We hope your summer thus far has been both productive and comparatively relaxing. Relative quiet on campus means more opportunities to complete projects and prepare for September. Finally, you have the time to squeeze in a few helpful books on your reading list—and our Consultants have some suggestions to add to your “to be read” stack.

We’ve been expecting this particular overtime rule adjustment for over a year now. Finally, on May 18, President Obama published the final rule and officially increased the new minimum salary requirement. While the minimum has been lowered from a previously suggested $50,000+ annual pay to $47,476, this increase is still over twice the current effective minimum threshold to qualify as overtime-exempt. This change goes into effect on December 1, and could profoundly impact your employees’ compensation. Here, then, are four basic questions from private-independent schools on how the new rule might affect the school community—as a supplement to advice from your school’s legal counsel, of course!

Q: As I start new employee packages, what documents does the Affordable Care Act require that I include?

When it comes to correcting inequality in the United States—for education and beyond—there are two philosophies: Fairness of opportunity and fairness of outcome. Private school Admission Offices often adopt one or the other mindsets, if the school’s mission calls for increased diversity within the student community. While either strategy is “fair” to applicants in its way, both have hidden flaws that may undermine your efforts for developing a more diverse student pool.

With students out for the summer, private schools across the country have an opportunity to breathe and prepare for the coming fall semester. With that in mind, we asked ISM Consultants to offer up their own summer reading list for you this year. We won’t quiz you, but you will improve if you apply the strategies and research found in these books.

Summer break is finally here. Although the next eight to 10 weeks are scheduled with projects you couldn’t focus on while your campus buzzed with students and activities, hopefully, you’ve also penciled some summer fun for yourself. Here are seven reminders and tips for staying safe this summer.

Since the smartphone's introduction in 1994 and the subsequent consumer explosion a decade ago, texting while driving has been a concern. TextingAndDrivingSafety.com reports in 2011, 23% of auto accidents involved cell phones—1.3 million crashes. This comes as no surprise as 55% of young adults claim it’s easy to text and drive, and 77% are very confident that they can safely text while driving. However, 13% of drivers age 18–20 involved in car accidents admitted to texting or talking on the cell phone at the time of the crash.

Q: We have always considered our business office staff as exempt but can we continue under the final regulations?

Providing health insurance to your school’s employees can be a tricky business, especially when you’re considering a switch. It can feel a bit like “the devil you know versus the devil you don’t,” making you hesitant to change from your current provider—no matter how much trouble you’ve experienced. This month, we’ve made a checklist of questions for you and your broker to ponder while evaluating your insurance carrier and weighing your options.

When trouble strikes your school, you need to inform your parents in a timely effort about what’s occurring. By managing emergency communications, you’re controlling the panic and misinformation that can spread like a virus through your community. How you disperse this information is a critical element in containing the situation. The advent of mass-communication systems—text messages, emails, and automated phone calls—can be both effective and damaging in certain scenarios. Here is a look at the pros and cons of most communication systems used in sync with risk management protocols.