MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021
MUNFA Calls on Iris Petten and Dr. Vianne Timmons to Oppose Cuts to Memorial University
MUNFA rejects the “The Big Reset’s” recommendation to cut the operating grants of Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic by 30% over the next 6 years.
“MUNFA is calling on Memorial University’s President, Dr. Timmons, and Chair of the Board of Regents, Iris Petten, who assisted with the preparation of ‘The Big Reset’, to denounce such a dramatic cut to our post-secondary institutions,” said MUNFA President, Bill Schipper. “As we recover from the global pandemic and move forward as a province, we need a strong post-secondary sector more than ever. Now is not the time to decimate our only public university and college.”
Since 2015, Memorial University has seen successive cuts to its operating grant. While fiscal challenges can create political pressure to cut government spending, investment in education is widely recognized as one of the most effective economic multipliers. Education levels within a society are also linked to socioeconomic stability, equality and to improvements in public health.
“Just last week, the PSE Review Report, ‘All Hands on Deck’, highlighted that our post-secondary education system is an investment in the future of the province,” said Schipper. “’The Big Reset’ fails to acknowledge this investment and if implemented is guaranteed to force both future students and recent graduates out of Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Once again, MUNFA emphasizes the critical message to the provincial government from “All Hands on Deck” that government must maintain “at least the current level of support for the operating grant for Memorial University, with no further reductions.”
The MUN Faculty Association is the certified bargaining agent for 800 academic staff members at Memorial University.
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