The non-negotiable values of Charles Wesley Emerson, founder of Emerson College, became the backbone for the school’s guiding beliefs dating back to 1878, and the creation of Emerson’s iconic “Expression Necessary to Evolution” slogan. 

The slogan embodies Emerson’s dedication to education as a minister, an advocate for alcohol abstinence under the Temperance movement, and a Boston University oratory student and guest lecturer on subjects from philosophy to medicine.

In addition to his humanitarian studies, Emerson pursued a medical degree at the Eclectic Medical College of Pennsylvania (known now as the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine). This led him to develop a philosophy of dedication to helping and uplifting others, or “effective altruism.” He envisioned a self-improvement educational model using expressional training, emphasizing mental, moral, physical, and spiritual growth. 

As one of Emerson’s former students described, effective altruism is “a method that refines the sensibilities, cultivates the beauty of speech, trains the intellect, educates the emotions, broadens the sympathies, and gives keen insight into the deeper understanding of life.”

Emerson curated classes at his institution focused on highlighting the importance of expression, aiming to prepare students to apply his altruistic philosophy to their academic and professional lives. 

Emerson codified what would become one of the fundamental pillars of his school in its motto: the belief that effective communication and self-expression are essential to personal evolution. These values were even ingrained into the purpose of the Monroe Conservatory of Oratory—one of the many names that would evolve into “Emerson College”—circa 1880. 

The college’s mission statement continued from its founder to William James Rolfe, the second president of Emerson College in 1903, and so on after him. 

The non-negotiable values of the institution, including “appreciation for diverse ideas and the free expression of them,” highlight the vision of Emerson’s effective altruism for the college’s creative student body. Since its founding, the college has dramatically emphasized a commitment to nurturing its students’ full personal, intellectual, and artistic potential in service of the larger society. 

But what about now? How do these fundamental values hold up 143 years later? 

When Boston police arrested and forcefully removed 118 protesters from the “Popular University Encampment” in Boylston Place Alley last spring, the tension between protecting free expression and ensuring a safe campus environment came to a head. Under President Jay Bernhardt’s leadership, Emerson College attempted to address this tension and rolled out new updates to policies and procedures navigating the complexities of free speech. One of the updates included the revision of Emerson’s “Interim Policy for Authorized Campus Demonstrations,” which has been criticized as a violation of free speech

“This saddens me because I come here as a journalism student valuing expression over anything else,” Lauren Amitirigala, a first-year student, said.

Criticism of and support for the policy hold conflicting spaces around campus. 

“Freedom of expression is a core value at Emerson,” said Bernhardt in a statement from August unveiling the new policies, “but it must be balanced with our shared responsibility for dignity, respect, and safety for all members of our community.” 

In statements to Emerson students, faculty, and staff, Bernhardt stressed the perceived importance of “civil and open dialogue” on campus and the administration’s willingness to respond to “community input” on these changes. 

However, the question remains whether that balance is being kept. 

A sophomore student among the 118 arrested, who asked to remain anonymous for safety concerns, thinks not.

“I absolutely agree with the sentiment of [the slogan],” they said, but “I would also push to say that Emerson has not only done a bad job at staying true to those words but has actively hindered student expression.”

The involved sophomore also noted how students’ simple forms of expression, “such as decorating dorm room doors, a once-loved tradition of the school,” are no longer allowed.

A senior visual media arts major, Sae Phillips, expressed her conflicting emotions about expression at Emerson.  

“The Emerson community, [as in] its students and the people who … honestly produce all these projects that go with the slogan; absolutely [adhere to the motto] but the Board of Trustees do not care,” Phillips said.

This echoes a more considerable sentiment around campus regarding what many feel is unfair not being able to decorate, worrying that the college might take harsher measures in the future.

For many students, the slogan has become more of an ideal than a reality under the current administration.

“[The slogan is] … a true statement but when it’s attached to this college, it’s seen as kind of contradictory and hypocritical as if they were offering a place to express that,” said Jackson Harrup, a first-year writing, literature, and publishing major, referring to the lack of free expression. “Look at the doors and the dorms … the policies and free speech changes.” 

Amitirigala agreed that speech has changed at Emerson and “…this college has been controlled completely by fear which cracks down on expression.”

From the time the college’s founder established the motto “Expression Necessary to Evolution,” many believe the societal definition and implications of “expression” have changed. 

As the current administration and the Emerson community at large continue to debate on what measures should be taken to protect the school’s spirit of effective altruism, it remains to be seen what the legacy of this chapter in Emerson’s long and storied history will be.