NBOA has presented special seminars on a range of topics.
In this one-day seminar taught by experienced business officers, we explored the increasingly complex role of the business officer in independent schools and provided a forum for new business officers to create relationships with peers. Topics included financial management and budgeting; enrollment and collections; and facilities management.
The business officer’s role as compliance officer has grown increasingly important as independent schools face more and ever-changing rules and regulations. From background checks on summer camp counselors to policies required of the board of trustees to student discipline, this seminar explored potential pitfalls and offered strategies to protect the school.
Many independent schools struggle with the tension between their open and welcoming culture and providing a secure campus. This seminar explored ways to increase campus safety, including crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), a safe schools facilities checklist, and the Measurement and Assessment of Protection and Standards (MAPS) model.
Our future, and that of our students, depends on a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of ecological, economic, and cultural systems. This seminar provided a glimpse at best practice examples, an opportunity for dialogue with colleagues, and an overview of some of the most important aspects of sustainability as they relate to education.