April 13 Staff Forum Recap

More than 300 staff attended the virtual staff forum on the afternoon of April 13. On the agenda were updates about COVID, the College’s finances, and the College’s reaccreditation process. Staff also heard from Interim President Bill Gilligan.

Jamie Montgomery-Hyde (HR) served as moderator and welcomed everyone to the forum. President Gilligan also provided a few words of welcome.

The first update given was on COVID. Erik Muurisepp (Campus Life) started off by thanking everyone for their help in keeping campus members safe. He noted that case counts were higher than expected this semester, but he said that the majority of those cases did not result in significant illness.

He said that we have entered the phase where we are “living alongside the virus.” In consultation with the Mayor’s Office, public health officials, and the CDC, the College is making a number of adjustments to protocols as of May 16, as detailed in the COVID team’s April 13 email to the community.

In short, testing will only be available for symptomatic students, and faculty and staff will test using their personal supply of tests or get tested through their primary care provider’s office. The College will still rely on Tufts Medical Center as a resource but will end the testing program. The contact tracing program is also coming to an end. More information on these topics will be shared by HR soon.

Also starting May 16, masks will be optional except in ECAPS and the Center for Health and Wellness. Muurisepp said that Campus Life and 172 Tremont have KN95 masks if community members need them.

President Gilligan took the floor next, saying that he saw a lot of familiar and new faces on the Zoom call, and he looks forward to the day when he can see everyone in person. He noted that he started his tenure as president under the assumption that he would hold the position for a few months. Now he is staying on until June 2023, and he said that his expectations of his role have since changed.

He said that he was proud of how the College responded to COVID and acknowledged that all community members had to give up things. Faculty and staff had to adapt to new technology on the spot. Thankfully, no faculty and staff were laid off or furloughed.

He then went on to talk about the College’s DEI efforts. He said the Trustees are committing to make a cultural change at Emerson and will work to increase diversity on campus. He said that a new VP for equity and social justice will be hired very soon. The firm Beyond Racial Equity, which the College hired to conduct a strategic review of our DEI efforts, is compiling its findings from interviews and focus groups and should submit a report this summer.

Gilligan mentioned recently created financial aid programs that aim to increase diversity on campus, including the Circle of Creative Scholars program and the Dean’s Fellowship program.

He ended his update by acknowledging that many people at all levels have left the College recently, and he knows that is causing frustration. He said that the College would address the issue and also continue to bargain in good faith with SEIU 888, which is currently negotiating its second contract.

Paul Dworkis (Administration and Finance) gave a financial update next. He reminded staff that the College had to make an investment to mitigate COVID, paying for testing, PPE, cleaning, contact tracing, and extra student housing at the W Hotel. These costs amounted to $7 million this fiscal year. The College experienced strong enrollment this year but also substantially increased funding for needed financial aid and student support, resulting in net unrestricted operating revenue declining by about 1% this year, as compared to our budget.

Some of the COVID costs and net revenue shortfall were offset by prudent cost management and reductions in operating expense at the College and departmental levels. Dworkis also reported that student residency levels were 3 to 4% below full capacity but still slightly above our budget expectations.

The College was able to maximize the federal funding that was offered, and was able to continue to make necessary deferred maintenance investment for College technology and facility infrastructure, continuing to pause capital projects. Because of market volatility, the endowment has decreased 5% since the beginning of the calendar year, in line with general market trends. He ended by sharing the news that the College’s Standard and Poor’s rating’s outlook changed from negative to stable.

The last forum update was given by Brooke Knight and Maria Koundoura (Academic Affairs) about the progress of the College’s reaccreditation process by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Knight reminded the audience that the reaccreditation process happens every 10 years and is a 2-year process.

A number of committees have been working on the College’s “self-study,” which comprises a lot of data, a narrative, and supporting documents. NECHE representatives will do a site visit in September, and then the commission will undertake a review and make a decision regarding reaccreditation within the following year.

Koundoura was in charge of distilling 240 pages of narrative submitted by nine committees into a 100-page narrative. Committee topics included academic programs, students, and institutional resources. She noted that an edited draft of the narrative will be available on the website. She likened the reaccreditation process to the Roman god Janus, with one face looking backward on the past 10 years and the other face looking forward to project what the College can accomplish in the future.

Knight said that NECHE has reviewed the College’s self-study, and now he and Koundoura are addressing their comments. He showed a timeline of the entire process and noted that the College is a little ahead of schedule. Koundoura gave an overview of NECHE’s 2013 recommendations, which included enhancing the connection of liberal arts with professional programs and ensuring sufficient physical resources to support programs and services. Some highlights from the 2022 self-study that were shared include: eight new graduate programs and nine new majors, 23% increase in full-time faculty since 2013, expanding culture of learning assessment, and an increase in financial aid. Koundoura ended the presentation with a set of potential recommendations that NECHE may have, which include a continued emphasis on assessment and outcomes, and a renewed strategic plan when a new president arrives.

Montgomery-Hyde wrapped up the forum by moderating a Q & A from questions that were submitted in advance. Gilligan answered a question regarding what he would be doing about recent executive-level departures. He said that there is ongoing discussion about some upcoming interim appointments, and some positions will be permanently filled. Montgomery-Hyde answered a question about what is being done to retain staff. He replied that retention is individually motivated; there is not a one-size-fits-all approach. He said that managers are critical to retention efforts.

Muurisepp was asked if staff could still do voluntary COVID testing at Tufts Medical Center. He explained that the program is ending because there is a lot of antigen testing available on the market, from both the government and pharmacies. And community testing sites are another option. When asked about the possibility of a summer surge, he said that policies could change if a new variant arises that causes an increase in hospitalizations.

He said if staff test positive and are dealing with long COVID, they should work with HR and their managers to figure out sick time and leaves of absence. He was also asked about the current visitor policy and he said that the policy outlined in the February 7 email to the community still stands.

Dworkis was asked for an endowment update. He said that the College’s endowment investments are currently valued at about $252 million. It was closer to $265 million in January but has decreased due to market volatility and numerous conditions putting downward pressure on the markets. Koundoura noted that the College’s financial statement from the NECHE self-study will be available on the website at the end of June.

Nancy Howell (Communications and Marketing)