No, Memorial's budget shortfall will not be solved by short-term pauses of funding. 

In the medium- to long-term, focused discussions need to occur around the future direction of Memorial University, its strategic priorities and structural changes.  

We will require both cost-cutting measures, revenue generation and investments to ensure the academic mission of the institution is maintained and supported as efficiently as possible.  

The support from Budget 2025 gives us an opportunity to focus on deferred maintenance. It will also enable the institution to use the pause of the $13.68 million cut for one year to begin the changes that need to be made.   

Yes, but we are also proud that Memorial remains the most affordable university in Atlantic Canada, and offers outstanding programs and experiences. And we are proud of our outstanding employees who are very dedicated to and feel passionate about Memorial.

There will need to be cuts but we will also need to do things differently. How we are structured, how we offer services and the processes that we use. All of these things need to be considered as we work together to ensure we move forward in a way that continues to deliver quality education and support to our diverse student community. 

For the past number of years, there have been a series of actions taken in order to reduce costs. This includes reducing some senior positions and restructuring within some portfolios. A limited hiring program is in place and carryover use has been restricted.  

A new Budget Model Working Group has been established to consider a different way of budgeting rather than based on historical spending patterns. 

Given the foundation changes we are seeing in the university sector—declining international students coming to Canada, questions regarding the value of a university education, increased competitiveness—more work needs to be done.  

The OAG reports have provided a lot of recommendations for improvement. We are working on them and they will help to create a more efficient and lean institution. Some of the recommendations also require investment in things such as technology.  

The Board of Regents is ultimately in charge of Memorial’s budget and how it is allocated to units.  

Given the current financial constraints, it will require the entire university community to develop ideas for our future in a way that keeps Memorial sustainable. 

No. We are taking action now to create a more sustainable Memorial. Many universities across the country, and across the world, are having to reconsider the programs they offer, how they offer them, the administrative structure that supports the academic mission.

The infrastructure challenges Memorial University is experiencing are not new, or unique to our university. The volume of deferred maintenance and capital renewal work far exceeds the funds available to complete this work. But Memorial has a program in place to monitor, audit, prioritize and complete infrastructure work, and we complete priority projects annually based on the available funding.   

These changes will not address the budget shortfall for this year. They are an operationally manageable approach to begin the change process at Memorial. 

The budget shortfall for 2024-2025 is expected to be $9.4 million from tuition revenue. With anticipated other shortfalls, such as special fees, we anticipate a budget shortfall of about $12 million.

There are no plans for an early or voluntary retirement program.

The pension plan is a separately trusteed plan and is administered separately from the university's operating budget. The budget update has no bearing on the pension plan or its funding. The pension plan is covered by the Memorial University Pensions Act. 

No.

We meet regularly with government to discuss a number of topics and support for Memorial is something we are always advocating for. Changing federal restrictions for international student visas, a reduction in Memorial’s tuition offset grant and increasing inflationary costs have created this situation that requires decisive action to protect Memorial’s academic mission.   

In the short- to long-term, focused discussions need to occur around the future direction of Memorial University, its strategic priorities and structural changes.  

We know that this will require both cost-cutting measures and investments to ensure the academic mission of the institution is maintained and supported as efficiently as possible.    

In the coming weeks and months, we will be looking to the university community for serious and bold ideas for Memorial’s future. 

In the coming weeks and months, we will be looking to the university community for serious and bold ideas for Memorial’s future. We will require both cost-cutting measures and investments to ensure the academic mission of the institution is maintained and supported as efficiently as possible.  What that looks like will be part of our longer- term plans. 

Our plan is to develop long-term plans collaboratively and with input from the university community.  There isn’t currently a plan in place to assess academic programs. However, we need to ensure a positive, innovative environment and create a forward-looking university that is responsive to student needs, fiscal realities, enrolment changes and the needs of the province. 

The short-term measures just announced do not include unit funding cuts. 

We are putting various processes in place to deal with the hiring pause and carryover restriction. We have plans in place for a Senior Leadership Council planning day to discuss these topics and the future of Memorial. We are in the process of setting up opportunities for faculty, staff and students to contribute to the budget discussions in the near future. 

The factors to be considered (rationale for hiring) for administrative roles, as well as the hiring process, are outlined on the updated Justification for Hire Form-Revised Process which is available on the my.mun.ca forms portal under the recruitment tab. This process is as similar to the original process as possible; however, an extra step has been added with the requirement of receiving President’s Executive Council approval. 

Please note, the original Justification for Hire form is also available in the portal, this version of the form should be used for contract extensions only. 

There are no current layoffs planned. We will be working hard to envision a new Memorial. Currently, there are measures in place to ensure due diligence and awareness of budgetary issues. 

Yes, regular work continues.  

Extension of current non-academic contracts may continue with appropriate diligence. This diligence should include whether or not the positions are budgeted.  

There are currently a number of searches and recruitment activities ongoing; those that have already been advertised will continue through the hiring process.    

Vacant permanent positions will need to go through the exemption process in order to be filled.  

Secondments are contracts that can be extended with due diligence. If a contract is to be converted into a new permanent position, it would need to go through the exemption process.  

Contract renewals are permittable. We are asking units to ensure that they review extensions with this budgetary constraint lens.  

Any positions externally (e.g. grant) funded are not subject to the limited hiring program and will continue to be filled as normal. 

Yes. Per course instructors (PCIs), teaching term appointments, and reappointments/extensions to existing regular term appointments are exempt from the hiring pause. 

Contract extensions are permitted but units should consider the need for the extension in light of budgetary constraints.  

The majority of employees with contracts ending Dec. 31, 2024, should have received confirmation of extension at this point. If they have not, they should contact their manager to discuss further. Contracts are not impacted by the limited hiring program. 

Contract extensions should follow the usual process of review. We are asking units to ensure appropriate diligence is given when looking at renewal, given our current budgetary constraints.  

There is need for investment in order to help modernize administration. We will be gathering input from the university community on how we can work collaboratively to maintain a positive, innovative environment. There is an exemption process in place, in part, to avoid this scenario. We cannot continue to do the same with less.  

The motion from the board is to: “Institute a limited hiring program in new tenure track and new regular-term appointments and new/vacant administration permanent and contractual positions, to be evaluated April 30, 2004.” Recognizing that there will be critical positions that will need to be filled, a process is being  put into place to provide exemptions to this directive.  

A secondment is a contract which means it can be extended.   

No. It is a pause on hiring of certain positions with an exemption process in place. Hiring new/vacant administrative permanent and contractual positions, tenured, tenure-track, and new regular-term appointments on all campuses as well as to Marine Institute instructors and research scientists is restricted. A process will be put in place to evaluate new position requests that are necessary to support the mission of the university. 

New and vacant positions are paused. Exemptions to fill a new or vacant position will have a process to go through for approval.    

Extensions to contracts are not paused. As always, units are to review extensions carefully, considering things such as:  

1. The position either directly supports operational needs or deliverables which cannot be deferred.
2. The impacts of not extending the contract are significant and are deemed unacceptable 

We encourage all ideas to ensure Memorial continues as a viable and innovative institution.  

Searches that have been paused due to the Indigenous verification policy will be paused until a policy is in place. That policy will not be in place before April 30, 2025.

This is part of the discussion that we must have over the next few months.