Emerson College

Origins

Charles Wesley Emerson founded the Boston Conservatory of Elocution, Oratory, and Dramatic Art in 1880, a year after Boston University closed its School of Oratory. Classes were held at Pemberton Square in Boston. Ten students enrolled in the conservatory's first class. The following year, the conservatory changed its name to the "Monroe Conservatory of Oratory," in honor of Charles Emerson's teacher at Boston University's School of Oratory, Professor Lewis B. Monroe. In 1890, the name changed again to "Emerson College of Oratory" and was later shortened to Emerson College in 1939.

Early expansion and growth

The college expanded and rented space at 36 Bromfield Street, and moved to Odd Fellows Hall on Berkeley and Tremont Streets in the South End of Boston. With the new location, the college's first library was established in 1892. Henry Southwick, a faculty member and graduate, became a financial partner for the college with Emerson. This financial partnership led to the purchase of the Boston School of Oratory from Moses T. Brown in 1894.

At the turn of the century, faculty members Henry and Jessie Southwick and William H. Kenney purchased the college from Dr. Emerson. Soon after, the college rented a new location in Chickering Hall.

Dr. Emerson retired in 1903 and William J. Rolfe, a Shakespearean scholar and actor, was named the second President of Emerson College of Oratory. His service as president lasted until his retirement in 1908.

As the Student Government Association of the college held its first meeting in 1908, the third president of the college, Henry Lawrence Southwick, was inaugurated. He introduced the study of acting and stagecraft into the college curriculum.

During his tenure, the college rented a new building at 30 Huntington Avenue. The college was also granted the right to award Bachelor of Literary Interpretation (B.L.I.) degrees. In addition, Emerson became the first school with a collegiate-level program in children's theater in 1919. The school offered its first course in Journalism in 1924.

The college purchased its first piece of real estate with a new women's dormitory building at 373 Commonwealth Ave. and started intramural sports in 1931 with the organization of volleyball games.

Administrative restructuring

In 1930, full charge and control of the college was transferred to the Board of Trustees by William H. Kenney, Henry Lawrence Southwick, and Jessie Southwick.

When Harry Seymour Ross was appointed the fourth president of Emerson College in 1931, the first course in radio broadcasting was taught by the program director of WEEI, a Boston AM radio station.

The purchase of buildings at 130 Beacon Street and 128 Beacon Street a year later began the presence of Emerson College in Boston's Back Bay. Emerson kept ownership of these buildings until summer 2003.

In the following years, a professional training program in Speech Pathology (1935) and the first undergraduate program in broadcasting and broadcast journalism (1937) were offered for the first time in the United States. Also, construction of a theater behind 128–130 Beacon began, and the institution was granted the right to award Master of Arts degrees.

Post-war era

In the post-war era, the G.I. Bill of Rights and the Broadcasting curriculum contributed to the rebalancing of the student body from a primarily-female population to an equally-balanced population of men and women. Boylston Green, the first president to have no prior association with the college, used his background as a dean of students to enhance extracurricular activities, including the establishment of a student activities fee. These efforts led to the first publication of Emerson's student newspaper, The Berkeley Beacon, in 1947. It is still in production today.

Emerson also saw major development in its broadcasting program. A one-year Certificate of Broadcasting was offered via evening classes. The FCC awarded the college a 10-watt license in 1949, and WERS, the first educational FM radio station in New England, was born. The station's power was increased to 300 watts three years later, and 18,000 watts by 1953.

At the start of the decade, In 1950 Emerson College became a member of the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, an accreditation association for schools and colleges in New England.

President Green left the college in 1949 after being selected as president of the University of the South, and Godfrey Dewey served as Acting President until 1951. At that time, Jonathon French was appointed as Acting President, and he became President in December of that year, despite never being formally inaugurated.

Financial crisis of 1952 and recovery

The college suffered from a severe financial crisis in 1952, and sought $50,000 in emergency funding. At the time, the Chairman of the Corporation stated that without these funds, the college had three alternatives: go broke, sell out, or join up with another institution. Led by the National Alumni Council, a grassroots campaign was launched to improve the financial situation of the college. The efforts led to the resignation of the Council of Trustees, which was then replaced mostly by alumni. The new board elected a former Emerson history professor, S. Justus McKinley, as the fifth President of Emerson College.

Pulling out of its financial crisis, the college started to develop its programs with new facilities. In 1953, Emerson opened the Robbins Speech and Hearing Clinic at 145 Beacon Street, furthering the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. A television studio was dedicated at 130 Beacon in 1954, with its first closed-circuit TV program the following year as WERS-TV. The first annual spring musical, Lady in the Dark by Moss Hart, was presented.

The school was authorized to grant Bachelors and Masters of Science in Speech, honorary degrees, and Bachelor of Music in conjunction with the Longy School of Music.

Back Bay as Emerson's campus

As the 1960s started, the building at 373 Commonwealth Avenue was sold to purchase a dormitory at 100 Beacon Street to accommodate an enrollment of 609 undergraduate and 29 graduate students. A year later, a building at 150 Beacon Street was obtained for dorms, dining hall, and administrative offices. With major gifts from Elisabeth Abbot Smith and J.F. Buzzard, the college Library moved from the fourth floor of 130 Beacon Street into its own building at 303 Berkeley Street. In 1964, two buildings were purchased: 96 Beacon Street, which became the student union building, and 132–134 Beacon Street, which became a dormitory. The campus remained primarily in Back Bay until the late 1990s.

In 1967, Richard Chapin, former Dean of the Harvard Business School was inaugurated as the seventh president of Emerson College.

Shortly afterward, an academic planning committee approved a new course of study for general education requirements. The first level of this program replaced the college-wide requirements with a two-year interdisciplinary course of study and electives. In order to accommodate this new program, the building at 67–69 Brimmer Street was purchased. The Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies was born. A year later (1972), the college gained authorization to grant BFA, and MFA degrees.

Attempted relocation

Though Emerson College has moved to various locations within the city of Boston, the appointment of Allen E. Koenig (the ninth president of Emerson College) almost took the college completely outside of Boston. As soon as he was inaugurated in 1979, Koenig initiated talks with Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to relocate Emerson and merge the two schools. However, an agreement was never reached and the plan was dropped entirely.

At the start of the 1980s, Koenig made a proposal to the Board of Trustees for a major renovation of the college's facilities. The plan allowed for new performance spaces, classrooms, and faculty offices at Brimmer Street; remodeling the Library and Learning Resources Center at 150 Beacon; remodeling the 303 Berkeley building for the Humanities and Social Sciences Division; a new radio/audio complex at 126 Beacon; and construction of two new television studios behind 130 Beacon.

In 1984, 335 Commonwealth Avenue was purchased for Administration and the Communication Studies department. The college also received the authorization to grant MFA degrees in Creative Writing.

Despite the newly purchased Commonwealth Avenue buildings, Lawrence, Massachusetts was soon being discussed as a new location for Emerson College, about 44.5 km (27.7 mi) away from Boston. The mayor of Lawrence announced that the necessary land would be taken by eminent domain and sold to Emerson for a token payment of $100. However, the five affected private landowners disagreed with this arrangement and fought the city in court. Three years later in 1988, Judge John Forte ruled in favor of the City of Lawrence. The river-front site in Lawrence was proposed as the new campus for the College. However, as real estate values in Boston dropped and the costs of constructing a new campus increased, the plans were put on hold and eventually abandoned when Koenig resigned as president in 1989. In 1988, the college bought a building at Zero Marlborough Street (also known as 6 Arlington Street) for dormitories and a dining hall.

In an unrelated move, Kasteel Well in the Netherlands was purchased and became the home of Emerson's overseas program (now called External Programs).

Rebirth in the Theater District

John Zacharis became the tenth president of Emerson College and faced a college fractured by the failed move to Lawrence, Massachusetts. Over the course of two years, he moved to restore unity to the campus by purchasing a building at 180 Tremont Street, now called the Ansin Building. This purchase started a transition from Back Bay to the Boston Theater District. Zacharis went on medical leave in 1992 and died of leukemia shortly after.

During Zacharis's leave, Jacqueline Weis Liebergott was appointed as Acting President and, a year later, inaugurated to become the first female president of the college. Shortly after, she submitted a 10-year master plan to the Boston Redevelopment Authority which involved moving the college to the Washington Street Theatre District (also known at that time as the Combat Zone).

In the mid-1990s, a planning document of the college's future plans was drafted and public hearings were held. The college also extended health care benefits to domestic partners of gay and lesbian faculty, administration and staff. Under the plan, dental coverage and tuition waivers were also available.

1994 was also the year the college started to go online with a $100,000 gift from Mrs. Mary E. Tufte. Financed by the contribution, The Tufte Lab was placed on the fourth floor of the Ansin Building and dedicated in Mrs. Tufte's honor. The lab was the catalyst for a telecommunications / fiber optic network installation, which was completed in October 1995.

In addition, the college announced the purchase and restoration of The Little Building (Boston) (1994) across the street from the Ansin Building and next to Emerson's Majestic Theatre. Restoration was completed on the façades of the college's buildings at 126, 128, 130, 132–134, 168 Beacon Street, and 21 Commonwealth Avenue.

In 1998, Emerson purchased the Walker Building (Boston) at 120 Boylston. The building currently hosts the school's Department of Television, Radio, Film Production, the Institutional Advancement (Alumni and Development) department, and the Government and Community Relations department. It also contains the school's Library and many of its classrooms.

21st century

In 2003, the Tufte Performance Production Center (PPC) at 10 Boylston Place opened. The 11-story steel-and-glass building houses the Department of Performing Arts and includes two theaters (The Semel Theatre and The Greene Theatre), two television studios, makeup and costume labs, faculty offices, and an exhibition area. Also that year, the Cutler Majestic Theatre finished renovations and re-opened as one of the main stages of Emerson Stage productions.

In 2004, it was announced that the buildings at 96, 100, and 132 Beacon had been sold and would be vacated by the Fall 2006 semester.

Construction of a new 14-story residence hall at 150 Boylston Street began in March 2004, and was completed in September 2006 in time for the new school year. It is the first entirely-new residence hall in Emerson's history. The facility includes residential suites, athletic facilities, offices and meeting rooms for student organizations, informal gathering places for off-campus students, spaces for small-group rehearsals and performances, and dining facilities.

In 2005 the school purchased the historic Paramount Theatre (Boston) on Washington Street, with plans to build a new complex at the site including a 565-seat main stage theater inside the existing Paramount Theater and a 125-seat black box theater in an adjacent new building. Plans also included a 200-seat film screening room, eight rehearsal studios ranging from 700 to 1,900 square feet (65 to 177 m²), six smaller rehearsal spaces, a sound stage for film students, a new scene shop, and a dormitory for 260 students.

On April 3, 2006, a 3-short-ton (2.7 t) scaffolding platform on the east side of the 150 Boylston construction project fell to the street below, killing two construction workers and one passing motorist. The scaffolding had been attached to the east side of the building and was in the process of being removed. Investigators found that the construction workers did not properly secure the scaffolding to a crane while dismantling the apparatus, causing the platform to be unstable and resulting in the collapse. Construction was stopped for over a week to allow investigators to determine the cause of the accident, but was resumed in time to meet the project's August 2006 deadline.

In May 2006, the Campus Center in the Piano Row building was named the Max Mutchnick Campus Center after a major gift from the 1987 graduate and co-creator of the television sitcom Will & Grace. In the same year, the school exercised its purchase option on the Colonial Theatre adjacent to the Little Building, and then converted the upper floors of the building to a 372-bed dormitory. With the addition of dorm space here and at the Paramount Theatre, the school hopes to accommodate up to 75% of its students in on-campus housing by the year 2010.

In September 2006 a long-running labor dispute between the administrators and faculty union was resolved. The administration limited the union's role in promotion and tenure, and brought department chairs into administrative roles, where they were not covered by the union. In response, the college agreed not to dismantle the union.

In September 2007, students in Emerson Alliance for Gays, Lesbians, and Everyone as well as the Student Government Association received the gender neutral bathrooms they had pitched to the administration in the spring. In September 2016, every bathroom on Emerson's campus was converted into a gender inclusive restroom.

On December 2, 2009, President Liebergott announced she would step down in June 2011. On September 8, 2010, the college announced she would be succeeded by M. Lee Pelton of Willamette University.

On March 18, 2010, the newly renovated Paramount Center officially opened, with Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino illuminating the Paramount's original art deco marquee, which Emerson had restored. In addition to the 590-seat Paramount Theatre, the Paramount Center also houses an experimental black box theater, the Bright Family Screening Room (for films), a sound stage, a scene/prop production shop, nine rehearsal studios, six practice rooms, four classrooms, 20 faculty offices, and a student gathering area. A commercial restaurant will be located on the street level.

As of 2014, two students are suing the college for mishandling their rape cases and failing to provide their Title IX rights.

Emerson campus today

Emerson College has completed its move from Boston's Back Bay neighborhood to the historic Washington Street Theatre District, abutting the southeast corner of Boston Common. The main campus is served by Boylston station on the MBTA Green Line and Chinatown station on the MBTA Orange Line.

The College also owns a fourteenth-century castle in The Netherlands (the base for its European programs), and as of 2013 is constructing a major academic center on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood to house its long-standing Los Angeles programs.

Ansin Building (180 Tremont Street)

Once owned by the Boston Edison Company, the Ansin Building was purchased by Emerson in 1992. The building stands 14 stories high and contains all Visual & Media Arts (VMA) labs and facilities, offices for all VMA and Writing, Literature & Publishing (WLP) departments, and is the home of WERS, WECB, and ETIN (Emerson's Talk and Information Network, an online radio service). It also contains the Tufte and 3D computer labs, Digital Production labs, and the Media Services center.

216 Tremont Street

The former Union Bank building at 216 Tremont Street houses the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and its clinic for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. Also located here are the offices of the Registrar, Student Financial Services, Health Services, Career Services, the Counseling Center and the International Student Center. The Bill Bordy Theater and Auditorium on the ground floor is used for lectures, performances, performance classes and special events.

Computer Labs: Communication Sciences and Disorders Lab (CSD)

Walker Building (120 Boylston Street)

Home to classrooms, offices to various non-academic and academic departments, and five computer labs, and the Iwasaki Library. The fifth and sixth floors connect to the Tufte building.

Computer Labs: Advanced Projects Lab (APL), Advanced Teaching Lab (ATL), Communication & Marketing Labs (CML) 1, 2, and Journalism Lab (JRL)
Production Facilities: Newsroom TV Studio, Newsroom Editing Labs
Academic Facilities: Iwasaki Library, Emerson College Archives and Special Collections

During the summer of 2008, the Walker building underwent construction to be completed before the fall of 2008 to fill in the light-well that provided natural light to floors 2 through 6 in order to insert one of the sets of popular NBC sitcom Will & Grace (1998-2006), donated by Emerson alumnus Max Mutchnick, in the Iwasaki Library. The set—Will and Grace's living room and kitchen—remained in the library until 2013, when it was moved to Emerson's newly opened Los Angeles campus. The 2008 project also provides new study rooms for students on the other floors.

Tufte Performance Production Center (10 Boylston Place)

Opened in the fall of 2003, the 11-story building is home to two television studios, two performing art theaters, the Huret and Spector Gallery, set and costume studios, classrooms, and the offices of the Department of Performing Arts. The fifth and sixth floors of the building are connected to the Walker Building.

Computer Labs: CAD Lab
Performance Theaters and Facilities: Semel Theatre, The Kermit and Elinore Greene Theater, The Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Design Technology and Makeup Studio
Television Studio and Facilities: Di Bona Television Studio & Control Room, Studio B & Control Room

Cutler Majestic Theatre (219 Tremont Street)

The theatre is home to 2–3 Emerson Stage productions each year, various speaking events, Family Weekend, Open House, and the EVVY Awards, Emerson's own award show and the largest student-run live television production in the country.

Paramount Center (555 Washington Street)

Opening in 1932 as a movie theatre, seating 1,700 movie-goers, the Paramount Theatre was one of the first movie houses in Boston to play talking motion pictures. In 2005, Emerson College announced plans to renovate the Paramount Theatre, building an entire performing arts facility in and around the theatre. Construction was completed in January 2010.

The project included not only renovating the Paramount Theatre into a 550-seat theater, but building both a new Performance Development Center and a new residence hall for the school in the upper floors of the building. The complex features the 120-seat Liebergott Black Box Theatre, the 174-seat Bright Family Screening Room, nine rehearsal studios ranging from 700 to 1,900 square feet (65 to 177 m²), five practice rooms for individuals and small groups, a sound stage for film production classes, a scene shop, several classrooms; a restaurant, and Emerson faculty and staff offices.

The newly renovated Paramount Center was designed by Elkus/Manfredi Architects of Boston and built by Bond Brothers. Construction began in the spring of 2007 and was completed in December 2009.

ELA—Hollywood Center (Los Angeles)

In 2007, Emerson College announced that it had purchased property on Sunset Boulevard (at Gordon St) in Hollywood, on which to build a permanent home to its decades-old Los Angeles program. The international design firm Morphosis, headed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Thom Mayne, has been retained to design a signature building incorporating residential, teaching and administrative spaces. The 10-story building was opened for the college's winter semester in 2014. The new facility accommodates 217 students, approximately twice the number of students that were supported by Emerson's older facility in Burbank.

Kasteel Well (Netherlands)

Emerson College owns and operates Kasteel Well in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands, a national historical monument that provides living accommodations, classrooms, a resource center, and related facilities. Located near the German border, Kasteel Well is approximately two hours from Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, and Brussels, and five hours from Paris, Milan, and Madrid.

Main campus residence halls

An unusual feature of Emerson College residence halls is their close proximity to many of the major theaters and performance spaces in the heart of the Washington Street Theatre District of Boston. Some of the student rooms are literally on top of a major Boston theater owned by Emerson, and all of them are in close walking distance to the major performance venues of the District. Also nearby are major shopping centers and restaurants of the Chinatown, Downtown, and Back Bay neighborhoods of Boston.

Piano Row & Max Mutchnick Campus Center (150 Boylston Street)

The newly constructed building opened in September 2006, replacing residence hall and student union buildings on Beacon and Arlington streets with most offices relocating to the new building. Sited on Boylston St. in the historic Piano Row District, the building is often referred to as "Piano Row".

The residence floors consist of seven suites per floor. Each suite consists of three two-person bedrooms and one shared bathroom and living room for the unit. In addition, each floor has at least one residence assistant's room with either a common room or an additional residence assistant's room every other floor.

Piano Row is also home to the Max Mutchnick Campus Center, sometimes called "The Max", and the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gymnasium. The former features several conference, meeting, and rehearsal spaces open to all students, offices for Student Life and the Student Government Association, and storage for any student organization that requires it. The Brown Gymnasium has an NCAA regulation-sized basketball court, with several sets of bleachers and a sky box equipped for events, as well as a workout and fitness center for athletes. Also housing new offices for the Athletics Department, it is Emerson College's first-ever indoor athletic facility. The construction of the gym was controversial at the time of its announcement, considering lack of performing space on campus and the lack of enthusiasm around athletics at Emerson. Since then, with growing appreciation for athletics among the student body, and the development of significant new performance and rehearsal space in the Paramount Center (see below), the Brown Gym has become an important campus feature.

The building also features a cafe, which offers several made-to-order food items as well as convenience items, with indoor seating overlooking the Boston Common.

Little Building (80 Boylston Street)

In addition to housing a number of administrative offices on the ground floor, the Little Building was once an office and residential space before Emerson College purchased the building in 1994 and opened it for use in September 1995. The Little Building contains the college's only cafeteria, a 10,000 sq ft (930 m²) fitness center in its basement and "The Cabaret", a space in the basement used for performances with a maximum capacity of 150 people.

The residence hall houses over 750 students in the upper 10 floors of the 12-story building. The housing section of the building comprises singles, doubles, triples, two quads, and suites of between 4 and 6 people made up of various configurations of singles and doubles.

The Little Building was originally built to hold 600 offices, 15 stores, 22 shops, and a Post Office. Built in 1917, it was named after its financier, John Mason Little and was designed by famed architect Clarence Blackall. The building's name is often confused as being a descriptive adjective, which leads to surprise upon discovery that it is one of the larger buildings on campus. In 1998 the building was changed from its original red color.

Colonial Building (100 Boylston Street)

Newly renovated in 2009, the upper floors of this 10-story building house 372 students in single and double rooms in three-, four-, five-, or six-person suite-like environments that include a shared bathroom. Residents share common lounges with kitchenettes and a centralized laundry facility. This was formerly the headquarters of music publishing company, McLaughlin & Reilly Co.

Paramount Center (555 Washington Street)

Opened in 2010, The Paramount Center is located in the heart of the Boston Theatre district, adjacent to the Boston Opera House and on top of the newly renovated Paramount Theatre, classroom space, a film soundstage, 200 seat screening room, and a black box theatre. The Residence hall has four floors, on the 6th through 9th floors. Each floor has a common room, and a mix of doubles and four or six person suites. All rooms or suites have their own full bathroom, and all floors are coed.

Academics

Emerson College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Two schools (School of Communications and School of the Arts) and two departments (Department of Professional Studies and Special Programs and Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies) offer 27 undergraduate programs and 10 graduate degree programs. In 2008, Emerson admitted 37% of applicants, and is ranked 14th in the Universities-Master's (North) category according to U.S. News & World Report. There are currently 3,453 undergraduate and 837 graduate students. Tuition for the 2009–2010 academic year is $29,408 for a full-time undergraduate student; approximately 65% of students receive financial assistance averaging $15,000 in scholarships and grants, low-interest loans and part-time employment.

Publishing

The BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing requires 52 credits. Students are provided with knowledge of literary history and forms from diverse theoretical and cultural perspectives, as well as skills to read, think, and write critically. Students acquire skills in information literacy and creative writing, with the goal of developing works in one or more literary genres.

The Master of Arts in Publishing & Writing is a 40-credit program. Students can choose from book, magazine, and electronic publishing courses, in a program that blends together an overview of the publishing industry from writing and editing through design, production, and distribution.

Students can enroll full-time or part-time. Full-time enrollment is typically 8 or 12 credits per semester, and students complete the degree in two years; part-time students complete the degree in two-and-a-half to three years.

Film

Emerson College has an extensive film program that is one of the largest in the United States. In 2008/2009, it gave out 368 degrees in Film, Radio, and Television. Students can take advantage of the schools wide course offerings that allows them to major in a wide range of positions within the Visual Media Arts including Film Production, Post Production, Media Studies, Interactive Media, Experimental Media, Documentary Production, Directing, Producing, and Animation among others. In July 2014, Emerson's Visual and Media Arts program was rated #9 in the nation by The Hollywood Reporter.

Engagement Game Lab

The Engagement Game Lab is an applied research lab at Emerson College devoted to getting people involved with civic engagement in innovative ways and studying citizenship in a digital era. It is run by professionals, but also has student helpers and offers its resources to students who want to use them.

Student Organizations

Emerson College offers a large number of organizations, most of which are highly active and diverse ranging from curriculum-based activities to social action organizations. Organizations at Emerson College are either maintained by the Student Government Association (if the organizations are student-led) or by campus departments (if the organizations are managed by faculty or staff).

The EVVY Awards

The largest student run, multi-camera, production in the nation, the EVVY Awards are Emerson College's annual award show. Judged by industry professionals, The EVVYs recognize student's achievements in their chosen discipline. Each May the show is broadcast live from the Cutler Majestic Theatre. Over 500 students are annually involved with the EVVY Awards. The organization is run entirely by Emerson students, and advised by staff members.

The 31st and 33rd Annual EVVY Awards won the College Television Award for Alternative/Variety programming.

Emerson Channel

The Emerson Channel is Emerson College's award winning television station. The channel was created in 1999 under the Television, Radio, and Film Department. The organization is managed by a full-time staff member, and is run by Emerson College Students. Student works regularly receive collegiate Emmy awards.

Emerson Independent Video

EIV has been around since it was founded in 1975 and is Emerson's second largest student run organization below the Emerson channel. With more than 12 shows currently in production, EIV produces both live studio shows and taped field shows. Most notably, EIV is known for their Emmy Award winning show, EIV News at 9p, as well as their pre-taped News at Six broadcast.

Emertainment Monthly

Emertainment Monthly is Emerson College's official entertainment magazine. Modeled after professional entertainment journalism outlets like Entertainment Weekly, Emertainment Monthly has been nominated for several EVVY Awards and participates in major entertainment events as official members of the press. Emertainment Monthly received the title of Best in Show in the "Website Small School" Category by the Associated Collegiate Press in 2015.

The Berkeley Beacon

The Berkeley Beacon is Emerson's student-run, weekly print newspaper. In 2012, it became the first collegiate newspaper website with a responsive design. It received the titles of Best in Show in the "Four-Year Weekly" and "Website Small School" categories by the Associated Collegiate Press in 2015.

Athletics

The College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division III), the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), and the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Emerson previously competed as a charter member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) from 1995 to 2013. The College was also a charter member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) which it competed in from 1984 to 1989. The athletics department supports Lacrosse, Tennis, Baseball, Basketball, Cross country running, Golf, Volleyball and Soccer for all students in addition to Softball for women. The school also has an ice hockey club team, a cheerleading squad, and a Quidditch team.

In 2012, Emerson's Women's Volleyball team defeated Rivier to become the 2012 GNAC Champions.

The 2015-16 men's basketball team won the school's first ever NEWMAC playoff game, defeating Springfield College 72-63.

Student radio

WECB is the campus student run radio station, overseen by a faculty advisor. WECB broadcasts online at its website and on closed-circuit campus television (channel 56).

In 1983–84, WECB was scheduled for demolition without reconstruction, as part of the Mass Communications $1.6M renovation project. Carol Kamerschen, Greg Weremey, Barry Scott and Russ Weisenbacher were instrumental in fighting the board of trustees, and convincing them to allow Greg and Russ to design and build new studios at 126 Beacon Street, replacing the former facilities at 130 Beacon Street, 4th floor.

ETIN (Emerson's Talk and Information Network), an online talk radio service run by students, is also housed in the same space as WERS and WECB.

Comedy

The college has a well-developed comedy community, including student groups specializing in various combinations of sketch comedy, improvisation, and short films. In the 2013-2014 school year there were nine recognized comedy organizations: Emerson Comedy Workshop, Chocolate Cake City, Inside Joke, Jimmy's Traveling All-Stars, This is Pathetic, Stroopwafel, Swollen Monkey Showcase, The Girlie Project and Police Geese.

Several comedy classes, including "Comedy Writing for Television", "Intermediate Creative Writing: Comedy", and "Comedy Writers' Room" are a regular part of the curriculum.

In addition, the Emerson College Comedy Scholarship is offered each year to one rising senior who has "demonstrated leadership and talent in the writing, performance, or direction of comedy". The college is also home to the American Comedy Archives, established in 2005 to "acquire, preserve and make available primary source material that documents the professional activities of the ground breaking individuals who have written, produced or performed comedy for radio, television, motion pictures or live performance".

Emerson has introduced a Comedic Arts major to its freshman applicants in 2015.