March 19 Staff Forum Recap
Senior leadership held a staff forum webinar on March 19, during which they introduced the College’s new strategic plan, Extraordinary Emerson 2030. Moderator Jamie Montgomery-Hyde (HR) opened the session by welcoming participants and sharing the agenda. Next, the senior leadership took turns announcing the new hires in their divisions.
President Jay Bernhardt and Jon Derek Croteau (President’s Office) provided an overview of Extraordinary Emerson 2030. Croteau shared the timeline of the strategic planning process, which began in December 2023, and a list of past reports, studies, plans, and community surveys that were used to assist committee and working group members in creating the College’s new strategic priorities, goals, and initiatives. He explained the extent of the stakeholder engagement: 4,635 points of engagement with community members and 25 focus groups held.
President Bernhardt then presented the plan itself, which he called a “10,000- to 30,000-foot overview” of the College’s path forward. He shared the College’s new mission and vision statements and laid out the four strategic priorities: Academic Innovation to Shape the Future of Arts and Communication, Collaborative Connections to Develop and Cultivate Stronger Relationships and External Partnerships, Community Engagement to Build a Vibrant and Inclusive Campus Experience, and Operational Excellence to Ensure Effective Performance and Financial Strength. He noted that the College’s core values are: Creativity, Innovation, Inclusion, Curiosity, Equity, Expression, and Collaboration.
Alex Socarides (Academic Affairs) then highlighted the four goals under each of the four priorities. Lastly, she described the three phases of the plan and some of the initiatives that are either currently underway or being planned for the future.
President Bernhardt wrapped up the strategic plan overview by saying that the Board of Trustees was heavily involved in the process and unanimously approved it in February. He also highlighted an acknowledgments list of the various committees and working groups that helped to draft the plan. He emphasized that the rollout of the plan is just the beginning of the implementation, and that it will serve as a roadmap for the College to prioritize future opportunities and respond to challenges. Montgomery-Hyde moderated a brief Q&A session about the plan, asking real-time questions that were submitted by staff as well as questions that were solicited ahead of time.
Next, Rebekah Carmichael (Communications and Marketing) gave a brief branding update. She offered a high-level reminder of what a brand is: more than just a visual identity, it is how we tell our story in a consistent and coherent way across the Emerson life cycle. It’s a focal point that defines our mission and delivers our values.
The College began work on a brand refresh project last month and has partnered with a brand strategy firm called Mindpower. Mindpower is currently in Phase I of the project, which involves brand discovery, including audience research. Phase II will consist of brand strategy and platform development. Carmichael noted that the brand refresh project is slated to be complete by the fall of 2025. She welcomed feedback and questions to be submitted to brandinginitiative@emerson.edu.
Brian Basgen (IT) gave a brief overview of a large-scale Workday project that will soon be underway: the implementation of a Workday Student platform that will render Banner obsolete. Workday Student will improve the administrative process for students’ journeys during their time at Emerson, streamlining registration and billing, and supporting a flexible curriculum.
Sixty staff will be involved with the project, and many others will be brought in to help with certain aspects across the project’s timeline, which begins this year and ends in 2029. He invited staff to email him directly with any questions about the project.
President Bernhardt spent a few minutes addressing the current higher education climate under a new federal administration. He assured staff that Emerson is “stable, solid, and strong.” At the same time, he admitted that things are unpredictable and that he and senior leadership are working hard to protect Emerson’s people and programs. He encouraged staff to support our students and each other, and to be supportive of vulnerable community members.
The staff forum webinar ended with a general Q&A discussion that was moderated by Montgomery-Hyde. He also welcomed staff to submit their HR-related feedback to him directly or to hr@emerson.edu.
Nancy Howell (Communications and Marketing)