Bringing EmersonTogether

To the Emerson community,

As Emersonians, we believe in the power and potential of our cherished community. To fully realize that power, we must acknowledge the difficult period we have been through and intentionally engage in healing our community and building bridges to strengthen the connections between all Emersonians. Improving our community will take time and a shared commitment to working together for the greater good. In service of this imperative, we are excited to begin co-creating the EmersonTogether initiative with all of you.

To ensure this is a real, community-wide effort, EmersonTogether will invite a broad spectrum of involvement across the silos that can form at Emerson and elsewhere in higher ed. Students, faculty, staff and administrators, and alumni can propose events, discussions, trainings, performances, exhibits, and other opportunities to highlight our shared values. By identifying our challenges and engaging with each other to think about what freedom of expression, mutual respect, social justice, and shared governance looks like at Emerson, we will begin to collectively plot the path forward. Over the course of the year, we invite you to engage with the EmersonTogether events that most speak to you.

Many of the challenges we face reflect those that exist in the broader society we are part of, but some harms have been specific to our community. In this moment, Emerson College has a singular opportunity to create a shared initiative that not only fosters respect and understanding for the people who make up Emerson, but that can serve as an example of what “Expression Necessary to Evolution” means. We have a chance to exemplify what is possible when our unique expertise in communication and arts is brought to bear on our greatest challenges. 

This process will not be fast or easy, but as Emersonians, who are part of an intentionally and proudly diverse community, we bring a distinctive blend of creativity and care that will drive our success. 

More details will be shared as the initiative develops, but you are invited to learn more about EmersonTogether on the information page and to share your thoughts, suggestions, and questions at EmersonTogether@emerson.edu. We look forward to working with you!

Wishing you a great semester ahead, 

The EmersonTogether Leadership Team  

Christie Anglade, Interim VP and Dean, Campus Life
Jon Derek Croteau, VP of Strategy, Innovation, and Institutional Initiatives
Shaya Gregory Poku, VP for Equity & Social Justice
Alex Socarides, Provost