New Funds Created to Support Equity, International Students, Study Abroad

The College has launched three new funds that aim to create a future without borders for Emerson students. 

The Internationalization and Equity Fund was created to assist with fostering a campus culture that is infused with diverse ideas and disassembling the structures and practices that reinforce systemic racism and inequality. The fund will support new and existing programs that lift up the voices of marginalized students and faculty, help faculty integrate international viewpoints and ideas into curricula, and bolster equity-focused education abroad programming. 

The International Student Assistance Fund will help ensure that international students who experience unexpected financial hardship won’t need to withdraw from Emerson before completing their degrees. Students from nearly 80 countries attend Emerson, and their perspectives fuel Emerson’s vibrant community of innovation. But too often, international students—who are not eligible for financial aid the way domestic students are—face difficulties such as loss of family income, upheaval due to war and violence, and even fluctuations in international exchange rates. 

The Education Abroad Assistance Fund will make an education abroad experience a reality for more students. Emerson’s Global Pathways Programs, various exchange programs, and beloved Kasteel Well Program prepare students to be savvy and sophisticated leaders in their chosen fields as well as global citizens. About 500 under- graduates, or 13 percent, study abroad each year. Anthony Pinder, vice provost for internationalization and equity, said he wants to see a day when half of every class spends some portion of their time at Emerson in a different part of the world. 

The funds may be new, but the outcomes they support have long been part of the College’s strategic plan, Pinder said. “When we look at what the priorities are of this institution, it’s only fitting that our giving priorities match our strategic priorities,” he said. “This is who we are; this is what we’re investing in; and [the community’s] support would be wonderfully appreciated.” 

Learn more about the funds: https://emerson.edu/support-emerson/our-giving-priorities/internationalization-and-equity-funds