Emerson may drop off university, staff according to projected fall numbers: leader
The chairman of Emerson College, who is facing lower than expected drop enrollment numbers, attributed a portion of the blame in a new campus email to the “negative press” coverage of pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
According to President Jay Bernhardt in an internet to faculty and staff last year, the Massachusetts school may drop off faculty and staff as a result of the fall, according to The Berkeley Beacon.
We attribute this decrease to a number of variables, including national changes to move away from smaller private institutions, a delayed admission payment in response to the new FAFSA implementation, student protests against our school tours and events, and bad media and social media responses to the arrests and demonstrations, he wrote.
According to Bernhardt, the projected membership for drop 2024 is” considerably below what we had anticipated.”
He did not give a certain number, and school spokesman Michelle Gaseau informed The Beacon that the final number is not yet known. In 2022, the most recent data available, the school reported 4, 104 academic students.
More is reported by The Boston Herald:
Due to the decline, the text stated, the school will reduce staff and faculty queries next month, review existing programs and offerings, and remove both filled and unoccupied team positions. Additionally, the management has the potential to “potentially decrease some university positions.” ]… ]
The membership decline is expected to be a” a one- time phenomenon”, Bernhardt said, but to have a splash effect on the school’s resources due to the loss in tuition and housing.
Emerson leaders were accused of coddling student protesters by offering bail and extended housing to those detained while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment in the spring.
In a statement from April, Bernhardt claimed that the college would not punish protesters. Additionally, he said he would encourage the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to drop charges against the students.
118 protesters were detained by city police in April after being repeatedly warned to disband their campus-wide pro-Palestine encampment, according to the statement.
Four police officers were injured, including one who sustained serious injuries, MassLive reported at the time. According to Boston police, the majority of the arrests involve allegations of unlawful assembly and disturbing the peace.
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IMAGE: Emerson Students for Justice in Palestine/Instagram
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