FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUNFA Raises Concerns Over Unnecessary Pause in Campus VP Searches
St. John’s, NL – 26 June 2025.
The Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association (MUNFA) is raising concerns over the MUN administration’s recent decision to halt the active searches for Vice-President (Grenfell Campus) and Vice-President (Marine Institute). Both searches have been underway for many months and had reached candidate review stages.
The Grenfell Campus search began in August 2024 and has included consultations, public posting of the position, and ongoing candidate review. Grenfell has been without a permanent Vice-President since 2022, with only a brief three-month appointment in 2024. The Marine Institute search was launched in March 2024 and likewise proceeded through community consultations, public posting, and candidate review.
On May 23, Memorial University announced that both searches were being suspended to await the arrival of the incoming president Dr. Janet Morrison in August 2025, citing Dr. Morrison’s involvement in determining “next step” for these searches despite their advanced stage. This is the second time MUN administration has halted the VP Grenfell search, following the board of regent’s decision to recommence the Grenfell search on March 6, 2025. Prolonging leadership gaps will only deepen uncertainty across both campuses.
MUNFA further notes that the current administration has moved forward with major budgetary decisions in advance of the new president’s arrival. Suspending well-advanced search processes, while making other major institutional decisions, is contradictory.
MUNFA urges the administration to resume both searches without further delay, out of respect for the efforts of search committees and the broader university community, and to provide the leadership stability urgently needed at both campuses.
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For Media inquiries, please contact:
Jawad Chowdhury,
Organizing, Membership Engagement and Communications Coordinator, MUNFA
Email: membership.munfa@mun.ca , cell: 709-351-2635.
MUNFA represents more than 800 academic staff members across MUN, including faculty (both tenured and contract), librarians, counsellors, and co-operative and field education co-ordinators.
