Statement from the Emerson College Board of Trustees
August 8, 2024
The Emerson College Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the following policy on Institutional Neutrality and Mutual Respect. We charge President Bernhardt with its implementation and gathering and sharing feedback from our community with the board.
Policy on Institutional Neutrality and Mutual Respect
To perform its mission as a leading college of arts and communication, 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. 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. Official positions and statements may be appropriate on 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.
While performing official duties, Emerson employees may not engage in actions or speech that suppress the expression of diverse viewpoints or suggest they are speaking for the institution. Furthermore, our campus community should actively avoid undue collective pressure about what to believe and should strongly encourage mutual respect toward all community members regardless of their beliefs.
Emerson College has a long history of fostering civic engagement and civil discourse in an inclusive and respectful learning environment. We reaffirm our commitment to respect in speech and dialogue, which is fundamental to our community's integrity and intellectual growth. All community members—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—are expected to engage in dialogue that prioritizes mutual respect and understanding. This commitment is essential for a supportive, collaborative, and inclusive academic atmosphere where diverse perspectives can be shared and valued.
Emerson’s commitment to institutional neutrality and mutual respect does not arise from a position of indifference or insensitivity to suffering or injustice. It derives from our commitment to inclusivity and pluralism and our obligation to respect a diversity of viewpoints. By maintaining institutional neutrality and mutual respect, Emerson 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.
Trustee Diversity Statement and Commitment
As the Trustees of Emerson College, we commit to persistent inquiry, due attention, and substantive investment to advance human dignity and respect within the College and the wider world. Equity, access, and social justice are core values of Emerson and essential to the execution of our mission—the betterment of society through communication and the arts.
Emerson is a vibrant community of creators, communication specialists, and storytellers who possess and share distinct and varied perspectives, backgrounds, life experiences, languages, and goals. We believe optimum student success, staff development, and faculty scholarship and creativity are linked to our collective, intentional, and ongoing engagement with matters of structural inequity and diversity of thought that impact our society.
As Trustees, therefore, we fully support and expect:
- Emerson’s dedication to fostering meaningful, open, and respectful dialogue within and beyond the Emerson community, grounded in shared experience and empathy.
- Emerson’s obligation to infuse the Emerson experience with an understanding of both structural inequity and diversity of thought.
- Emerson’s commitment to being at the forefront of productive civic engagement and addressing injustice when and where it occurs within our institution.
Officers
- Eric Alexander, BSSp ’78, Chair
Co Founder and President, Compitium, New York, NY - Doug A. Herzog, BS '81, LHD '08, Secretary
Los Angeles, CA - Michael MacWade, M’84, Treasurer
Andover, MA - Robert A. Miller, MS, MA, Co-Vice Chair
New York, NY - Sheila Robinson, MBA, Co-Vice Chair
Former CFO, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York, NY
Members
- Vivian C. Beard, MEd
President, Vivian Male Productions, Boston, MA - Jay Bernhardt, Ph.D., MPH
President, Emerson College, Boston, MA - Traci Blackwell, MA '14
Scripted Television Executive, Los Angeles, CA - Kevin S. Bright, BA '76, LHD'11
Founding Director, Emerson Los Angeles, Producer/Director, Los Angeles, CA and Boston, MA - Ellen S. Calmas, BS
Co-Founder & Executive Vice President, Neighborhood Pay Services, MA - Lorenzo di Bonaventura, MBA
President, Di Bonaventura Pictures Television and Di Bonaventura Pictures, Inc., Los Angeles, CA - Seth Grahame-Smith, BS 98'
Co-Founder, Katzsmith Productions, Los Angeles, CA - Scott Goldenberg, MBA
Senior Vice President for Finance, TJX Companies, Framingham MA - Ira Goldstone, BS '71
Executive Engineer, Fox Networks Engineering and Operations, Los Angeles, CA - Douglas Holloway, BS ’76, MBA, LHD ‘24
New York, NY - Joseph J. Johnson III, BA
Managing Director and Head of Liabilities, Lafayette Square Holding Company, LLC., New York, NY - Adele Lim, BS ’96, LHD '22
Screenwriter/Director, President, 100 Tigers Productions, Los Angeles, CA - Andrea M. Montoni, BS ’78
Marketing Communications, Washington, DC - Paul J. Morra, BS ‘95
Partner, Executive Producer, and Director, Swift River Productions, Los Angeles, CA - Max Mutchnick, BS '87, LHD '13
Television Writer, Producer, and Showrunner, Fox Television Studios, Los Angeles, CA - Susan (Hammel) Namm Spencer, BS '61
New York, NY and Jupiter, FL - Patricia Peyton, BS '84
Leadership and Sales Consultant, Scottsdale, AZ - Steven Samuels, BA, LHD '22
Chairman, Samuels & Associates, Boston, MA - Cathy M. Weiss, BA
Philanthropic Advisor, Philadelphia, PA
Trustees Emeriti
- James Coppersmith, BS, LHD, LLD ’98
- Vincent J. Di Bona, BS ’66, MFA, LHD ’94
- Judy Huret, MA ’69, MBA
- Richard Janssen, BA, CPA
- Marillyn Zacharis, MA, LHD'11