Over the past several weeks, MUNFA members have seen growing public discussion about program and job losses at Memorial University. These changes are underway across the University and reflect the impact of deep and recurring funding cuts, as well as the urgent need to advocate publicly for adequate and stable support.
Recently, Memorial employees were provided with a financial presentation, which outlined potential scenarios under current budget conditions. Planning for various financial outcomes is a necessary and responsible step given the instability of public funding for Memorial University over the past decade.
Our consultation with members, through MUNFA town halls, calls for feedback, and discussions held across our campuses, has revealed a cascading set of crises and threats to the University’s mission, all consequences of chronic underfunding.
Framing this as necessary transformation, or evolution, risks normalizing decline and signalling to the government and the public that underfunding is inevitable and must be accepted.
MUNFA members know there is no version of sustained underfunding that strengthens universities or the communities they serve. The cost of cuts is already being felt in job losses, reduced course offerings, and growing class sizes.
We also know that everything we have in Newfoundland and Labrador has been achieved through a stubborn refusal to accept our limitations as unchangeable. The mandate from our MUNFA community is clear: if we stop publicly advocating for this university and accept that strong public investment is gone for good, then we are not just managing decline, we are choosing it.
The best way to prevent program and job losses in any area is to prevent further cuts to the university and make a strong case for reinvestment. That can only be achieved if our provincial government and the public have a clear understanding of the real costs of cuts, the impact these changes have on the university’s core functions, and the value of Memorial. MUNFA’s leadership, along with colleagues from across the University, have been sharing these messages through a range of media appearances across platforms. Watch our media appearances here, VOCM, CBC, NTV.
I encourage you to build on these efforts by participating in MUNFA’s ongoing campaign and showing your support for colleagues affected by these changes. Members are invited to take part in the #WeAreMUN campaign by posting materials on office doors and shared spaces, sharing campaign content online, and contributing their own perspectives.
At the same time, your Faculty Association has been engaging directly with elected officials. In recent weeks, we have met with MHAs from both the NDP and Liberal parties and, later this week, we will meet with Federal Minister of Fisheries and NL Member of Parliament Joanne Thompson. Each of these discussions provides MUNFA with an opportunity to highlight the value of Memorial, the real impact of funding cuts, and to directly request support.
But it is not enough.
Next Monday, April 6, MUNFA leaders are scheduled to meet with Education Minister Paul Dinn ahead of the new provincial budget. It is critical that we use this opportunity to communicate that Memorial University is not buildings or budget lines. Memorial is a community of hardworking, dedicated people who have remained committed through difficult times, and whose daily work sustains the University’s mission and strengthens Newfoundland and Labrador.
These messages are strongest when they are grounded in the voices and experiences of MUNFA members and those who have benefited from our work. So, if you have ever thought, “What our government needs to know is…” this is your opportunity to share that perspective.
Ahead of meeting with government and the upcoming provincial budget, MUNFA is calling on all members to show the value of Memorial University by participating in and amplifying our #WeAreMUN social media campaign.
Here’s how you can participate:
- Find and engage with MUNFA posts across our social media channels [Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky]
- Share these posts with your own reflections on Memorial and include #WeAreMUN
- Follow MUNFA accounts for updates and ongoing campaign content
Tell us your story, reflecting the value of Memorial University to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Together, we can send a powerful message to decision makers: We Are MUN.
In solidarity and hope,
Dr. Lisa Moores
President, MUNFA
