To provide a better learning experience for Loras students, Eric Eller, Ph.D. associate professor of finance, took on the role of student himself to become a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
He passed his final exam this year.
“I chose to pursue the CFA because it is a path that our students can take, and I wanted to be able to speak to them about the experience and help them prepare for it,” he explained. “I also wanted to show them that life-long learning is a real thing.”
The CFA charter is one of the most respected designations in finance and is widely considered the gold standard in the field of investment analysis. To become a charter holder, candidates must pass three difficult exams, have a bachelor’s degree, and have at least four years of relevant professional experience. Passing the CFA Program exams requires strong discipline and an extensive amount of studying.
The process to obtain it can be lengthy and intense, with three exams over three years, with each one particularly difficult to pass. When Eller passed the third exam this past year, he was a part of the only 42 percent who took it to do so.
“The CFA demonstrates a commitment to ethics and shows fiduciary responsibility to clients. In the case of our students, it gives more weight to what we do with the LIFE portfolio when they work with a CFA,” he said.
For Eller, translating classroom learning into real-world experience is vital to helping students succeed after graduation. By becoming a student himself, he can add even more weight to the lessons he teaches in the classroom.
