You’ve survived the first rush of the school year—welcoming new and returning faculty and staff to campus, updating them on new policies and procedures, making sure payroll and stipends are all in order, etc. After taking a deep breath, it’s time to … focus on your hiring process? Actually—yes! Even though faculty hiring season is still 4 or 5 months away, now is the time to prepare. “But,” we can hear the objections, “I’m the Business Manager—the Head manages the hiring process. I just issue the contracts the Head tells me to issue; I don’t get involved until after the decisions are made.” While we’re not suggesting the Business Manager needs to own or manage the hiring process, he/she absolutely needs to ensure that a consistent, legally compliant process is in place in your school.

Q: During orientation week, I noticed that a few of our new faculty and staff members have visible tattoos. That sort of thing is generally frowned on here. Can we ask them to cover their tattoos during the school day?

Let’s be honest: “Insurance” is never something that anyone wants to talk or think about, since it has to do with what happens when bad things happen to your school. Yet, it is vitally important for schools to have proper insurance coverage—including “D&O” insurance. We wanted to share a few thoughts regarding this misunderstood but important topic.

One of the primary “safety” risks facing schools is the question of establishing sexual misconduct awareness, prevention, and investigation protocols. The following represent topical lists of powerful steps that schools can and should take in protecting its students and the entire school community from the dangers of misconduct issues.

For the past two years, schools have been scrambling to understand the social media phenomenon. (Check out ISM’s 15 Annual Head’s Retreat: The Social Media Revolution and Our Schools) Last year, the heat under schools feet to join the social media world got a little hotter. And, this past summer, the heat grew even more intense as two schools found themselves in court suing students for digital indiscretions that occurred outside the campus.

The early ‘90s started a fad that has yet to fade—bracelets that make statements. Rubber bands that represent cancer awareness, support for US troops, and even recognition of a loved musical band have for two decades now been a fashion favorite in high schools nationwide. This year, however, some high schools (as well as lower schools) are banning the latest popular bracelet message—“I Love Boobies.” (These bracelets can be found in various stores, and typically sell for about $4.) Keep A Breast Foundation, a California nonprofit group that seeks to increase breast cancer awareness among young teens, is the source of this year’s popular trend. Founder Shaney Jo Darden says the bracelets are meant to spark discussions. Certainly, that part of her mission is complete. However, schools around the country are not finding the message as conversational or humorous as teens (and cancer survivor parents) are finding it. Some schools have outright banned them from being worn to class, and others are asking that the bands be turned inside out while on campus so that message is not distracting to other students.

On September 23, 2010, the first round of health benefit changes required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) begins to take effect. Some of these changes may require notifying employees, while others may require working with your insurance carrier and/or broker to modify plan documents. Here’s a quick look at the primary issues related to the September 23rd changes, which should form the agenda for a detailed discussion with your broker.

As Internet trends fade in and out of popularity, some of us from older generations struggle to keep up. New icons pop up on our favorite sites every day—share this, send to a friend, retweet, post to Facebook. Although they’re in clear view, it can quickly become overwhelming trying to keep them all straight. And, besides keeping them all clearly organized in our minds, overwhelming is redefined when it comes to participating on all of the sites that matter in conjunction with maintaining our normal workloads. “What is Facebook? Iisn’t that for college kids? Flickr, what in the world does that mean? And this Digg icon, what is that all about?” Sound familiar? These are among the more popular social media sites, so chances are you might have insight to what they’re about. But, when it comes to reddit, meetup, or Slashdot, you might find yourself staring blankly at the screen wondering if this is something worth investigating, or just another trend.

Most of us have heard and used that phrase. It’s an "old-age phrase" that actually stems from “back in the day” when bedding laid on top of a mesh of ropes, like a mattress frame. The mesh could be tightened to keep the bed from sagging. We don’t need to worry about our beds being tightened any longer, but as for bedbugs—they’re rearing their ugly heads across the nation and making headlines.

Human Resources. What does that really mean? For many, it means paychecks, benefits, and all those forms you need to fill out and sign when someone is hired. As a Head, what do you really need to know about HR? After all, doesn’t your Business Office handle all that? And, doesn’t “HR” really refer to a lot of “corporate” (or bureaucratic) stuff—things that don’t seem to apply to your school and its culture?