Spring 2020 Credit Policy

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, and Families,

This past week has been an extraordinarily challenging time for the Emerson community. Our students have been heartbroken at having to say premature goodbyes. Our faculty have had to adapt to a new mode of teaching with lightning speed. Our staff have worked around the clock to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community, while also preparing the campus for an unprecedented transition that begins next week.

Still, while we, our families, our friends, and the world around us continue to grapple with the countless unknowns in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, we move forward as a community strengthened by our mission: To educate the future generation of artists and communicators who will tell our stories.

It is with this in mind that I write to share Emerson’s policy for Spring 2020 Room and Board, which has been developed under careful consideration of the needs of our students, families, and the College at large.

Sincerely,
Lee Pelton

Spring 2020 Credit Policy

For Continuing Students who have Vacated Campus Housing due to Covid-19 (Boston, ELA, and Kasteel Well):

Continuing students who lived on campus will receive a credit to their student account, which can be applied to any future charges. The credit amount will be based on the type of residential room that was charged to the student account for the spring 2020 term. The Office of Student Accounts will follow up with an email to individual students, linking to their updated account, as soon as possible.

For Graduating Students who have Vacated Campus Housing due to Covid-19 (Boston, ELA, and Kasteel Well): 

Graduating students who lived on campus will receive a refund for room and board based on the type of residential room that was charged to their student accounts for the spring 2020 term, minus any existing account balance. If a balance remains after the credit is issued, the student is responsible for making payment to their account as soon as possible. The Office of Student Accounts will follow up with an email to individual students, linking to their updated account, as soon as possible.

For Students Granted Exceptions to Remain on Campus (Boston and LA): 

Students who have been approved to remain in campus housing due to extreme circumstances are responsible for room and board payment, as agreed upon at the beginning of the term.

For Any Student Experiencing Extreme Financial Hardship

We understand that the global Covid-19 crisis has heightened financial concerns for many students and their families. Any student experiencing extreme financial circumstances should contact the Office of Financial Aid or Office of Student Accounts at 617-824-8655; or the Office of Student Success at 617-824-8650. We are here to help.

Tuition Policy

While online courses cannot perfectly duplicate in-person classes, they are very effective in achieving learning goals. Emerson courses will continue to be taught by Emerson faculty, who are committing their time and talents toward creating a robust learning environment for our students. In other words, students will continue to be taught by their professors, and they will receive academic credits towards their degree, just as they would if the courses were held on campus. Therefore, the College will not offer tuition reimbursement for students who continue their enrollment at the College.

Please find below a note from the Provost regarding online teaching and learning:

“Emerson education is highly experiential, and undoubtedly the learning experience will be different as we move from in-person classes to online modalities, both synchronous and asynchronous. The learning outcomes of the college focus on the following key skills and habits of mind: students’ abilities to experiment with creative processes and apply foundational theories and practices to their disciplines; to demonstrate effective written, oral, and visual communication skills, and to demonstrate competency in information, media and digital literacies; to integrate the liberal arts into the fields of arts and communication; to think critically and to demonstrate a commitment to diverse perspectives, and ethical practices.

Our faculty are experienced and talented practitioners, artists, and scholars who are committed to achieving these learning goals.  All of our classes integrate traditional scholarship with applied learning. Through design thinking, faculty will translate the learning goals in their individual classes using multiple tools.  Students will have different assignments and will participate differently.  As many art and music schools have shown, it is possible to learn fully and richly in an online environment with students practicing their craft and skill-development in an off-campus environment.  The essence of an Emerson education is the special interaction between faculty and students, and also among students in a class, and this will be preserved.”

-Michaele Whelan, Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs