Morehead State University

John is referring to Morehead State University, a much respected educational institution in the state of Kentucky which has more than 9,500 students from 100 counties, 42 states and 37 nations. They are enrolled on campus, at regional campus centers in Ashland, Jackson, Mt. Sterling, Prestonsburg and West Liberty, as well as several other locations in East Kentucky across the globe through the World Wide Web. Morehead has the state's best computer-student ratio in its computer laboratories and the campus is ranked among the safest in the nation.

Nearly 50,000 people have received degrees from Morehead. Nearly 80 degree programs are available on the two-year, four-year and graduate levels through four colleges (Caudill College of Humanities, College of Business, College of Education, and College of Science and Technology) and the Institute for Regional Analysis and Public Policy. Two-thirds of the faculty holds doctoral degrees.

Morehead State University was the first institution in Kentucky to offer a complete degree program, the Master of Business Administration (MBA), totally through the World Wide Web. In addition, the University hosts graduate-level programs for nurse practitioners and physicians assistants through the University of Kentucky. The University is acquiring a satellite tracking system in partnership with NASA in the ongoing development of the new Space Science Center.

Morehead established East Kentucky's first public radio station, WMKY, in 1956 and today provides this region of the state with a 24-hour network of three transmitters identified as Morehead State Public Radio. Preserving the region's cultural heritage is the primary responsibility of Morehead's Kentucky Folk Art Center and Kentucky Center for Traditional Music.

Morehead is located in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky and Huntington, West Virginia. The university is a charter member of the Ohio Valley Conference of NCAA Division I and sponsors 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. The football Eagles compete in the Pioneer Football League. The Morehead coed cheerleading squad has won 15 national championships and the all-girl squad has five national titles.

The team responsible for meeting the challenges Morehead had with insuring international students includes Darlene Adams and Madonna Weathers. Darlene was an Administrative Assistant who started working part-time in the Morehead Student Life Office in 2002. After just a few months, she knew she wanted to make Morehead a full-time career, and she accepted the position of secretary for Madonna Weathers, Director of Student Life. Days later, Madonna was promoted to Vice President of Student Life and Darlene was named Administrative Specialist for Counseling and Health Services.

Madonna has been a member of the Morehead administrative team since 1972 when she was named Associate Director of Student Housing. After 13 years in that role, she became Director of Residence Education in 1985 and Director of Student Development in 1990. Morehead helped her earn her bachelor's degree in education and higher education in 1972. Madonna is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Southern Association for College Student Affairs, Association, Mid-America College Health Association and the Kentucky College Health Association. She also serves on the boards of St. Claire Regional Medical Center and Peoples Bank.

Another key contributor to the successful international program at Morehead State is Dr. Robert Frank, Associate Dean for International Education and an Associate Professor of Speech. Before coming to the University in 1996, Dr. Frank taught for three years at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and 18 years in a high school setting. He earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond, his Master's degree from Wake Forest University, and his Doctoral degree and Certificate in Global Studies from the University of Georgia, and he was a foreign exchange student himself!

Dr. Frank's background is in German public address and rhetoric. With his current position, he is responsible for all international education programs, international student services, study abroad programs, overseeing international studies minors, and is making efforts to enhance the international dimension of Mau's curriculum.

Dr. Frank enjoys teaching and working with students. He has spent the past 15 years of his life studying, and sees his various positions as a natural progression of what he does. Dr. Frank is an active member of the NAFSA association. He also serves as Vice President of the Rotary Club and will assume the position of President for this organization in July.

In 1991, when the Lewer Agency's sales representative, John Greenleaf, first called on Morehead State, it had already become apparent to the Morehead staff that solving the student insurance dilemma required a change. "We enrolled with Lewer because of the quality of the plan, as well as convenience," said Darlene. "We were looking for a company that could provide both the coverage needed and be easily accessible for the student. Lewer does all this and more."

Having a good relationship with a reliable insurance carrier became even more important as enrollment at Morehead continued to rise. With enrollment at an all-time high with domestic students, long-term plans for the Student Life staff are to increase enrollment of international students, as well.

"Currently, the university is trying to restore a staff position for an international student recruiter," said Dr. Frank. "For the past several years, the University has utilized various on-line organizations. We have an agreement with a recruiter agency to recruit students in India. In addition, we work with a recruiter in Taiwan, and we have a close relationship with the Ganglia (China) Education Department. Students are drawn to Morehead because we offer affordable quality," said Dr. Frank. "Our staff is very dedicated, often going beyond the call of duty in order to assist our international students. The staff members are nurturing to the students and very quickly develop a good rapport with them."

Having international students on campus expands the educational experience at Morehead, according to Dr. Frank. "It's a great opportunity to interact with individuals from various cultural backgrounds. Morehead State University's international students add diversity to our campus and give our domestic students the chance to learn about other nations," he said.

The Lewer Agency is proud to be a partner in the establishment of an excellent student insurance program at Morehead. "Lewer provides good, friendly service," says Darlene. "They are fair and always try to put the student's best interest first. Lewer is all about service." [for website layout, pull this quote as pull quote in layout.]

International education is facing some changes, according to Dr. Frank. "Since 9-11, international education has had some setbacks," he says. "However, I think that the future of international education will continue to grow. Interest in studying in the USA by international students remains Strong. Our challenge is to find that delicate balance between openness and security."

Educators face other challenges, too, such as visa requirements and SEVIS. "The changes have been so significant in a relatively short time that both the staff in the international education office and the international students has had to struggle to keep up with the new procedures. Then, once the students arrive, there is the challenge of helping them adapt to the U.S. culture," said Dr. Frank. "As a regional state university, financial assistance is difficult to provide for international students. Given the economic conditions in much of the world today, this hampers our efforts to bring in excellent students from poorer nations."

Fortunately, insurance for international students is no longer one of the challenges. Reliable service from Lewer helps lighten the load for international student administrators. "The most difficult part is getting the students to understand that they need health insurance in the United States," said Darlene. "Many students come from countries in which medical care is provided for them at no cost. Then, we have those students who come with insurance from their country that amounts to very little when converted to American dollars."

Collection of premiums is typically a challenge for administrators running an international student department, but Morehead has a system in place that works. "The students have holds on their accounts that stop them from registering and paying their fees," said Darlene. "Most accept the fact that they will need to pay for their insurance. The claims process is also now very easy. The Lewer Agency pays claims professionally and quickly."

Students pay the annual premium in August when most students sign-up. If they graduate or leave school early, they qualify for a refund. Information is sent to the student before entering the country. The packet includes insurance information. When the student arrives on campus, they visit the International Studies Director, Pam Jaisingh. When Pam completes her orientation process, she sends the students to Darlene's office where they receive a packet that includes insurance brochures that explain their coverage. The packet also includes "goodies" such as magnets and Band-Aids that have the Lewer logo on them, and information about the health services available on campus. "Pam and I have a good rapport," said Darlene. "Between the two of us, we are able to account for all the international students and their insurance status. It is also helpful that Lewer comes to help during registration. John Greenleaf answers many of the student's questions and exceeds my expectations with his service."

According to John, Morehead found the answers they were looking for with the LewerMark Plus deductible plan. "When we first met with Morehead, their student insurance program was broken. I was told, recently, that another company approached Morehead and was told that they were not interested in considering any offers at this point. It's loyalty you earn when you provide extraordinary service and a program that works."

"It's a great feeling to go in and help a client solve a problem," said John. "Lewer finds solutions to the problems. When we help a client get out of a situation that's a problem for them, they remember us."

"Serving Morehead State and its international students has been a pleasure," John said, and like all good salesmen, he likes to see his clients smile. The success John's had at Morehead State University makes him smile, too. "It's true," he said. "It feels good to have the solutions to the problems school administrators face when it comes to student insurance. The greatest compliment is when your client is solicited to change insurance programs and that client says, 'No Thanks!'"