Independent Schools Face Challenges Related to COVID-19

Experienced school administrator Ari Betof earned an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania, where he received an award of distinction for his dissertation on the financial and organizational sustainability of Friends Schools. Dr. Ari Betof serves as president of Organizational Sustainability Consulting in Brookline, Massachusetts and an expert speaker.

Dr. Betof’s most recent presentation focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on independent schools. The presentation, titled “Navigating the COVID-19 Independent School Financial Crisis,” was hosted by the Southern Association of Independent Schools, a professional membership organization that was founded in 1903.

The COVID-19 presentation provided an overview of the financial challenges independent schools currently face, and the importance of strategic decision making. These challenges, which range from ongoing expense obligations to declines in auxiliary income and tuition revenue, threaten to weaken the position of independent schools across the United States. To face these challenges, the presentation provided school leaders with strategies such as mission- and data-driven decision-making.

Cornell University’s Emerging Markets Institute Fellows Program

Dr. Ari Betof provides organizational sustainability and financial coaching to independent schools as the president and founder of Organizational Sustainability Consulting LLC in Massachusetts. Dr. Ari Betof is also Cornell University Emerging Market Institute (EMI) Fellow.

The EMI operates within the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University, a leading institution of higher education with campuses in New York, Italy, New Hampshire, Qatar, and Washington, D.C. Since its inception in 2010, the institute has provided academic leadership in the area of emerging markets while also preparing future business leaders to succeed in the global economy through programs like Columbia Trek and the EMI Fellows Program.

The EMI Fellows Program provides a platform for MBA students to supplement graduate coursework with research projects, study trips, and networking with international scholars. Fellows, who also participate in a global speaker series, must maintain at least six academic credits. In addition, each fellow must travel abroad for at least one study trip and complete a service or research project for the institute.

For further information on the EMI Fellows Program, visit www.johnson.cornell.edu/emerging-markets-institute.