A recently obtained access-to-information request reveals that Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) spent over $800K on Morneau Shepell Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with an average utilization of around 17 per cent.
The costs by year:
2016: $151,216.20
2017: $156,160.80
2018: $157,858.20
2019: $157,858.20
2020: $166,857.41
2021 up to May: $73,113.25
See tables below for full data:
Morneau Shepell EAP Fees
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Jan.
$ 12,509.10
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.74
$ 14,622.65
Feb
$ 12,509.10
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 14,622.65
March
$ 12,509.10
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,202.98
$ 14,622.65
April
$ 12,509.10
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,202.98
$ 14,622.65
May
$ 12,509.10
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,202.98
$ 14,622.65
June
$ 12,509.10
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,202.98
July
$ 12,509.10
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 14,622.65
August
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 14,622.65
Sept.
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 14,622.65
Oct.
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 14,622.65
Nov.
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 14,622.65
Dec.
$ 12,730.50
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 13,154.85
$ 14,622.65
$ 151,216.20
$ 156,160.80
$ 157,858.20
$ 157,858.20
$ 166,857.41
$ 73,113.25
Utilization
April 1, 2016 – March 31, 2017
17.76%
April 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018
16.90%
April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019
16.93%
April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020
17.61%
April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021
13.92%
Image format:
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
A recently obtained access-to-information request reveals Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) President Vianne Timmons’s briefing note for the PPSER report release. See text below:
Briefing note draft confidential advice
PPSER report release
Last updated: May 3, 2021
Purpose:
This briefing note has been prepared in advance of media interviews about the release of the province Public Postsecondary Education Review report, released on Thursday, April 29.
Background:
The province committed to a review of the public post-secondary education system in its budget speech of 2018. The overall purpose of the review was to provide a strategic vision for the next decade and beyond for a public post-secondary education system that delivers high quality education, contributes to knowledge creation and transfer, and prepares post-secondary students for the future, both personally and professionally. A committee of experts to guide the review was recommended by the Independent Appointments Commission and announced on March 7, 2019. The review process commenced in April 2019. Broad consultation was conducted across all provincial campuses of Memorial University of Newfoundland and the College of the North Atlantic, and public consultations were held at each campus community.
Strategic considerations:
Much of the public focus of the report is on the recommendation to lift a 20 year-old tuition freeze. Many questions from the media will focus on this. This is already a topic of public discussion/interest on social media.
Spokesperson:
Dr. Vianne Timmons, Memorial president
Possible questions
What was your initial impression of the report?
What parts of the report did you agree with, with what parts did you disagree?
The report recommends ending the tuition freeze at Memorial. Will MUN increase tuition?
The PC Opposition criticized MUN spending. I s there a problem with administrative bloat?
High level key messages
1. I want to thank the review committee for a thorough report.
2. The report says that post-secondary education is an investment in the future and postsecondary institutions are a source of expertise in the present.
3. Some of the recommendations were already underway at Memorial.
4. We are looking at the tuition model but any proposal will not impact current students
5. Memorial is committed to remaining accessible, particularly for Newfoundland and Labrador students in financial need.
6. Decisions related to tuition and fees must be approved by the Board of Regents, Memorial governing body.
Tuition
– Tuition fees at Memorial represent 12 per cent of the cost of university education (CAUBO)
– Memorial is committed to remaining accessible, particularly for Newfoundland and Labrador students in financial need.
– Discussions around tuition freeze, and if it is the best way to support NL students, have been on-going for a number of years.
– We are prepared to consider this issue and any proposed changes to Memorial tuition structure would be based on the following principles:
o Remaining accessible to Newfoundland and Labrador students with financial needs.
o Remaining one of the most affordable universities in Canada (below Canadian average).
o Ensuring students currently enrolled in a program have the opportunity to finish their program at the current tuition fees level via a grace period.
– Decisions related to tuition and fees must be approved by the Board of Regents, Memorial governing body.
– No changes to Memorial tuition for the 2021-22 academic year.
– A survey of undergraduate applicants in 2020 showed that the main reason they applied to Memorial was the programs available. The percentage of applicants who said they chose Memorial because of tuition costs has been decreasing in recent years.
– Education is an investment: median earnings for people in NL with a bachelor degree increases by 113% for women and 66% for men.
EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT
Median annual earnings of women and men aged 25 to 64 who worked full time and full year as paid employees, by highest level of education in Newfoundland and Labrador, 2015 (Statistics Canada)1
High school diploma
Bachelor degree
Per cent change
Women
$33,382
$70,994
+113%
Men
$50,121
$83,115
+66%
Efficiencies
– By legislation, Memorial is required to maintain a balanced budget. The university has implemented a number of changes since 2016 to find efficiencies and reduce its operating budget by $42 million. This includes:
– Reducing the total number of employees by 421 since 2015 (a reduction of 10.6%.
– Reducing the number of senior administrators from 132 to 105 (a reduction of 20.5%. Additionally, the salary structure for this group (senior administrators below the rank of vice-president) was adjusted in 2019 based on a national market study, with an average reduction of about $20,000 per position. [PSE recommendation 9.e. was for salary benchmarking which is already ongoing]
– Reducing university units operating budgets, while protecting the quality and integrity of programs, maintaining Memorial special obligation to the province, and ensuring a continued high-quality student experience.
– We agree that the Memorial University act should be modernized. Our submission to PPSER included a recommendation to form a collaborative task force to do so.
Already implementing some recommendations
– Economic impact study underway, expect results later this spring and will share with the community. We expect it to show the significant, multi-million dollar impact that Memorial brings to the province.
– Green technology to address deferred maintenance:
o $28.4M energy performance contract with Honeywell that is self-funded through energy savings. It is reducing Memorial costs while reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 1,634 tonnes (equivalent to average household electricity use of 613 homes)
See image format below:
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
A recently obtained access-to-information (ATIPP) request reveals that Memorial University of Newfoundland President Vianne Timmons spent over $12,000 on her ‘Tales from The Road MUN’ Summer 2020 travel across the province.
According to Timmons, the purpose of her three-week road trip was for her to find out how Memorial University has impacted communities across the province. Timmons also got to visit Labrador, where she grew up as a child.
See ATIPP below:
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
On June 9th, 2021, Education Minister Tom Osbourne was caught off guard when Opposition Critic Barry Petten brought up information regarding Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) President Vianne Timmons’s compensation beyond her half-a-million-dollar salary.
The four numbers Petten brought up include $517 for a tax preparation bill, a $12,000 car allowance, an $18,000 housing allowance, and $4,000 for fitness equipment and a personal trainer.
This information was publicly available on MUN’s access-to-information for weeks and published on my site on May 29th, yet Osborne told reporters on June 10th that he knew nothing about it. Osbourne states, “I wasn’t aware of it. I asked today — we don’t have those details.”
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
A recently obtained access-to-information (ATIPP) request reveals that Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) has spent over $6,000 on Wellness Zone newsletter by Smart Workplace.
Yet another outside service that the university is paying for when people on campus could produce a wellness newsletter.
The university decided not to renew the subscription when it expires in June 2021 due to the backlash from the last issue sent to employees.
See ATIPP below:
Record created by the Department of Human Resources to respond to ATIPP Request File #002-17-124-21 Date: June 8, 2021
The Wellness Zone newsletter provided by Smart Workplace is an annual subscription initially started in 2015. The current subscription expires in June 2021 and will not be renewed. The subscription cost is $899 per year plus tax. The differences between the annual costs below are due to tax rate changes.
2015: $1,015.87
2016: $1,033.85
2017: $1,033.85
2018: $1,033.85
2019: $943.95
2020: $943.95
TOTAL $6,005.32
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
Media has become a crucial part of our lives in the Western world; almost everyone has radios, televisions (TV), cell phones, computers, and internet access.
In many Western countries, such as Canada, the United States, and France, we are made to believe that because we have freedom of speech and a free press, our countries are democratic.
There has also been the privatization of our press and media; only six media conglomerates in the United States account for most of the content compared to the 1980s when 29 media companies accounted for over half. Years before that, there were over 50 media companies. Media companies are getting bigger, and there is more power solicitation in the hands of fewer. News Corporation, owned by Rupert Murdoch, sold 21st Century Fox to Walt Disney for $71 billion, which resulted in Disney becoming an even bigger empire and the number of companies that produce content even smaller.
To better understand the effect media has on our society, it is essential to look at the theories of Theodor Adorno and Noam Chomsky.
Adorno coined the term ‘culture industry’ instead of mass culture because of his belief that culture is not a collective creation but rather a production in an industrial process for the masses. Popular culture is created in mass production and then sold to a mass public of consumers; an example of this is Hollywood studios. Adorno talks about how we, as consumers of mass media, are often passive, uncritical, and easily manipulated. Also, our social realities are created for us. He argues that the audience seeks fantasy and escapism instead of intellectual challenge and stimulation. The mass media does not offer real-world solutions but instead artificial solutions. We receive the same messages and therefore think alike. Adorno even goes so far as to state that the culture industry tries to control the minds and actions of people to bring us in line with capitalist ideology.
Theodor Adorno.
A significant part of capitalism is happiness through material possessions. The system of capitalism helps us satisfy our desires through consumption but ignores that it is capitalism that creates these desires for us. We cannot think differently, but we must instead submit ourselves to conformity and obey authority. Many of the movies and TV shows that we watch are produced by the culture industry, follow the same formulas, and are repetitive. Yet, we want more of the same instead of watching something new, different, and thought-provoking.
Chomsky’s focus is on propaganda and how wealth and power have a great deal of influence and control over our media. According to Chomsky, the function of media is “to amuse, entertain, and inform, and to inculcate individuals with the values, beliefs, and codes of behaviour that will integrate them into the institutional structures of the larger society.” Chomsky’s theory has filters including ownership and profit orientation, advertising as the primary source of income, and reliance on “experts” as sources of news (governments, corporations, and businesses).
It is primarily the wealthy and large companies that have the means to produce mass culture. As most media companies are privately-owned, their main goal is profit, so they are run by the executives and shareholders, with the editors and journalists having little influence. Due to the increasing costs of in-depth news stories and investigative work, we are now getting less of these stories, and some of the smaller companies are now using stories from larger media companies. Small media companies are closing, and there is a declining number of local news stories, which results in less information for the people. Less news and fewer longer stories hurt democracy.
Noam Chomsky.
Advertising is the primary source of income for private media companies. Most newspapers and magazines would close if not for advertisements because revenue from sales is not enough. Thus, the advertisers have a great deal of influence on what gets reported. If a news company is not toeing the line and instead criticizes capitalism, then advertisers may see it as damaging to be associated with this company.
Many news channels broadcast 24 hours a day. Therefore, they need a constant flow of information. The news companies cannot afford to have reporters everywhere, and it is easier to have them in places where news is made available by official sources, such as The White House or the House of Commons. Those deemed to be experts, such as government officials, corporations, and leaders in the business world, are seen as credible and have name recognition. Therefore, the powerful voices dominate, and the voices of the many are silenced.
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
On June 1st, 2021, retired professor and community volunteer Noel Veitch peacefully passed away. He taught in the Faculty of Education for 30 years and is a former University Marshal of Convocation. Veitch was known by many to be kind and gentle with a good sense of humour. Students knew him to be supportive and encouraging.
Veitch was also a music lover; he was a founding member of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and was involved for over 40 years as a musician and board member.
After retirement, he spent much of his time doing volunteer work. Veitch was the coordinator of the MUN Campus Food Bank for many years that he founded. He also volunteered with the Victorian Order of Nurses’ (VON) Meals on Wheels program.
Veitch also served on the Board of the Red Cross and helped new Canadians with accommodation and language instruction.
The VON coordinator states about Veitch, “He does so much good work and is so quiet and unassuming. Put my name down for him anytime.”
When Veitch’s wife was asked how much time her husband spends doing volunteer work, she states, “Eight days a week.”
Veitch was awarded MUN’s Volunteer Award for Exemplary Service and Alumnus of the Year Award. Veitch was also a recipient of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award.
“His engagement with students was sincere, and his presence greatly enriched the Education faculty,” states Bryce Hodder, who Veitch taught in 1973.
Tim Power, who was enrolled in one of Veitch’s Oral Communications courses back in the early 80s, states, “He inspired confidence in us all as he shared his many tricks about the art of communicating and presenting in front of others. He cared, and it showed.”
Former student Thomas Oates states, “He was one of the nicest, friendly, approachable professors I ever meet. His dedication to the lives of his students and the university is an example that so many can live by.”
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
On June 4th, 2021, Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) Political Science Professor Amanda Bittner took to Twitter to call out the university for sending a sexist Wellness newsletter to employees.
Bittner states that she does not all out her employer often because she likes her job and colleagues. However, the newsletter she received was a tipping point, and she says that it is awful. Bittner says that it is sexist and does not address the problems the workers at MUN have. Bittner asks for the implementation of a fix.
Student Holly Fox states regarding MUN, “they will truly suggest anything besides improved working conditions.”
Professor Sonja Boon states to Bittner, “you are breaking one of the rules on the first page: you’re passing judgement, and that just doesn’t make you likeable. Be more open-minded. Smile. And have a carrot.”
Bittner responds, “I know. The irony wasn’t lost on me. There is no question that questioning things make you less likeable. This has been true for a while now, though; I think I am a lost cause.”
Professor Sarah J Martin states, “As employees, we are sent out newsletters with stories on how to buy the right bed, and students are sent out newsletters on how to cook oatmeal.”
Sarah J Martin had also tweeted about the issue on May 11th, 2021; Martin says, “our May’ Wellness Zone’ Newsletter from HR focuses on individual fixes and reports that laughing is good for us.” Martin states that it is breathless reporting of common sense with no citations. Martin then asks, “Why are we sent these “wellness” newsletters that claim to improve our quality of life?”
Martin suggests the cancellation of the newsletter and the money to be used to create a grant for students that improves wellness.
Martin then asks why the university is outsourcing and why they are paying for “shitty, offensive information.”
Martin states that she did a search, and the exact same wellness newsletters are being used at universities across North America. She says that the only difference is the logo on the top right-hand side.
Dr. Julia M Wright states, “the first page… just reminds me of the worst peer pressure in high school–be like this or else. And then they jump on the women=dieting bandwagon that’s been so damaging…”
“Can we put the money MUN spent on this letter towards actual wellness initiatives?”
Katie Crane
Katie Crane states, “This newsletter decreased my wellness just by having read it. Can we put the money MUN spent on this letter towards actual wellness initiatives run by people at MUN who know what they’re doing?”
Dr. Karine Levasseur states regarding the wellness newsletter’s advice not to pass judgement, “We are political scientists; I pass judgement five times before lunch because it is my job… I call out poor policies, governance structures, etc… not to mention that this is highly sexist reinforcing women as polite, quiet…”
The link was taken down, and the whole wellness page on MUN’s website went offline a few hours after Bittner’s initial post.
Karen F (@AtlanticKaren) states that “The ‘tips’ are so bad and made worse when mgmt cite them to staff. Enforces a culture where critical thinking and trying to improve is squashed… flies in the face of the purpose of a higher ed institution.”
Natasha S (@natashamcg) states, “Holy crap, was this written in the ’80s? This isn’t wellness. This is advice on how to be thin and likeable. I can not believe this was approved. You don’t need to be likeable to do your job. You just need to be professional. My mind is blown reading this.”
“Holy crap, was this written in the ’80s?”
Natasha S
Professor Sarah Rotz states, “York does the same. It borders on absurd at times. Meanwhile, admin still doesn’t acknowledge or clarify how they will address pressures and inequities, and they still lack coherent mental health supports (e.g., we don’t get benefits for psychotherapy, only psychologists).”
Professor Mark D. Berry states, “Just read the depression section. It’s factually incorrect. ‘The vast majority of people with depression will overcome it.’ That is just plain wrong. Depression and schizophrenia are very well established to be refractory to treatment and high risk of relapse.”
Jessica McCormick states, “MUN has a Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research, and this is the kind of garbage they’re sending to staff? At a time when folks are worried about the impacts of massive funding cuts for the institution! Yikes.”
Dr. Lisa Daly states, “I worked at a job like that. Smile, ask questions that reaffirm my boss’s authority, do not challenge, and act flattered when the boss makes comments on my appearance (wait, that last one isn’t there). I happily no longer work in that soul-crushing place.”
MUN sent out a tweet stating, “We appreciate and value the feedback from our employees regarding the Wellness Zone Newsletter. Having heard these valid concerns, Human Resources has directed its Employee Wellness division to cancel the subscription immediately.”
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
MUN President Vianne Timmons. Youtube/memorialuniversity.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador have faced much backlash since the release of their budget on May 31st, 2021, particularly with the plan to eliminate the tuition freeze by reducing funds to Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and allowing the institution to raise tuition.
Paris Marx states, “You know what screams ‘the future’ to me? Saddling young people with tens of thousands of additional dollars of debt at the beginning of their adult lives, when surveys show widening generational inequality. Big thanks to the brilliant public policy minds in government.”
Marx then states that on the one hand, the government talks about building up the ‘knowledge’ economy, including technology but then on the other, it plans to cut the institution that can help achieve that goal. “A short-sighted move that directly transfers the burden from [the] government to young people,” Marx says.
“None of them have the brains to think outside the box to raise funds for the university.”
Leonard Roxon
Leonard Roxon says that the administration at MUN will do everything to justify an increase in tuition fees. Roxon states, “None of them have the brains to think outside the box to raise funds for the university. These bloated fat cats love the laziest and easiest way out, which is to raise tuition fees instead of increasing the quality of education that will attract students.”
Roxon then brings up a point regarding the failed practice of businesses when they increase the cost of products or services to compensate for the lack of sales quantity. Roxon states, “Increase the quality of your products and services to get more clients. One doesn’t have to be Einstein to figure this out!”
Furthermore, Roxon states, “Businesses that do that invariably go out of business! MUN has survived all these years only because of low tuition fees. An increase in tuition fees is going to cost them enrollment. These idiots think linearly for a complex problem!”
Sar (@raviolifeminist) states, “there needs to be money INVESTED – imagine having to CUT nearly 70 million AND increase tuition for the bare-minimum results. University is structured on classism.”
Kelly Hickey says that “Our university is one of our very greatest assets. It, and our youth, need to be invested in, NOT cut back. This is a sad day. An end of an era. Watch the tuition fees skyrocket while wealth gaps get bigger.”
Bill Harris says, “Paying a half-million dollars for a university president is excessive and needs to be corrected.” Harris provides the following graphic comparing MUN president’s salary to that of the president of the University of Toronto.
Leisha Sagan states, “There goes any incentive for our next child to stay in St. John’s for university. Also now going to look at online Masters programs that will be comparable in price to increases at MUN for myself.”
Emmett Macfarlane says, “I guess they don’t know how high the tuition increases will be to offset these cuts… but damn. Memorial is an excellent university, and looks like the province has decided it doesn’t want an excellent university anymore.”
Christopher Mercer expresses his thoughts to the top, “Premier @FureyAndrew, one of the major issues at @MemorialU is infrastructure, cutting funding while restricting new buildings will force incredible hikes to tuition. Reno to existing infra will be more costly. The result will be no changes to infrastructure. This is not acceptable!”
Political Science Professor Amanda Bittner states, “Just shut the door and turn out the lights. It’ll be faster.”
Twitter user @foxonarock says that “NL [is] really saying we will not encourage millennials/gen z that we will prioritize their futures and invest in their potential with accessible post-secondary, but we will ask them to bear the consequences of all our shitty financial decisions.”
Dean Bavington says that all students at MUN will pay more for less to attend a university that makes many of them sick.
Bavington then states, “Can’t wait to keep breathing in toxic mold & asbestos at MUNL with staff, students and colleagues. Oh, and ask students to breathe it all in and pay more. This is a human rights issue. To have Mark Blyth used by the Dame to drive austerity home is just too much for me to take.”
“Cutting investment in public education at any level – and particularly brutal cuts – is the exact opposite of investing in the future.”
Dr. Dez
Dr. Dez says that “Cutting investment in public education at any level – and particularly brutal cuts – is the exact opposite of investing in the future.” He then states, “Cuts like this at an excellent university that serves its region and beyond so well does not bode well for Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Shealah Hart states, “My problem with the increase in grants for low-income students is that many students come from families who are just making ends meet, have no extra money for post-secondary education, but are not ‘low income’ so their children won’t qualify.”
Twitter user @Anthony30142004 says, “I guess higher education doesn’t matter in this country anymore. Obviously, they want future generations to be surfs and indentured slaves to the 1%.”
Twitter user Brianna (@brildlu) states that “young people in this province deserve high-quality, accessible post-secondary education, and the government is really just tearing that away.”
Brianna then says, “no matter how many problems MUN has, I had incredible professors and got a great education at this university. the youth of this province deserve that too.”
Matt Barter is a third-year student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
Matt Barter 