Kicking Off the New Academic Year

Dear fellow Emersonians,

Welcome to the first day of a new semester!  There is no other college in the world like Emerson, and I am energized by the potential of the new year ahead.

Today, as teaching and learning resume at our unique institution, we celebrate the value of our academic mission. We live in a world that desperately needs innovation and excellence in the arts and communication, and we can all be proud to be part of this engine of “expression necessary to evolution,” Emerson’s motto since its founding in 1880.

Two members of our leadership team have my sincere thanks for their work in helping to kick off the semester. Interim Vice President Christie Anglade and her team of fantastic staff and students seamlessly orchestrated this year’s successful move-in and orientation events. Vice President and Provost Alex Socarides and her exceptional team planned and hosted an excellent Faculty Institute yesterday. These events show our College at its very best, working together to support our fellow Emersonians.

In that spirit of coming together, the Emerson College leadership team and I invite you to become involved with the EmersonTogether initiative, engage with our strategic planning process, and provide feedback on the policies and processes that guide us.

The first EmersonTogether community conversation will be held on the Boston campus on Friday, September 6, at 3:00 p.m. in the Bordy Theater. Vice Presidents Anglade and Socarides, along with Vice Presidents Shaya Gregory Poku and Jon Derek Croteau, will facilitate the event. This community gathering will be the first of many opportunities to leverage our strengths in civil discourse and deliberative dialogue to build our community and move our College forward.

We are fortunate to be part of an inclusive community of storytellers, artists, and communicators. With the collaborative engagement of our students, faculty, and staff, we have everything we need to forge a bright future together as the world’s leading college of communication and the arts.

Have a great semester!

Sincerely yours,
Jay M. Bernhardt
President