Open Letter Regarding the Funding Crisis at Memorial University
Minister Krista Lynn Howell
Department of Education
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Confederation Building, East Block
P.O. Box 8700
St. John’s, NL
A1B 4J6
Cc. Premier Andrew Furey
December 10, 2024
Open Letter Regarding the Funding Crisis at Memorial University
Dear Minister Howell,
As a Campus Coalition representing the students, faculty, and staff of Memorial University, we are writing to urgently request a meeting to discuss the funding of our province’s only public university.
Collectively, the student and labour unions within our Coalition represent approximately 20,000 members of the Memorial University community, including:
● MUN Faculty Association (MUNFA)
● CUPE 1615 (Administrative, Instructional, Technical, and Technical Support Staff)
● CUPE 4554 (MUNSU Staff)
● MUN Students’ Union (MUNSU)
● Grenfell Campus Students’ Union (GCSU)
● Marine Institute Students’ Union (MISU)
● Graduate Students’ Union of MUN (GSU MUN)
● NAPE (Marine Institute Support Staff, MUN Custodians, MUN Campus Enforcement and Patrol, and MUN Maintenance)
● Marine Institute Faculty Association (NAPE Local 7405)
● Lecturers’ Union of MUN (LUMUN)
● Teaching Assistants’ Union of MUN (TAUMUN)
As you are aware, earlier this year our Coalition launched the FundMUN campaign calling on your government to stop the cuts and restore funding to Memorial University. On Friday, December 6 (during exams and just before the holiday break), Dr. Neil Bose, President (pro tempore) of Memorial University, issued a Budget Update to the University community, which can be found HERE
This Budget Update is alarming to our Coalition for a number of reasons and it has created unnecessary stress, anxiety, and fear among our members. While external factors, like the recently implemented federal cap on international students, may be
accelerating Memorial’s budgetary challenges, the root issue cannot be ignored: the provincial government has subjected our University to a decade of relentless funding cuts. This sustained neglect has pushed us to the brink, and it is past time for accountability and decisive action. Our Coalition members have been raising the alarm for years, but our warnings have been ignored. We foresaw the devastating consequences of continual cuts to funding combined with increased tuition fees, and now those consequences are unfolding before our eyes. This crisis is the result of deliberate actions by the Furey government. We take no solace in having predicted this outcome because it is our members and the people of this province who will now bear the brunt of the “difficult decisions” that are to come.
Memorial University plays an integral role in our province - academically, socially, culturally, and economically. These contributions cannot be overlooked. A recent report revealed that Memorial University supports over 9000 jobs across the province. There are over 66,000 Memorial graduates in Newfoundland and Labrador, collectively earning an additional $1.37 billion each year thanks to their degrees from Memorial. The ripple effect of this additional income generates $2.06 billion for the provincial economy annually. As Newfoundland and Labrador’s only public university, Memorial carries a unique and special obligation to the people of this province. The plaque in the Arts & Administration building on our St. John’s Campus reminds us of this legacy:
“This University was raised by the People of Newfoundland as a Memorial to the fallen in the Great Wars…that in freedom of learning their cause and sacrifice may not be forgotten.”
Yet, the ability of Memorial University to honor this special obligation has been and is still being critically undermined by years of relentless funding cuts. These cuts have inflicted deeply damaging consequences on our university community and the province at large. Our campuses are crumbling. Tuition fees are soaring - forcing students into higher debt or to abandon their studies altogether. Enrollment is declining, research and teaching are being compromised, and the quality of education is suffering. Workers are stretched to the breaking point, burning out, and leaving. Labour relations are strained, morale is plummeting, and the overall situation for faculty, students, and staff continues to decline. If the Furey government genuinely cares about the future of Newfoundland and Labrador and wishes to honor the legacy of those to whom this university is dedicated, it is incumbent on you and Premier Furey to take action. The provincial government must go beyond finger pointing and hollow statements about the university’s autonomy and take decisive steps to address this crisis. We need real leadership.
Allowing the continued degradation of Memorial University is not only a disservice to its community - it is a betrayal of the people of this province and the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
To fulfill its vital obligation to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial University must be adequately funded and remain a comprehensive public institution for all. Without a full suite of programs in the humanities, natural and social sciences, education, and applied sciences, the university would fail to provide students with the opportunities they need to reach their full potential. Furthermore, scaling back these programs would significantly weaken our province’s ability to retain highly skilled individuals and attract top talent from across Canada and beyond.
As Memorial University marks 100 years, it is imperative that your government ensures that it is positioned to thrive for the next century.
Investing in Memorial is investing in Newfoundland and Labrador’s future.
We look forward to your prompt response to arrange a meeting at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
MUN Campus Coalition