“This residence hall had many advantages over the previous one, including ADA accessibility and the ability to accommodate various Emerson functions,” Gaseau said. “The board also voted to sell the former presidential residence, purchased in 2011. The purchase price of the new residence was lower than the sale price of the former Beacon Hill residence.

According to Zillow, the former presidential residence, on Spruce Street, sold for $5.9 million in May.

The real estate acquisitions raised the ire of at least some college union leaders following the layoffs.

John-Albert Moseley, president of the university’s staff union, said Emerson faculty and staff have made sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent layoffs, including reducing salaries for senior managers or delaying salary increases. The condo purchase stings, Moseley said, because Emerson executives did not reach out to employees in recent months, before the recent layoffs, to work together to reduce expenses.

“Expensive condos and condo fees can help save staff positions,” Moseley said. “We have worked in the past with the college to get creative in saving positions and helping with financial crises on campus, but the college has done very little to inspire us to get creative now . »

Others took a different view. Barry Marshall, president of the adjunct professors’ union, said he saw the purchase as an incentive for Bernhardt to take the job at Emerson, which had been vacant for more than a year after the former president. Lee Pelton left for the Boston Foundation after about a decade leading Emerson. Bernhardt, former dean of the University of Texas at Austin, was chosen from a group of about 100 applicants.

Marshall said pro-Palestinian protests on campus last spring contributed to the university’s declining enrollment this fall. In late April, protesters set up a pro-Palestinian encampment on public property across from Boston Common. Boston police and state troopers dismantled the camp on April 25, arresting 118 people, including crowds of Emerson students.

Videos from the scene in Emerson showed police officers in riot gear sometimes fighting with protesters who shouted, sparking some criticism of the night raid and the police tactics it involved.

“A lot of people know the school was damaged,” Marshall said. “I don’t blame the student protesters, but there were people behind them trying to harm Emerson. I think their goal was to get rid of the president.

Bernhardt wrote in an email sent to faculty and staff over the summer, the decline in enrollment at the school, known for its journalism and arts programs, is expected to be limited to one year, but the decline will trickle down on the budget for the next financial years.

“We attribute this reduction to several factors, including the national enrollment trend away from small private institutions, an enrollment filing delay in response to the new FAFSA rollout, student protests targeting our performance events and our campus visits, and the negative press and social media generated by the protests and arrests,” Bernhardt wrote at the time.

The deed describes the residence as a “multi-story condominium” that is part of 172 units. Zillow states that the unit has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and covers 3,200 square feet.

According to LuxeBoston.coma real estate website, the Ritz condominiums, located in the heart of downtown Boston, feature Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and valet parking. Residents have access to a gym, coffee shop, and martini bar, and the condos share “five-star services” with the hotel, including room service and cleaning. A concierge is available to organize “everything from your travel arrangements to restaurant reservations in the city.”

On Friday, Gaseau, Emerson’s spokesperson, said in a statement that “the college has made great efforts to manage its current budgetary situation in a way that supports its students and workforce.”

“Strategies included voluntary retirement options for some staff and faculty, freezing and delaying faculty and staff searches, postponing capital projects, and reducing operating expenses,” the statement said. . “A small number of positions were eliminated following a process that engaged campus leaders to identify potential savings without impacting academic programs. In total, 10 positions were eliminated out of more than 650 total employees, representing less than 2 percent of the workforce.

Like many New England colleges, Emerson relies on tuition and fees to fund its operations. Emerson did not say how much enrollment has declined.

“This decline in enrollment has resulted in a reduction in revenue in the current fiscal year, to which the College is responding with multiple mitigation measures,” Gaseau’s statement read. “The College is working tirelessly to address these challenges and remains optimistic about an increase in enrollment during the next admissions cycle. »

Moseley said university leaders should have taken into account the long-predicted decline in the number of college-aged students before purchasing the luxury apartment last year.

“I would like the university to be proactive (because) small changes could save jobs,” Moseley said.

Hilary Burns can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her @Hilarysburns. Danny McDonald can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him @Danny__McDonald.