“IT’S CALLED JAWS BUT IT’S NOT AS SCARY AS THE MOVIE,” Ruth North said with a chuckle while sitting at a computer on the fourth floor of Memorial University’s Student Centre. Within seconds, a program is up and running on the screen. “This is neat,” she added smiling. “Like the film, it’s really impressive.”
She’s not joking. JAWS – which stands for Job Access With Speech – allows students who are blind or have a visual impairment the ability to surf the Internet, send e-mails and even write exams. The program includes a screen-reader application with speech-synthesize software. Information on the screen is read aloud to students and they can then type in their response.
The high-tech program is just one of the ways the Glenn Roy Blundon Centre for Students with Disabilities is improving its services to help Memorial students succeed throughout the academic year.
“That’s all part of our mandate,” said Ms. North, who has been the centre’s student affairs officer since it opened in 1992. “I think programs like this are essential. It provides invaluable services to students across campus.”
Named in honour of the late Glenn Blundon, a former Memorial student originally from Bay de Verde who died in 1984, the centre offers a long list of services to students with short- and long-term disabilities associated with learning, vision, hearing, mobility, chronic illnesses and psychiatric conditions.
“We even accommodate students with, for example, a broken foot who needs to avail of our on-campus transportation system or people who break their arm and need the assistance of a scribe,” added Ms. North.
That’s important information for freshmen students or those who aren’t aware of what the centre offers. Some students don’t know there’s “an avenue for help,” explained Ms. North. “We have services they can use.”
Now more than ever those services are in high demand. During the winter 2005 semester, officials assisted 150 students compared to just 46 students when they opened more than a decade ago. That number is expected to increase again this year. One of the biggest demands is for academic accommodations when students are writing tests or exams. Since September 2004, the centre has assisted with 1,500 tests compared to just six during the winter semester of 1992.
“That includes things such as helping students arrange permission to write exams in a quiet room, or request additional time,” said Ms. North. “Maybe students who have vision loss might need their test or exam enlarged. It could be a student who is deaf having a sign language interpreter for
the test. Or, it could be the provision of a wheelchair-accessible desk for the student during an exam. There are a whole range of issues.”
Other services offered through the centre include note-taking assistance, keys for wheelchair-accessible elevators, access to TTY and a telephone with amplification, orientation of new students and on-campus transportation. For the most part, the centre relies on other students who are hired throughout the year to help provide services.
“A lot of students who apply to work in our offices are social work or education students so this offers them some hands- on experience,” said Ms. North.
In response to the demand for services offered by the Blundon Centre, the university has hired Renee Mercer as an assistant to help co-ordinate some programs.
“More people are becoming aware of our programs,” added Ms. North. “I think that some students wouldn’t be here at MUN if it weren’t for our services. We are vital to this community.”
Originally published in the Memorial University of Newfoundland Gazette on September 1, 2005.
Matt Barter is a fourth-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 October 7th, 2021, Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association (MUNFA) President Josh Lepawsky penned a letter to president Vianne Timmons title: Re: Censorship and the Respectful Workplace Policy.
Lepawsky states, “I am writing to you on behalf of the MUNFA Executive to express our concern about recent comments that you made to media in relation to your instructions to remove posters on campus. While we understand that conversations surrounding the vaccine mandate and Memorial University’s tuition fee policies have likely been challenging at times, your comments to CBC, and reference to the Respectful Workplace Policy (RWP) could have a chilling effect on free expression and Academic Freedom at Memorial University.
To be clear, MUNFA agrees that acts of harassment against yourself, Dr. Strzelczyk, or any other member of the University community are unacceptable. However, the posters calling for your resignation do not constitute harassment, particularly in a university context. Rather than a personal attack, we understand those posters as a form of protest directed at the public role of the university president, rather than you as an individual person.
Our concerns about the handling of these posters pertains to our members’ Academic Freedom.
Clause 2.04 of MUN/MUNFA Collective Agreement explicitly states that:
Academic freedom includes the right to discuss and criticize policies and actions of the University and the Association and protects against the imposition of any penalty by either Party for exercising that right.
While there is no suggestion that ASMs are responsible for the posters in question, your comments to media were directed at all members of the University community and can readily be interpreted as a statement that criticism directed at members of the senior administration is illegitimate.
In a similar vein, we are very concerned about inappropriate references to the RWP by other members of your administrative team. Specifically, our office was copied on correspondence between an ASM and Memorial’s Chief Risk Officer, wherein Mr. McDougall responded to thoughtful, critical questions regarding implementation of the vaccine mandate with a reference to the RWP. Any such use of the RWP to stifle an ASM’s commentary on Memorial’s implementation of the vaccine mandate would constitute a clear violation of the ASM’s right to discuss and criticize policies and actions of the University, as enshrined in Clause 2.04 of the Collective Agreement.
We ask that you clarify your comments to both CBC and the University community, and make clear that you endorse Memorial University’s adherence to and respect for Academic Freedom and that ASMs engaging in criticism and protest against senior administration in their role as representatives of the University will not be threatened with the Respectful Workplace Policy. We further ask that you follow up with Mr. McDougall and direct him to Article 2 of the MUN/MUNFA Collective Agreement.
Sincerely,
Dr. Josh Lepawsky
President, MUNFA”
On October 12th, 2021, President Timmons responded to Dr. Lepawsky.
Timmons states, “I was surprised to receive your letter of October 7, 2021, regarding Censorship and the Respectful Workplace Policy. Removing the posters does not in any way impact on Academic Freedom. The definition of Academic Freedom from Universities Canada is:
In teaching, academic freedom is fundamental to the protection of the rights of the teacher to teach and od the students to learn. In research and scholarship, it is critical to advancing knowledge. Academic freedom includes the right to freely communicate knowledge and the results of research and scholarship.
As to Clause 2.04 of MUN/MUNFA Collective Agreement, I do not see removing the posters as an imposition of any penalty on your members.
As President of Memorial University, I am a staunch supporter of our faculty’s academic freedom. I also must promote our Respectful Workplace Policy, which states:
Memorial is committed to maintaining an environment of understanding and respect for the dignity and worth of each person in support of inclusiveness in its workplace programs and practices.
These posters were personal. I would not allow such posters that called for faculty of staff member’s resignation to be posted on campus. This does not reflect, “respect for the dignity and worth of each person in support of inclusiveness in its workplace.”
I know that ASMs were not responsible for the posters as the media interviewed the student who hung them. I do not know how it can be interpreted that I directed criticism at any of your members.
I will always support our community’s academic freedom and continue to be vigilant in defending this principle. Additionally, I will follow up with Greg McDougall as I am unaware of the correspondence your reference in your letter.
Although I am surprised by the concerns outlines in your letter, I do want to say that I appreciate the meetings we have had. I hope we can continue to work together to support our academic staff and university community. I look forward to continued discussions.
Sincerely,
Vianne Timmons, OC, Ph.D.
President and Vice-Chancellor”
On October 21st, 2021, MUNFA President Josh Lepawsky penned another letter to president Timmons.
Lepawsky states, “Dear Dr. Timmons,
Thank you for your response to our letter regarding Censorship and the Respectful Workplace Policy (RWP).
I am following up to ask again that you clarify your statements to CBC and the University community, making clear that you endorse Memorial University’s adherence to and respect for Academic Freedom, and that Academic Staff Members (ASMs) who engage in criticism of University policy, including protest against members of the senior administration in their role as representatives of the University, will not be threatened with the Respectful Workplace Policy.
The definition of Academic Freedom that you cited from Universities Canada refers to such freedom in the context of teaching and research. It is silent on the fundamental Academic Freedom right to criticize the university as an institution and its administration as representatives of the institution. That silence is concerning.
Academic Freedom is core to the university mission. The Canadian Association of University Teachers’ policy on Academic Freedom includes the following statement:
Academic freedom includes the right, without restriction by prescribed doctrine, to freedom to teach and discuss; freedom to carry out research and disseminate and publish the results thereof; freedom to produce and perform creative works; freedom to engage in service; freedom to express one’s opinion about the institution, its administration, and the system in which one works; freedom to acquire, preserve, and provide access to documentary material in all formats; and freedom to participate in professional and representative academic bodies. Academic freedom always entails freedom from institutional censorship.
Furthermore, Article 2 of the MUN/MUNFA Collective Agreement enshrines ASMs’ Academic Freedom Rights at Memorial University. We particularly draw your attention to Clause 2.04, which states:
Academic freedom includes the right to discuss and criticize policies and actions of the University and the Association and protects against the imposition of any penalty by either Party for exercising that right.
The comments that you made to media on September 16, 2021, regarding the removal of posters suggest your willingness to censor criticism or protest directed towards the public representative role of the University President or another member of the senior administration, and indicate that individuals who carry out such actions will be threatened with the RWP. The fact that your
comments were, in this case, directed at a student rather than a member of the academic staff is hardly reassuring to faculty. In addition to its implications for ASMs’ exercise of Academic Freedom rights, this reaction has a chilling effect on free expression at the University more generally – particularly because, beyond your representative role, as Memorial’s President, you hold a position of both power and authority relative to other members of the university community, which we feel is an important contextual aspect that must be considered in terms of its implications for fostering or constraining debate.
As I stated in my previous communication, MUNFA Executive agrees that acts of harassment against yourself, Dr. Strzelczyck, or any other member of the University community are unacceptable. Members of MUNFA Executive are alert to the facts demonstrating that women, racialized minorities, and members of other minoritized groups, are disproportionate recipients of harassing behaviour. The RWP should be reserved for addressing such issues of harassment and workplace violence, not as a tool to censor protest.
To reiterate, MUNFA Executive requests again that you clarify your comments on this matter to both CBC and the University community. Furthermore, we request that you explicitly state your endorsement of Academic Freedom as a core principle of the University, and your commitment to the democratic principle of free expression among members of the University community. We also
ask that MUNFA be copied on your correspondence with Mr. McDougall informing him of ASMs’ Academic Freedom rights and his misuse of the RWP.
Sincerely,
Dr. Josh Lepawsky
President, MUNFA”
On October 22nd, 2021, Timmons again responded to Lepawsky.
Timmons states,
“Dear Dr. Lepawsky,
Thank you for your correspondence of October 21, 2021, with regards to Censorship and the Respectful Workplace Policy.
I will take your suggestions under consideration.
Sincerely,
Vianne Timmons, OC, Ph.D.
President and Vice-Chancellor”
On October 28th, 2021, MUNFA’s Executive Committee issued an Information Bulletin to its membership titled Your Academic Freedom Rights:
The impacts that COVID-19 has had on post-secondary education in Canada combined with recent comments to the media by Memorial University President Dr. Vianne Timmons regarding the removal of posters on campus and the continued erosion of collegial governance at Memorial University, underscore how important it is that all Academic Staff Members (ASMs) understand, and be confident in, their Academic Freedom rights and obligations.
President Timmons’s comments to media on September 16th suggest a willingness on the part of Memorial’s senior administration to censor criticism or protest directed towards the University President and other members of the senior administration in their role as public representatives of the University, and indicate that individuals who engage in such actions may be threatened with the Respectful Workplace Policy. The MUNFA Executive has asked Dr. Timmons to clarify her comments on this matter to both CBC and the University community. In particular, we have requested that she explicitly endorse Academic Freedom as a core principle of the University and commit to uphold the democratic principle of free expression among members of the University community.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers’ (CAUT) Policy Statement on Academic Freedom states:
[Post-secondary] institutions serve the common good of society, through searching for, and disseminating knowledge, and understanding and through fostering independent thinking and expression in academic staff and students. These ends cannot be achieved without academic freedom. All academic staff members have the right to academic freedom.
Article 2 of the MUN/MUNFA Collective Agreement (CA) reiterates the importance of Academic Freedom for the pursuit of the University’s purposes and enshrines the Academic Freedom rights of all ASMs. It also makes clear that the defence of Academic Freedom is an obligation for all members of the University community.
According to the CA, as agreed to by the Parties, Academic Freedom includes the right of ASMs “to teach, to learn, to carry out research, to publish, to comment, to criticize, to acquire and disseminate knowledge, to create, and to perform; all of these without deference to prescribed doctrine.” Furthermore, as stated in Clause 2.04: “Academic freedom includes the right to discuss and criticize policies and actions of the University and the Association and protects against the imposition of any penalty by either Party for exercising that right.”
The MUN/MUNFA Collective Agreement provides strong protections for Academic Freedom. ASMs should feel confident about exercising and defending their rights. Whether it be academic administrators imposing changes to an ASM’s teaching methodologies, the private sector or government attempting to direct research or academic programming, a lack of meaningful consultation within an Academic Unit, or any other attempt to limit Academic Freedom, we encourage ASMs to speak up. The best defense of Academic Freedom is its exercise.
If you believe that there has been a violation of Academic Freedom, or have questions about your rights, MUNFA is here to support you.”
See below for image version of letters and information bulletin:
Matt Barter is a fourth-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 October 20th, 2021, members of the Bangladesh community held a protest on the steps of the university centre at Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Campus.
On the Facebook event page, Protest Assembly on “Stop Atrocities against Minority Hindu Community in Bangladesh,” the group states they felt the need to protest due to “The systematic oppression, lack of media coverage, and the inability of the Bangladeshi government to protect its minority groups have left us heartbroken and worried about our families, and the millions who are currently living with fear. This vigil is to condemn and protest the heinous crimes committed by the Radical Islamists in Bangladesh and to show solidarity with the victims and their families. We want to seek the attention of the Bangladeshi government and the whole world so that no Hindus may live in fear in their homeland and demand the perpetrators to be brought to justice. We demand a peaceful world!!”
Event organizer Sanchita Chakraborty.
Event organizer Sanchita Chakraborty states, “Dear friends, the need of the hour is to stop the brutalities against Hindus in Bangladesh immediately. Enough is enough. So, we urgently and sincerely request you all to condemn this gross violation of human rights in Bangladesh and to do whatever you can from your individual positions as well as collectively to save the minorities in Bangladesh. It’s not a huge demand. Safety is everyone’s right. A fundamental right.”
Speaker.
The next speaker states, “Things that are happening today at Bangladesh goes against everything that Bengali people believe in. It goes against the fundamental cause why Bangladesh was born. It was not a Hindu country. It was not a Muslim country. It was a country where all of us could live peacefully together.”
The final speaker states, “It’s not safe for my friends to live there, and you know, especially the Hindu community and Bengali culture is very connected. I mean, Bengali culture is Hindu culture, so like it’s just heartbreaking. I don’t know what else to say, but I just want to tell my Hindu friends that I stand with you guys, and I want you to feel safe.”
Group picture.Event poster.
Matt Barter is a fourth-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.
One of the many lockers at MUN in an appalling state.
On July 9th, 2019, a letter I wrote, “Why not hire students to clean up MUN’s lockers?” was published in The Telegram. The focus was on the state of lockers in the ‘MUNnel’ system at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) St. John’s Campus.
Students pay $25 a semester for a locker, and many of the lockers are full of dust and dirt, and some are unused and left open. Back then, upon inquiry, I was informed that it was not university policy to clean/dust lockers, even on an annual basis.
It was concerning then and remains so today that MUN’s lockers are not being cleaned regularly (at least annually, if not semesterly), given the frequency and range of illnesses and conditions triggered by dust and dirt.
A solution I brought forward to solve the issue was for the university to hire students to get them all cleaned out in a few days; plus, this would have created jobs for students.
From a health and safety perspective, the lockers must be cleaned on some sort of a regular basis.
MUN stated that there are around 4,500 lockers, but only about 1,000 are rented each semester. MUN officials responded to my letter by stating that they clean all rented lockers at the end of a student’s locker contract, typically after one or two semesters. Furthermore, they said that non-rented lockers are cleaned in the summer when the MUNnels’ population is low.
The response that MUN officials made publicly was different than the statement I received from the Ancillary Operations Project Coordinator, who stated, “We typically remove any leftover belongings from the lockers, switch the locks, and note damage to lockers for follow up. We have swept out some lockers in previous years to remove major dirt/dust, but have unfortunately not been able to do this for every locker due to the very small time window we have for cleanout.”
This response does indeed support my 2019 statement that “it is not university policy to clean/dust lockers, even on an annual basis.”
See more pictures below:
Matt Barter is a fourth-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.
Students occupying the Arts and Administration building.
On November 14th, 1972, at 1 PM, over 4,000 students at Memorial University of Newfoundland attended a meeting at the Thomson Student Centre regarding the decision of then-President Lord Stephen Taylor to abolish the collection of fees by the Council of the Students’ Union (CSU). The university annually collected these fees on behalf of the CSU and made a transfer to them. Students were so angry that they decided to occupy the Arts and Administration Building in a revolt against the administration.
Lord Taylor was said to have stated that the students were incompetent and incapable of properly using the money from the fees. But the students felt that the administration had no right to meddle in the internal affairs of the CSU.
In the student newspaper, The Muse, it is stated that Taylor’s decision was “to change the structure of the union from a compulsory one to a purely voluntary one. However, no students were consulted on the change, and this is the major point of dispute between the students and Taylor.”
According to The Gazette, a publication of Memorial University, Bob Buckingham, who was a student activist at the time, stated, “we wanted to stage a demonstration against this, so we attained the home phone numbers of every student, because it was midterm break, and most were not in town. A committee of four of us called each student to inform them of our plans.”
Student general meeting. The Muse.
According to an article in The Muse, at the student general meeting, chairman Tom Myrick opened and read Taylor’s public statement that proposed the termination of the compulsory collection of fees by the CSU. Myrick raised the point that Taylor’s salary was more than all of the CSU’s salaries combined. The first speaker was Art Earle, who stated that Taylor had no right to dictate what form of union the students should have. Bob Buckingham stated, “it is necessary to stand up to Taylor and show him we are right.”
The meeting ended, and around 1,500 students marched over to the Arts and Administration building. After the students arrived, offices closed, and the students took over several of them. Both sides of the conflict agreed that a solution could be found in negotiation. Taylor stated that he would not meet with students until they cleared the building. However, he appointed Robert Vardy as a negotiator. The students elected a negotiating team of four, including CSU vice-president Wayne Hurley, Academics chairman Bob Buckingham, Bernard Chenier, and Dave McCurdy.
At first, students had their headquarters in the lobby of the Arts and Administration building, but according to a Muse article, “when it became apparent that they weren’t going to be seriously opposed in their holding of the building, the students switched their meeting headquarters to the Little Theatre.”
A122 REVOLUTIONARY HEADQUATERS. The Muse.
Kirian J. Gushue stated in a Muse article that the student occupation was successful mainly because “certain individuals realized that the basic needs of the students as human beings had to be fulfilled in order that they could remain in the building for days and keep their health and sanity.” Gushue said that students provided food, music, and movies in a “well organized and good-spirited manner.” Shortly after the students initially occupied the Arts and Administration building, free coffee and donuts were distributed from a faculty cafe. Folksinger Terry Rielly was one of the people who came to provide music for the students for free. He performed in the Little Theatre. The Toronto rock group Dr. Music also performed. Ironically, a week prior, Taylor had outlawed lunch hour concerts in the Little Theatre. “Even the entertainment was a demonstration against Taylor,” said Gushue. The movie “L’acadie” was shown about a student revolt in Moncton, New Brunswick, to indicate that they were not alone standing up for their rights.
Several committees were formed, like the clean-up committee of volunteers that went around with garbage buckets and cleaned the floors with mops and pails of water. A food services committee was also formed to look after the handing out of coffee and sandwiches. Gushue said that the food committee was on “a completely ad hoc basis with poor facilities, [but] cooked up meals far better than, say, the garbage served by Versafood over in the dining hall.”
Coffee provided by the food committee. The Muse.
There was also an organized student security force. Their role was to prevent administrators, except for their negotiators, from entering the building and to also “keep out members of the administrative staff who operate the switchboard, computer center, comptroller’s offices and other services which the administration need to run the bureaucracy of the university.” The students blockaded every entrance to the building 24 hours a day.
According to the book Celebrate Memorial, then-acting CSU President Wayne Hurley demanded that a referendum be held on the matter and that any change be delayed until after the results of the referendum. He considered the Board of Regents’ decision to abolish the collection of fees to be an attempt by the administration to weaken the CSU.
Not unlike today, the Board of Regents back then was also used to rubber-stamp decisions and proposals of the president. However, Taylor also did not have support from other university administrators. The Director of Student Affairs, Doug Eaton, and the Director of Physical Services, Robert Vardy, opposed Taylor’s decision. Vice-President Mose Morgan and assistant Vice-President Bill Selby were left out of the negotiations.
The occupation after three days. The Muse.
“Our protest and issues were basic principles of participatory democracy and the right to have input into the decision-making process that had impact on our lives,” said Buckingham in the Celebrate Memorial book.
During the occupation, no faculty or administration services took place. The protest lasted for ten days and ended when the Administration and the CSU accepted the appointment of an independent arbitrator, and the Board of Regents reversed its position.
A referendum was held in February of 1973, and students voted in favour of compulsory CSU fees.
The students involved risked everything according to The Gazette: “the occupation was not without its risks. Mr. Buckingham explained that, had the demonstration been unsuccessful in achieving its goals, he would likely have been suspended from the university and have his degree nullified.”
Student Bob Buckingham confronts Director of Physical Services David Vardy.
Buckingham stated in the Celebrate Memorial book that “student activism at MUN in the late 1960s and early 1970s had its roots in the ‘student power’ movement and the general youth rebelliousness of the era.”
“It was a time of heady rebelliousness in an intellectual environment that encouraged a challenging of the status quo and a questioning of rigid bureaucratic regulation,” stated Buckingham.
This act of rebellion against autocracy has been an example of strength in numbers. Students often lack power but, when mobilized with leadership, they can retake it.
Matt Barter is a fourth-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.
Due to the high amount of interest in the article MUN’s infrastructure woes (a tour), it was decided to do a follow-up story with more pictures of Memorial University of Newfoundland’s crumbling infrastructure.
See photos below:
Matt Barter is a fourth-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 student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who wishes to remain anonymous, has raised the issue of the university not being size-inclusive. They said that the administration is aware of the issue but will not address it.
They stated that the biggest problem is some of the classrooms on campus. “More specifically, the lecture-style rooms. The big rooms that are used for Psych classes are horrible. I know people who aren’t plus-sized who struggle with those chairs,” says the student.
The student then stated, “Not only is the width of them a problem and how close together they are, but most people who are plus-sized tend to have thicker thighs, those fold down desks are essentially useless for plus-sized people because they don’t go down, and they take up more room from the chair.”
Furthermore, the student brought up the lecture-style rooms like 3034b in the Education building. The student states in that room, “the chairs are bolted to the floor and are maybe 5 inches away from each other. While the chairs swivel, they’re still very difficult to get into and are all placed the same distance away from the table.”
Education building second-floor lecture room.
In comparison, the student stated that the tables and chairs in the second-floor lecture rooms in the education buildings are perfect. They said, “[the chairs are] not attached to the floor, and they’re actual chairs that can be pulled out from the table.”
Moreover, the student says, “The chairs in the other classrooms while make me feel like I’m in high school (the ones with the desks attached to the chair) aren’t as bad because there are a few different sizes of those but still aren’t the best.”
Education building classroom.
In addition to the classrooms, the student stated that the gowns and hoods/sash’s that the university rents for convocation photos are not inclusive. The student said, “When I tried it on, the hood didn’t fit onto my shoulders, so it was useless because it kept coming up to my neck. The gown as well didn’t zip. MUN only takes height into account when you rent these items and nothing else. MUN could easily find gowns that are accessible to all students and make the hoods adjustable by getting ones that have elastic or Velcro to make them bigger. When I returned my items, I asked for a refund because I couldn’t use the items. Apparently, I hadn’t been the only one to come back and say it, so clearly, MUN knows about that problem specifically and hasn’t done anything to address that.”
MUN Convocation.
Matt Barter is a fourth-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.
From October 28th, 2021, to November 8th, 653 students at Memorial University of Newfoundland participated in a poll on president Vianne Timmons’s leadership.
Of the 653 respondents, 87 (13.32 percent) voted Yes they support Timmons’s leadership, and 566 (86.68 percent) voted No.
Students participated from the St. John’s Campus, Marine Institute, and Grenfell Campus. There were undergraduate students, master’s students, and Ph.D. students who voted. Students voted from most faculties including Business Administration, Education, Engineering and Applied Science, Human Kinetics and Recreation, Humanities and Social Sciences, Music, Nursing, Pharmacy, Science, and Social Work.
In total, 572 students provided an answer asking for their program of study. Some students stated their faculty and others their specific program. Students in over 70 programs voted.
503 students provided an answer to the question asking their name. The majority either provided both their first name and last name or just their first name.
The first question asked if the participant is currently a MUN student and was used to filter out those who are not, as the purpose of the poll was to survey the student body.
Pie chart.
Matt Barter is a fourth-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.
Annabelle Kean states, “Though it may look abandoned, these are all very much places that students use every day, especially the tunnels!! It is very gross!! I do not miss being a student there in the slightest.”
Tristan Bailey says, “This is Terrible, but yet the president can spend $60,000 on office renovations and has the nerve to raise tuition.”
Jess Young says that she “loved online classes really because I didn’t have to see all the grossness across campus!!”
Chelsea Lahey states, “And these aren’t just weird, ‘abandoned’ areas of the university, they’re places that students walk through and pass by every day on their way to class.”
Sarah Power says, “Okay, I knew MUN was gross, but I was still shocked at some of these pics…”
Emilee Farrell-Foley states, “I cannot live, laugh, love in these conditions. On a serious note, for the people who are not on campus every day and do not believe us when we talk about the awful conditions our campus is in….”
Cassidy Barry states, “This is sadly only a fraction of the problems at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Patric McGrath started MUN in 2014, and most of these issues have existed since he started there and clearly haven’t been touched seven years later. This is why students are angry about the spending going on. How can you say year after year that there isn’t money to fix the very glaringly obvious infrastructural issues throughout the entire campus yet find $60k to decorate office spaces? A tuition hike is outrageous when money is being absolutely squandered and wasted by the president rather than being put to use to benefit to students paying for the education from this institution.”
Megan Elliott says, “The sad reality of what I would walk through daily while at MUN.”
Melissa Dalley notes, “When people ask me why I left NL and didn’t go to MUN, I’m just going to show them this.”
Paulette Andrews states, “I attended MUN back in the 70s. It makes me wonder how much of the budget went back into repairs and upkeep. It looks like none since I left. Time to start before it’s beyond repair. Ridiculous!”
Terra Pierce says, “Let’s just put up the tuition and renovate offices but leave the students to learn on a campus that looks like this. LOL, sickening.”
Sarah Dawe says, “Heaven forbid Vianne’s office not be aesthetically pleasing, though.”
Angela Short states, “This is absolutely disgusting, so sad to pay loads of money for an education and get to learn in this!”
Zoey Healey says, “When your university looks more like a haunted house attraction than an educational institution.”
Nikki Fiona Carlaw states, “Not to mention the broken elevator in the Atrium… that’s been inaccessible for four years!!! Why wasn’t it fixed during the pandemic?? They’ve been told to put a fire under their ass and get it done, but the horrible part about it is that anyone with disabilities are unable to get to the fifth floor in this building (where the dean’s office is located). This breaks so many moral and ethical codes & is unacceptable.”
Danielle Coates says, “Can you guess how much I pay to go to school in this?! TOO MUCH.”
Rachel McLean says, “All of which was there the year I started university in 2015, and still there almost three years post convocation!”
Jean Stares says, “I see this daily, really, really gross. Especially in the MUNnels.”
Andréa Leigh states, “Many or most of the fountains on campus are unusable. When I lived in residence on campus, my transportation was the MUNnels. Personally, it was anxiety-inducing to walk through them every day, and many bathrooms I refrain from using because there’s fear something will fall on me at any moment. The president can spend thousands of dollars while remaining silent about the tuition hike, while the buildings-students are paying even more money to attend to-are caving in on us. This is something I don’t comprehend. Yes, it is very much possible tuition was increased to pay for fixes of the building seen here, then we ask, why was there so much money spent on the president’s new office, where did the money come from, and when did fancy decor become a priority?”
Holly Alexandra asks, “How is that school still allowed to be open in that insanely bad and unsafe condition? Asbestos? That’s a big no no. Not good enough.”
Matt Barter is a fourth-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 ATIPP reveals the salary and benefits of Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Director of Centre for Innovation Teaching and Learning Gavan Watson at $172,000.
The CITL Director reports to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic). The university’s Probationary Review Policy was waived for the appointment. Watson was also appointed as an Adjunct Professor with the Faculty of Education.
Watson gets a research grant of $20,000 per year.
The university agreed to cover Watson’s hotel accommodations upon his arrival in St. John’s during his search for a suitable place to live and a vehicle rental in St. John’s for a period of 4 weeks.
Additionally, the university agreed to cover 100 percent of Watson’s costs of moving household goods, furnishings, and vehicle. Familiarization/house hunting trips were also covered with two roundtrips for Watson and his spouse to St. John’s.
The university also agreed to cover costs of job search efforts for Watson’s spouse up to $3,000 from the local job and career transition firm Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette.
Watson is expected to submit an annual work plan describing goals, activities, and outcomes to the Provost at the start of each academic year.
Watson’s appointment was effective November 5th, 2018.
See employment contract below:
Matt Barter is a fourth-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 