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Emerson College reportedly lays off 30 staff members
This marks the second summer in a row where Emerson has announced layoffs.
Emerson College reportedly laid off 30 staff members last month, making it the latest higher education institution in Boston to cut staff amid financial headwinds.
All told, the recent cuts at Emerson represent a 5% staff reduction for the liberal arts college. Emerson officials cited decreasing enrollment and revenue figures that came in below projections as reasons for the layoffs, according to The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson’s student newspaper.
“Emerson is, unfortunately, not immune to the budgetary squeeze caused by declining enrollment and an uncertain political environment that impacted most institutions of higher education this summer. We are focused on, and confident in, Emerson’s future and on implementing Extraordinary Emerson 2030, the College’s strategic plan,” a spokesperson for the college said in a statement Friday.
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This is the second year in a row that Emerson has cut staff members. Last summer, 10 staff members were let go and two programs were suspended due to declining enrollment. College leaders said that enrollment was dropping partially because of “negative press and social media.”
Emerson was home to one of the more significant pro-Palestine student encampments in the spring of 2024. When Boston police were called by the city to clear the encampment, student protesters physically clashed with officers and more than 100 people were arrested. Students afterwards described being “beaten and bloodied” by the police.
But other Boston schools where students were not as visibly involved in protest activity are letting staff go as well. Last month, Boston University laid off about 120 people as it cut its budget by 5%. BU leaders blamed federal funding cuts, rising inflation, and changing demographics. Suffolk University also laid off 35 staff members this summer. That university’s president cited federal policies that are harming international student enrollment and said that Suffolk needed to provide more financial support to students than initially projected.
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The Emerson Staff union confirmed that 12 union members were laid off.
Union leaders attempted to negotiate with Emerson officials and stop the layoffs by offering to redirect members’ retirement matching contributions, but Emerson leaders declined according to a release from the union
The union said that “student-facing services” like the library, the costume shop, the Writing and Academic Resource Center, and the Instructional Technology Group were impacted by the layoffs.
“This marks the second consecutive year of layoffs despite our suggestions for management to consider alternatives such as executive compensation reduction. We seek greater transparency in the College’s financial planning and decision-making processes,” the union said in a statement.
Some Emerson faculty are saying that they have lost trust in Emerson President Jay Bernhardt’s leadership, GBH News reported this week.
Emerson officials contend that Bernhardt regularly meets with students and faculty, and that the concerns outlined in the GBH News article represent the views of a small minority.
“The College categorically rejects the absurd intentional attempt at character assassination of our President by disgruntled members of our community,” an Emerson spokesperson said in a statement responding to the GBH News piece.
In addition to the staffing cuts, Emerson recently launched a “Voluntary Separation Incentive Program” that offers benefits to eligible employees who voluntarily resign.
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The college’s highest-paid employees, who make up 10% of non-union staff, are not going to receive salary increases next year, according to the Beacon.
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