Boston's Emerson College to layoff faculty after massive enrollment drop over anti-Israel protests

Emerson College told its staff that anti-Israel protests are one of the contributing factors as to why freshman enrollment for the fall is "significantly below" projections. As a result, the Boston-based college is planning budget cuts and may end up slashing faculty positions. 

In a letter to faculty obtained by The Post Millennial, Emerson College president Jay Bernhardt and other administrators said, "We attribute this reduction to multiple factors, including national enrollment trends away from smaller private institutions, an enrollment deposit delay in response to the new FAFSA rollout, student protests targeting our yield events and campus tours, and negative press and social media generated from the demonstrations and arrests."

Emerson was one of the Boston-area colleges that saw a Gaza camp and anti-Israel protests following the example of the antisemitic activists at Columbia University. The Gaza camp was set up in April in a public alley next to Boylston Street and the activists refused to leave until the administration called for a ceasefire in Gaza and divested from companies that do business in Israel.

Boston police in riot gear finally broke up the encampment on April 25 and arrested 108 activists. During the process, activists injured four police officers. Emerson’s administration believes that the enrollment decline is a “one-year phenomenon," but will require "immediate spending reductions" to make up for the lost tuition and housing revenue.

The letter stated, "We will limit our staff and faculty searches next year and carefully review existing programs and offerings for future savings. Finally, we will need to eliminate some staff positions, both vacant and filled, and potentially reduce some faculty positions."