Writings

Upcoming Book

The 30-60-90-Day Handbook for New Communications and Marketing Leaders in Education to be published by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in 2024.

Melissa is a regular contributor to Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action marketing and communications blog (2021 – present).

Let’s Get Back to the Town Halls of Yesteryear

Designed for true collaboration, these meetings work best when all parties have equal ownership (August 9, 2023).

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Statement or No Statement?

A test for whether to issue an institutional statement on national issues and crises (May 26, 2022).

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Administrators, How Would You Use a Professional Sabbatical?

Sabbaticals could provide the mutually beneficial reset we all need (February 16, 2022).

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Express Your Opinion – But First, Check Yourself.

Emotion can fuel great writing. It can also be a vulnerability. Consider these steps to ensure your arguments are sound (November 9, 2021).

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Is Your College Communications Strategy Ready for Gen Z 2.0?

Communications and marketing professionals have repeated the adage a thousand times: know your audience (August 31, 2021).

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Our People Are Not OK

Why now is the time to revisit your employee communications strategy (May 18, 2021).

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Fostering a Culture of Assessment

The role marketing and communications professionals should play in our own divisions and across campus (March 25, 2021).

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Additional Publications

Richards, M.; Koelling, K.; Ostroth, A. Navigating a brand ‘bounce back’ after a near closure: A case study on Sweet Briar College’s ‘fierce’ brand refresh. Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing, Volume 5, Issue 1, June 2020.