New Business Officer Institute

The following sessions are planned for the New Business Officer Institute, to be held from 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 16 through noon on Tuesday, June 17.

Beginning Business Officer Primer This session will cover the wide range of issues that business officers face and offer strategies for surviving those first couple of years. Leadership and Culture This session will review the importance of managing to the school's mission and of understanding the school's culture. Human Resources This session will cover the essentials of human resources that every business officer should know. Facilities This session will cover the basics of facilities management, including custodial and maintenance management, funding of maintenance, and oversight of renovations and construction projects. Budgeting and Financial Modeling This session will address the budget timetable, reporting to the Head and Board, benchmarking, and the key assumptions used in financial modeling.

Financial Aid Basics This session will cover such topics as policy development, best practices, tools for aiding in award decisions, and the use of financial aid to enhance admission goals. The Blind Men & the Elephant or Why No One Knows All That You Do (and What You Can Do About It) This session will provide business officers with tools and techniques to help communicate their multifaceted role, along with insight into all the things they are responsible for, but may not know about yet. Enrollment and Collections This session will offer strategies for minimizing receivables and ways in which the enrollment contract can be used to hold parents accountable. Complying with Rules and Regulations This session will cover the rules and regulations that independent schools are required to follow.

Summer Institute

The following sessions are planned for Summer Institute, from 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16 through 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 20. This schedule is subject to change.

GENERAL SESSIONS New Risk Assessment Auditing Standards The risk assessment model outlined in the audit standards affecting this year's audit will shifts the focus of the audit process to client assessment with auditor evaluation and requires more time from the school and the auditor. This session will review the new standards and offer strategies for managing the audit. Financial Sustainability Do you worry about the long-term financial health of your school or wonder how long schools can keep raising tuition at a greater rate than inflation? You are not alone; this is the number one worry of Heads, Trustees, and Business Officers. This session will examine the drivers behind sustainability and help business officers define the issues pertinent to their schools. Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce Today's schools have four different generations serving on the faculty and staff, not to mention parents and students. This session will explore the characteristics of each generation and offer ideas for creating a culture that brings out the best of each generation. Ethics in the Business Office Between the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley and their own characters, business officers are increasingly seen as ethical consciences of schools. This session will examine the role of the business officer in institutional ethics and offer strategies for modeling ethical behavior for the school. Three Things (Faculty Roundtable) Throughout the week, attendees will be asked to submit the three best things and the three worst things they've experienced as independent school business officers. At the end of the week, the faculty will lead a discussion on these three things, so business officers can learn from each other's successes and failures. TRACKS
Getting to GAAP Business offices must demonstrate competence in preparing final financial statements. This session will review how to prepare GAAP-compliant financial statements. Employment Law 101 This session will cover the basics in independent school employment law, including employment contracts and employee classification. Bond Financing 101 This session will cover the basics of tax-exempt bond financing, including placement options, rate structures, credit enhancement, and interest rate swaps. The Basics of Environmental Sustainability This session will provide ideas for schools to become "greener," from some simple operational changes to building retrofits and new construction. Excel Tips and Tricks Business officers rely on Excel for tracking and reporting information. This session will provide tips on getting the most out of Excel.		The New Form 990 Schools will file the new IRS Form 990 after fiscal year 2008-09. This session will review the changes to the form and offer suggestions for preparing for the new form. Trends in Employment Law This session will cover recent trends in independent school employment law and regulatory changes that affect independent schools. The Credit Market’s Impact on Independent School Financing This session will explore how the recent turmoil in the capital markets affects independent school borrowing and capital projects. Carbon Neutrality on Campus Everybody’s talking about carbon neutrality, but what does it really mean? This session will explore ways to define a school’s carbon footprint and reduce carbon emissions. Forecasting with Crystal Xcelsius This session will demonstrate the modeling and reporting capabilities of Crystal Xcelsius software, including models available for download.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS Issues in Independent School Risk Management This session will address current trends in independent school risk management. Endowment Management in a Bear Market This session will provide insight on managing an endowment (and managing the investment committee) when the market is bad. Surviving a Head of School Transition This session will address common issues during a transition to a new Head of School, and how business officers can help themselves and the school to manage the transition well. The Head of School-Business Officer Partnership With increased emphasis on financial sustainability, the relationship between the Head and Business Officer is more important than ever. This session will discuss how to make the most of this partnership. Managing Your Staff Business officers usually inherit a staff, and the rest of the school may have preconceived ideas about the staff’s competence (or lack thereof). This session will offer strategies for getting beyond the staff’s reputation and getting the most out of each individual. Education Issues and How They Affect Business Operations Business officers often struggle with being senior administrators and yet not being educators. This session will review current issues in independent school education, how these trends might affect school operations, and discuss how business officers can become part of educational discussions on their campuses. WEDNESDAY EXCURSION Wednesday's sessions will end early, to allow for an afternoon of sightseeing, shopping, or relaxing, followed by a wonderful dinner in Monterey, sponsored by George K. Baum & Company, First Republic Bank, and Hood & Strong LLP. Top of Page