Cheating – Receiving, giving and attempting to receive or give unauthorized assistance, such as materials, information, notes or sources, on home study problems.

You may seek assistance from a subject matter expert in your bank as part of your research BEFORE you start to write your papers. The subject matter expert cannot be another Bank School student.

Submission

Submit your home study problems by sending to: homestudy@vabankers.org. The file should be saved as a PDF and titled with last name, first initial – instructor’s last name (ex. Dunn, M – Higgins). Please include a cover sheet that can be accessed below. 

Home Study Cover Sheet

Home Study Evaluation: After sending your assignment, please complete the home study survey so we can provide feedback to the instructor. You can submit the home study evaluation here.

Home Study Assignments & Pre-Assignment Zoom Recordings

Important Parking Information

Bank School Newsletters 

Bank School Photo Contest

Social Schedule

Sunday, July 20 - Welcome Reception

Tuesday, July 22 - Third Year Class Charity Event

Thursday, July 25 - Third Year Class Party

VBA Staff Contact Information

Class Liaisons
Bank School Management & Oversight