In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom sits down with Scott Summerfield, Principal of SAE Communications and a nationally recognized crisis communications expert, to discuss how colleges and universities can prepare for and effectively respond to the unexpected.

From theft and embezzlement to cyberattacks and other high-profile emergencies, Scott explains why every institution needs a proactive crisis communications plan before a crisis ever occurs. Drawing on decades of experience advising organizations through complex situations, he shares practical strategies for communicating with transparency, protecting institutional trust, and leading with confidence when the stakes are highest. Cheryl and Scott also reflect on real-world experiences managing crises in higher education, highlighting lessons that can help institutions respond quickly while minimizing long-term reputational damage.

Whether you're a communications professional, college leader, or member of a crisis response team, this conversation offers actionable guidance for preparing your institution to navigate challenging situations with clarity and confidence.

What You'll Learn:

Why every college needs a comprehensive crisis communications plan.
Best practices for responding to crises with transparency and credibility.
How to prepare for incidents such as cyberattacks, theft, embezzlement, and other campus emergencies.
Strategies for protecting institutional reputation during high-pressure situations.
Leadership lessons for communicating effectively before, during, and after a crisis.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.

In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom sits down with Lauren Milbourne and Christopher McGuinness of Allan Hancock College to explore what it takes to launch and sustain a successful higher education podcast.

Tasked with creating a podcast for their college president, Lauren and Chris began with thoughtful strategy, audience research, and careful planning before ever pressing the record button. Their intentional approach resulted in a podcast that strengthened institutional communications, elevated the president's voice, and created meaningful engagement with the college community. Together, they share the lessons they learned throughout the process from defining a clear theme and format to selecting equipment, developing a production workflow, and building a recognizable brand.

Whether your institution is considering launching its first podcast or looking to improve an existing one, this conversation is filled with practical advice for creating content that informs, engages, and reflects your institution's mission.

What You'll Learn:

How strategic planning lays the foundation for a successful college podcast.
Tips for choosing the right podcast format, theme, and audience.
Best practices for podcast branding, production, and workflow management.
Equipment and production considerations for creating high-quality content.
How podcasts can strengthen institutional communications and deepen community engagement.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.

In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom sits down with Niall Adler, Director of Marketing at Mission College, to discuss how higher education institutions can create mobile apps that genuinely improve the student experience.

Drawing from his leadership of a nine-month app development process at Mission College, Niall shares practical lessons on designing an app that students will actually use. He emphasizes that successful college apps prioritize functionality over appearance, delivering tools and resources that solve real student needs rather than simply showcasing an attractive design. Together, they explore the importance of user research, thoughtful planning, and ensuring that a mobile app complements rather than competes with an institution's website.

The conversation also examines how colleges can approach app development strategically, from identifying key features and engaging campus stakeholders to measuring long-term success. Whether your institution is considering its first mobile app or looking to improve an existing one, this episode offers valuable guidance for creating a digital tool that supports communication, engagement, and student success.

What You'll Learn:

Why functionality should take priority over design when developing a college mobile app.
How user research can shape an app that meets students' real needs.
Best practices for planning and managing a successful app development process.
How a mobile app and institutional website can work together to improve the student experience.
Strategies for creating a digital resource that encourages ongoing student engagement.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.

In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom sits down with Jennie McCue, former Director of Marketing and Communications at Saddleback College, to discuss the complex process of leading a college mascot change and the communications strategies that helped guide the institution through it.

Drawing from her firsthand experience, Jennie shares the challenges of balancing alumni pride, campus traditions, and evolving cultural perspectives while managing one of the most sensitive branding decisions a college can face. Together, they explore the importance of creating an inclusive, transparent, and patient process that encourages meaningful dialogue among students, employees, alumni, and community members. Jennie also discusses when it makes sense to involve outside agencies and how thoughtful planning can help institutions navigate emotionally charged issues with credibility and trust.

While the conversation focuses on a mascot change, the lessons extend to any higher education leader or communications professional responsible for managing institutional change, building consensus, and communicating through complex campus issues.

What You'll Learn:

Best practices for managing sensitive institutional branding and mascot changes.
Why transparency, patience, and inclusivity are critical during periods of change.
Strategies for engaging alumni, students, employees, and community stakeholders.
How effective communications can help build trust during controversial decisions.
When outside agencies can add value to complex branding and change management initiatives.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.

The volatile mix of alumni pride and shifting cultural sensitivities makes changing mascots a thorny challenge for schools and their communities.  My guest on this episode, Jennie McCue, lived through each tricky step of that process recently as Director of Marketing and Communications at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.  Jennie has many enlightening and entertaining lessons to share about handling this change that can apply as well to other campus conflicts that are imbued with passionate advocates on all sides. Bottom line: an inclusive, patient, transparent process will produce the best results.  Check out this fun and deeply informative conversation for all the details, including whether or not it makes sense to work with outside agencies on these projects. 

In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom sits down with Brad Phillips, founder of the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC), to discuss how data, storytelling, and a culture of care can work together to improve student success in higher education.

Drawing on his years of experience working within California's community college system, Brad explains why data alone rarely inspires action. Instead, he shares how institutions can use a few meaningful data points to tell compelling stories that connect emotionally with audiences while informing better decisions. The conversation explores how colleges can use evidence-based practices to strengthen communications, improve student outcomes, and create lasting institutional change.

Brad also introduces the Caring Campus initiative, a nationally recognized program that helps faculty and staff adopt simple behaviors that foster belonging and meaningful connections with students. Together, they discuss why every employee plays a role in student success and how creating a welcoming campus culture can improve retention, persistence, and completion.

What You'll Learn:

How to transform data into stories that inspire action and drive decision-making.
Why emotional storytelling is more memorable and persuasive than statistics alone.
How evidence-based practices can improve student success initiatives.
The impact of the Caring Campus model on student belonging, retention, and completion.
Why every college employee has the opportunity to positively influence the student experience.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.

In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom sits down with Chris Barton, Chief Product Officer at Gannett USA, to explore the digital marketing strategies that can help higher education institutions improve visibility, reach prospective students, and maximize the impact of their recruitment efforts.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience leading digital marketing campaigns, Chris breaks down the essential concepts behind search engine marketing and optimization, explaining why many organizations overlook the fundamentals that drive long-term success. He discusses the importance of fresh, consistent content, fast-loading and mobile-friendly websites, and the role of search engines in connecting students with colleges. The conversation also dives into advanced strategies, including keyword selection, negative keywords, ad extensions, drip campaigns, and why institutions should think beyond Google when planning their digital marketing efforts.

Together, they also explore the future of digital marketing, including evolving data privacy regulations and emerging technologies such as the metaverse, offering higher education marketers a look at the trends shaping the next generation of student recruitment.

What You'll Learn:

The digital marketing fundamentals every higher education institution should master.
Why website performance, mobile optimization, and fresh content improve search visibility.
How to use keywords, negative keywords, and ad extensions to strengthen marketing campaigns.
The value of drip campaigns and expanding beyond Google in your digital strategy.
How changes in data privacy and emerging technologies may shape the future of higher education marketing.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.

In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom sits down with Karen Norton, Executive Director of Integrated Marketing and Communications at Bunker Hill Community College, to discuss what it takes to build a student-centered website that effectively serves multiple audiences.

Drawing on her extensive experience in web design and content strategy, Karen shares the lessons learned from leading a major website redesign during a time when a strong digital presence became more important than ever. Together, they explore how research can guide difficult decisions, why institutions must prioritize the needs of prospective students, and how thoughtful content strategy can balance the needs of faculty, staff, and other campus stakeholders without compromising the user experience.

The conversation also covers best practices for website planning, mobile-first design, search optimization, navigation, and project timelines. Whether your institution is planning a complete website redesign or making incremental improvements, this episode offers practical guidance for creating a website that better supports recruitment, engagement, and student success.

What You'll Learn:

Why student-focused websites deliver a better user experience and support enrollment goals.
How research can guide website decisions and build stakeholder consensus.
Best practices for content strategy, navigation, and serving multiple audiences.
Why mobile-first design and search optimization are essential for today's college websites.
Practical tips for planning and managing a successful higher education website redesign.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.

In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom sits down with Dr. Renee Craig-Marius, Executive Vice President of Educational Programs at Gavilan College and former Vice President of Student Services at Reedley College, to discuss the transformative impact of Guided Pathways on student success.

Drawing on her experience leading Reedley College's five-year Guided Pathways implementation, Dr. Craig-Marius shares how the framework has reshaped the way institutions support students from enrollment through completion. She explains why Guided Pathways is more than a structural initiative it's a cultural shift that encourages colleges to become the "village" students need by fostering connection, belonging, and comprehensive support throughout their educational journey.

Together, they explore the lessons learned from implementing large-scale institutional change, including the importance of engaging stakeholders early, building a strong foundation that can withstand leadership transitions, and recognizing that meaningful transformation takes time. The conversation also highlights how Guided Pathways creates intentional touchpoints that strengthen relationships with students and improve outcomes across campus.

What You'll Learn:

How Guided Pathways can transform student success and institutional culture.
Why engaging stakeholders early is essential to successful implementation.
Strategies for building a sustainable foundation that supports long-term change.
The importance of creating intentional student touchpoints throughout the college experience.
Why patience, collaboration, and continuous improvement are key to lasting institutional transformation.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.

In this episode of Higher Ed Conversations, host Cheryl Broom shares insights from a special webinar presentation with Tony Teng, Dean of Advanced Technology and Applied Science at Saddleback College, exploring the marketing strategies that help leading colleges stand out in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape.

Drawing on the results of a unique "secret shopper" project, Cheryl and Tony reveal what prospective students actually experience when interacting with colleges known for exceptional marketing and enrollment practices. From personalized landing pages and strategic text messaging to the effective use of platforms like TikTok, they examine the tactics institutions are using to create stronger connections with students and improve the enrollment experience.

Together, they discuss practical, research-backed ideas that colleges can implement immediately to strengthen recruitment, enhance student communications, and better meet the expectations of today's prospective students. This episode offers actionable insights for higher education marketers, enrollment professionals, and campus leaders looking to elevate their outreach and student engagement strategies.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with GradComm:
Instagram: @gradcommunications
Facebook: @GradCommunications
LinkedIn: @gradcomm
Send us a message: GradComm.com

Higher Ed Conversations is hosted by Cheryl Broom, CEO of GradComm, a marketing and branding agency specializing in community colleges and public education.