Emerson buys a luxury apartment for the president despite budget cuts and layoffs

“This residency had many advantages over the previous one, including ADA accessibility and the ability to host various Emerson events,” Gaseau said. “The Board of Trustees also voted to sell the former presidential residence, which was purchased in 2011. The purchase price of the new residence was less than the sales price of the previous Beacon Hill residence.”

According to Zillow, the old presidential residence on Spruce Street, sold in May for $5.9 million.

The foreclosures have raised concerns among at least some college union leaders in the wake of the layoffs.

John-Albert Moseley, president of the university’s employee union, said Emerson faculty and staff have made sacrifices during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent layoffs, including cutting pay for senior staff or delaying raises. Moseley said the condo purchase is painful because in the months before the latest layoffs, Emerson leaders did not reach out to employees to work together to reduce expenses.

“Expensive housing and housing rates could help save staff jobs,” Moseley said. “We have worked with the college in the past to get creative in saving positions and helping with financial crises on campus, but the college has done very little to reach out to us to get creative now.”

Others had a different opinion. Barry Marshall, president of the adjunct faculty union, said he viewed the purchase as an incentive for Bernhardt to take a job at Emerson that had been vacant for more than a year after the previous president Lee Pelton left for the Boston Foundation after about a decade at the helm of Emerson. Bernhardt, former dean of the University of Texas at Austin, was selected from a pool of about 100 applicants.

Marshall said pro-Palestinian protests on campus last spring contributed to the decline in student enrollment this fall. In late April, protesters established a pro-Palestinian encampment on public land across from Boston Common. Boston police and state troopers set up camp on April 25, arresting 118 people, including crowds of Emerson students.

Videos from the Emerson scene show officers in riot gear sometimes struggling with screaming protesters, causing some criticism about the night raid and the police tactics used in it.

“A lot of people are aware of the damage that was done to the school,” Marshall said. “I don’t blame the student protesters, but there were people behind them who were trying to harm Emerson. “I think their goal was to get rid of the president.”

Bernhardt wrote in an email sent to faculty and staff over the summer, the decline in enrollment at the school, known for its journalism and arts programs, is expected to last only one year, but the decline will be felt in the budget for the next several fiscal years.

“We attribute this reduction to a number of factors, including national enrollment trends at smaller private institutions, enrollment delays in response to the new FAFSA implementation, student protests directed at our income events and campus tours, and negative press and social media generated by demonstrations and arrests,” Bernhardt wrote at the time.

The property deed describes the residence as a “multi-story dwelling,” consisting of one of 172 apartments. Zillow states The apartment has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and is 3,200 square feet.

According to LuxuryBoston.comreal estate portal, condominiums in the Ritz hotel, located in the heart of Boston, featuring Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows and valet parking. Residents have access to a gym, café and martini bar, and the apartments share “five-star services” with the hotel, including room service and housekeeping. A concierge is available to arrange “everything from travel arrangements to restaurant reservations across the city.”

On Friday, Emerson spokesman Gaseau said in a statement that “the college has made every effort to manage its current budget situation in a manner that supports students and employees.”

“Strategies included voluntary retirement options for select staff and faculty, freezing and delaying faculty and staff searches, deferring capital projects, and reducing operating expenses,” the statement said. “A small number of staff positions were eliminated through a process that engaged campus leaders to identify potential savings without impacting academic programs. A total of 10 positions were cut out of over 650 employees, representing less than 2 percent of the workforce.”

Like many colleges in New England, Emerson finances its operations through student tuition and fees. Emerson did not detail how much enrollment has dropped.

“Declining enrollment has resulted in reduced revenue for the current fiscal year, which the College is working to address through numerous mitigation measures,” Gaseau’s statement read. “The College is working tirelessly to address these challenges and is optimistic about increasing admissions in the next admissions cycle.”

Moseley said college management should have taken long-predicted declines in student numbers into account before purchasing the luxury apartment last year.

“I would like to see the university be proactive (because) small changes could save jobs,” Moseley said.

Hilary Burns can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @Hilarysburns. Danny McDonald can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @Danny__McDonald.