This qualitative descriptive study sought to form a foundation for emergency response plan research. The intent was to gather descriptive descriptions from higher education administrators regarding how they communicated and implemented emergency response plans adjusted over the past decade due to the Presidential Preparedness Directive 8. Concern over higher education institutional emergency preparedness was growing, and few studies related to college and university emergency response planning. Administrators across the United States described how they made changes, introduced them, and implemented the newly adjusted plan. Higher education administrators indicated that reviews of current emergency response plans are needed to ensure they are up to date and accurately address concerns the institution may have. After a full review, the recommendation was for colleges and universities to do an annual review to address any new risks. This study concluded that many of these institutions either completed the revisions and introduction internally or relied on outside emergency response organizations such as police, fire, and EMS for adjusting and implementing the plan. CEM theory and SARF provided theoretical foundations for creating and implementing emergency plans, while the CERC framework supported emergency plan communication. The researcher introduced Bass's Transformational Leadership as a leadership style that supports and promotes emergency response plan implementation. This study recommends that higher education institutions review and update their plan to increase their preparedness and capacity to manage emergencies on their campus. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]