Human resources practices that aren’t compliant with the law can be a source of risk for many private-independent schools. When it comes to managing new hires and current employees, these risks are often related to different forms of discrimination.

Risk management must be an intentional process for the Business Office. It must be as much a part of your workflow as managing finances or facilities. A primary way to protect your school from risk is through insurance policies. As the office primarily responsible for selecting and buying insurance, how can you confirm that your policy truly transfers risk and provides the protection you’ve paid for?

Despite how pervasive technology has become, you probably have more than a few faculty members who are reluctant to incorporate new technology into the classroom. This can be problematic for many reasons. It’s the responsibility of educators and administrators to best prepare students for a quickly changing job market, starting with the intersection of technology and education.

Financial aid often opens the door for many families who want to send their children to your school. However, managing the financial aid process can be one of the biggest headaches for your school leaders.

Smartphones have become an integral part of most people’s everyday routines. Researchers say that Americans check their phones every 12 minutes on average, totaling 80 times per day. With the proliferation of smartphones infiltrating every aspect of our lives, researchers wanted to know—how does even the presence of a smartphone impact one’s ability to concentrate and use cognitive abilities?

Drones are becoming more commonplace in schools across the nation. We provided three tips for responsible drone use last year, and are following up with a few more guidelines that your school could incorporate into your official protocol if you use drones on campus.

Many schools that run international student programs have questions about the correct end-of-year procedures. They want to make sure they’re taking care of students appropriately, while abiding by established rules and regulations. If you have some questions of your own, you’re not alone.

It’s not always easy to see ways that your school’s operations might put you at risk. But managing it effectively isn’t as hard as you may think. Your team can manage risk by identifying exposures from past experiences or the experiences of others, seeing patterns, and considering new trends. Then identify ways you can prevent these risks from occuring now, or options you’ll have to mitigate if they occur in the future.

Shifting to a continuous enrollment program is a hot topic among advancement professionals in private-independent schools. Many schools have made the switch to automatically re-enrolling students for the next year if the student is in good academic standing, has no behavioral issues, and his or her account is paid in full.

It’s inevitable that your school will employ vendors to help support some aspects of your operations. Whether these vendors provide transportation, food, construction, or some other service, all should carry adequate insurance policies. Before you sign a contract and the vendor begins work, ensure each provides proof that the following policies and coverages are in place to protect their business and your school.