The Robbins Banking Institute

The Robbins Banking Institute

What is the Fort Hays State University Robbins Banking Institute?

The Robbins Banking Institute is part of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Fort Hays State University. The purpose and goal of the institute is to teach the principles of community banking to prepare students to pursue careers in the banking industry. The institute offers a stand-alone certificate program, a minor program (to complement another major), and an undergraduate degree program. Courses are offered both on campus and online. Thomas Powell is the new director of the Robbins Banking Institute, replacing Alan Deines who retired from FHSU in 2021.

Courses Offered

Banking is an applied business discipline. It brings together many different areas of expertise. These include accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management, and computer information systems. The following courses are used to bring everything together.

• FIN 201 Principles of Banking
• FIN 306 Fundamentals of Lending
• FIN 642 Bank Management
• FIN 643 Bank Strategy
• FIN 663 Problems: Introduction to Banking Compliance

Academic Credentials

• Overview: Study Banking at Fort Hays State University (PDF)
• Banking Certificate
• Minor in Banking
• B.B.A. Degree in Finance with a Banking Concentration

Internships

Some things can only be taught by doing. Internships are a valuable opportunity to show how theory is applied. Students benefit from these experiences in a significant way. The Robbins Banking Institute works to maintain a close relationship with the banking industry. These relationships benefit both the student and the industry.

It's been said, the best way to learn something is to teach the subject. The banks, regulators, and other financial institutions benefit from offering internships in many ways. First and foremost, it's an opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with a prospective employee. Second, it's a way to get a fresh look at your practices and procedures. And, third, by training someone for your institution, you gain new insights into how your institution operates.

We are flexible on the design and structure of each institution's internship program. Review the example of a Summer Intern Program below and then contact us to discuss your ideas.

Summer Intern Program Example

Scholarships

For information on scholarships available to banking students, please visit our banking scholarships web page.

Online Bank Management Contest

The Robbins Banking Institute hosted the final phase of its first Online Bank Management Contest (OBMC) on September 26, 2019 on the FHSU campus. For more information about this event, visit the OBMC 2019 web page.

Origin of the Robbins Banking Institute

As a prominent Kansas banker who is owner and Chairman of Farmers Bank and Trust in Great Bend with locations in eight communities across Kansas, W.R. Robbins recognized that the banking industry was undergoing a significant transformation and that there would be a great need for banks to acquire well-prepared loan and compliance officers among other leadership staff. Banking, as an academic discipline, is underrepresented in the state’s education system and across the United States with many universities offering limited banking courses. In 2017, FHSU alumnus W.R. Robbins and his wife, Yvonne, provided a generous gift to the FHSU Foundation that made the Robbins Banking Institute at Fort Hays State University possible. As the only banking institute in Kansas, the Robbins Banking Institute produces crucial banking professionals for the state by offering a B.B.A. degree in finance with a banking concentration, a banking minor, and a banking certificate program. These educational opportunities teach the principles of community banking to students that want to start a career in banking and current bank employees that want to gain the education needed for job growth. Along with the Robbins family, other individuals and Kansas banks help fund Robbins Banking Institute activities and scholarships for students enrolled in the programs which will provide generations of future bankers the cutting-edge education needed to succeed in the ever-evolving banking industry.