As part of a wave of announcements heading into the new school year, the Emerson College Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a policy on institutional neutrality and mutual respect earlier this month.
The board’s statement comes amid continued campus tension due to the arrests of 118 student protesters in April and more recent news of faculty layoffs and the elimination of two prominent campus programs.
The policy was officially announced Friday as part of a campus-wide email from President Jay Bernhardt, who wrote: “We heard the community’s desire for more clarity and transparency around policies and processes that lay out responsibility and accountability for actions on campus. To that end, policies were updated to provide a greater focus on campus safety and continuity of operations, and they include a new institutional voice statement from Emerson’s Board of Trustees.”
The board’s policy began by reiterating the college’s neutral stance on all geopolitical matters. In addition, the college will not consider “political pressure in allocating resources, including its endowment investments, or when selecting strategic partners,” according to a college statement posted on Emerson Today.
“Emerson College must sustain an environment enabling freedom of inquiry, maintain independence from political pressures, and avoid actions that may have the unintended effect of silencing discourse and debate,” the board’s statement read in part. “For these reasons, Emerson College and its operating units will not take official positions or issue statements on complex geopolitical issues, nor will Emerson College consider political pressure in allocating resources or selecting strategic partners.”
The college’s neutrality is a contrast to other universities around the country, some of whom had publicly announced their divestment from Israel within the past few months.
The board added that official statements may be appropriate for issues that directly affect the college and its mission.
“Official expressions of empathy or support in the face of tragedy or injustice may be appropriate so long as they do not silence voices within our community,” they wrote.
The policy also addressed how faculty should approach discussing current issues, saying Emerson employees may not engage in actions or speech that “suppress the expression of diverse viewpoints or suggest they are speaking for the institution” while performing official duties.
In the past, several faculty and staff members had publicly expressed their views on the Israel-Palestine conflict, including—in some cases—in “Letter to the Editor” pieces sent to and published in The Beacon.
The policy also reflected on Emerson’s history of encouraging civic discourse in an “inclusive and respectful learning environment,” and reaffirmed the college’s commitment to respectful speech and dialogue. The board said it expects all community members to engage in dialogue that “prioritizes mutual respect and understanding” for “a supportive, collaborative, and inclusive academic atmosphere where diverse perspectives can be shared and valued.”
The board defended its position on institutional neutrality, stating that, in doing so, the college “will remain an open, supportive, and inclusive space for community members of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, national origins, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and beliefs.”
