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“The 30-60-90-Day Handbook: Checklists for Communications and Marketing Leaders in Higher Education,” Melissa Farmer Richards (Council for Advancement and Support of Education, 2025)

IHE - Inside Higher Ed

Melissa has been a regular contributor to Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action marketing and communications blog over the years.

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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Journal Articles

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.