Part of your “return to school” plan probably involved speaking with faculty and staff about how they could return to work fairly and safely, regardless of whether or not your campus would re-open for in-person instruction. Now is the time to reflect on those conversations.

The relationships between your school and your students do not begin and end with admission and graduation. Recruiting, retaining, and engaging students and alumni is only successful when time and effort is put toward lasting, ongoing relationships. When it comes to building relationships with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, you must lead with intentionality and genuine drive to see these students thrive. Your school must develop a framework for enrollment management, marketing, and development that effectively engages your BIPOC community.

As an Admission or Development Director, it would be nearly impossible to do your job without the help and support of volunteers. The quality of your volunteers’ experiences with your school makes a profound difference in their ability to accomplish their given tasks and their willingness to volunteer again. Follow these “do’s and don’ts” when supporting your volunteers.

Once the dust settles, you’ll begin to plan for the 2021–22 school year—and it won’t be business as usual. The lingering pandemic will continue to impact the new admission season. Here are some things to consider.

We explore the potential impact of both distance learning and returning to campus amid a global pandemic on student well-being. As an organization, we predict the potential high frequency of the stops and starts of in-person learning may ultimately have a greater negative impact on educational continuity and student health and safety than a full distance learning program. While every school is ultimately responsible for its individual choices, consider the following as you evaluate your options for education delivery this fall.

Your strategically focused Board of Trustees is key to making your development programs effective and sustainable. When your Board centers on decision-making that is future-focused and viability-motivated, your school not only prospers, but you can also inspire your donors and prospects to commit philanthropic dollars to your school.

Blog content remains an important element of your content marketing strategy. Promoting that content through social media and placing strategic ads only succeeds if the content your target audience lands on aligns with their needs and values.

As families face uncertainty about their child’s education and schooling options this fall, your school’s marketing messages matter more than ever before. What your school says to current and prospective families must illustrate your strengths as an institution, your confidence in the future, and your mission as central to every decision that you make.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work should not be a short-term messaging change to address recent events, nor should it be limited to schools that have been asked to or seen a need to address these issues. DEI work at an institutional level is necessary for the sustainability of all independent schools in a competitive market.

There are many LMS available, each with its own features and problems. Here’s what you should know about choosing the right LMS for your school’s needs.