MAY 2001

MUN degrees pay dividends

Memorial University graduates have, on average, the best employment prospects of all postsecondary students in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to a new study released by the provincial government. Career Search 2001, prepared by the Department of Youth Services and Postsecondary Education, tracked the employment experience of graduates from the province's public and private post secondary institutions in the year 1998. Over 68 per cent of those with bachelors' degrees and 81 per cent of those with master's degrees had secured employment and the majority of those had found well-paying, relevant and meaningful jobs within six months of graduation. For Memorial's Marine Institute graduates the figure is over 90 per cent.

"By any measure, these numbers confirm the value of a university education in general, and the value of a Memorial University education, specifically, " Dr. Axel Meisen, president of Memorial, said of the findings. "This again confirms what our own research tells us - that the educational environment offered at Memorial is relevant, practical and useful to our students and graduates," he said. "The study also shows that the level of salaries of the 1998 cohort are in the medium to high bracket for all but a fraction of the university's graduates and that would be as expected. University education, whether it is at Memorial or some other university, does result in excellent salaries and work choices for graduates."

Major CIHR funding for colorectal cancer study

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) granted $5 million over five years for an interdisciplinary multi-site study of the causes and impact of colorectal cancer, involving researchers at Memorial University and the University of Toronto. The Newfoundland share of the funding, more than $2 million, includes an allocation to enhance the rapid collection of information about newly diagnosed cases for the registry at the Newfoundland Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation.

Business alum of the year

Mark Dobbin is the ninth Alumnus of the Year for the Faculty of Business Administration. The chair and CEO of Vector Aerospace Corporation, a globally-recognized aviation repair and overhaul service, Mr. Dobbin is a 1981 graduate of the bachelor of commerce (co-op) program, and also holds an MBA from Dalhousie. He founded Vector in 1998 after a 17-year apprenticeship at Canadian Helicopter Corporation, the world's largest helicopter company, serving as senior vice-president and a member of the board of directors.

Board approves tuition cut

The Board of Regents officially approved the 10 per cent reduction in tuition fees announced in the provincial budget. Undergraduate students who are citizens and permanent residents of Canada will pay $99 per credit hour, down from $110. Most undergraduate courses at Memorial consist of three credit hours, and the normal course load for students is five courses. Thus, the normal undergraduate tuition per semester will be reduced from $1,650 to $1,485 per year. The reduction also applies to work term fees, full-semester courses, and graduate programs at the main campus in St. John's, and to all programs at Grenfell College in Corner Brook. The tuition reductions were made possible by the government's allocation of $3.3 million to Memorial specifically for the purpose.