Engaging Together for our Shared Future

Dear Emersonians,

As the weather turns cooler and we approach the midpoint of the fall semester, I am grateful to everyone who has worked hard to bring our community together to be the best it can be for our students, faculty, and staff. 

Since the start of the semester, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with many people from across our community to discuss our shared desires and goals for Emerson. These rich conversations brought forward great ideas for advancing our four top priorities this year: increasing our enrollment, strengthening our community, planning for our future, and improving our communication. 

Thank you to everyone who has engaged in our essential Strategic Planning process. If you haven’t done so already, please complete the brief Strategic Planning Survey, now extended through October 18th at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time, to include your voice in shaping Emerson’s future.

Three leaders in our community were selected to serve as Senior Advisors to the President this year: Brian Basgen, Chief Information Officer; Ruth Grossman, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders; and Anthony Pinder, Vice Provost for Internationalization and Equity. I look forward to receiving their expert advice and learning from their valuable experience at Emerson. 

Since the start of the semester, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with numerous Emerson governing and advisory bodies, including the President’s Advisory Group for Community and Equity, the Provost’s Council, the Academic Cabinet, the Student Government Association Internal Affairs leadership team, the Faculty Council, and the Shared Governance Committee. Our candid and meaningful discussions have highlighted the importance of continuing dialogue, strengthening collaboration, and increasing transparency.  

I look forward to future conversations with these and other advisory groups, including the three new groups we are launching today. As promised last spring, we have established two new Presidential Advisory Groups, one for students and one for staff selected from across our community. We are also creating the Art on Campus Advisory Group to leverage our community of artists and storytellers to consider new ways to showcase art, creativity, and design on our campuses, including student work. If you are interested in participating or have ideas to share, please email artoncampus@emerson.edu. 

Another way we are working to improve our campuses is through our new Fitness Center at Piano Row in Boston, which will open in late October. Teams are working hard to put the finishing touches on the new state-of-the-art facility, a fantastic space for our community to stay active and healthy.

Finally, understanding that many of you may be planning for this year’s winter break, we have decided that most staff will now have two full weeks off over the holidays (December 23-January 3) while our students and faculty are on break from classes. For our staff, we are pleased to offer you these three additional days off in deep appreciation for your work.

The fall semester has always been a time for new beginnings. Thank you for your role in our continued progress toward our vision for Emerson as the world’s leading college for arts and communication.

Sincerely yours,

Jay Bernhardt
President