On May 30, 2022, Memorial University Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Margaret Steele sent a memorandum to the faculty, staff and students in the Faculty of Business Administration with the subject “Leadership changes in the Faculty of Business Administration.

It states that Dr. Isabelle Dostaler will end her term as Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration on August 31, 2022. There is no reason provided.

Steele then states Dr. Peggy Coady has been appointed Acting Dean effective June 6 until August 31, 2022, for the time that Dr. Dostaler will be on a period of leave.

Dr. Travor Brown has been appointed as Interim Dean effective September 1, 2022, until August 31, 2023, or until a permanent dean is recruited, whichever occurs first.

Both recommendations by Stelle have been approved by the president.

Dr. Coady is a long-standing member of Memorial’s teaching and learning community, and Dr. Brown served as Associate Dean (Research and Director of the Master in Employment Relations program at Memorial.

A long-time business student, who wishes to remain anonymous, states, “Dr. Dostaler was very nice and caring. However, I do not think her performance as dean was exemplary. I have had a chance to know Dr. Travor Brown well in my time as a student and I have the utmost confidence in him as the upcoming interim dean. I hope he is considered for the position permanently.”

A previous memorandum was sent on February 28, 2022, by then Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Florentine Strzelczyk with the subject “Dean of Business Administration Review – Update.”

Strzelczyk stated that the review process was well underway, and that feedback was being complied. All feedback received would be considered by the review committee on March 7 and a meeting for the committee with Dr. Dostaler would take place after the March 7 meeting, and then a final meeting to make a recommendation.

Another memorandum was sent by then Provost Strzelczyk on December 3, 2021, with the subject “Review Committee for Dean, Faculty of Business Administration.” She stated that Dr. Dostaler’s first term was set to expire and that she indicated her desire to be reappointed for a second term. In accordance with the procedures, a review committee was established.

See memorandum letters below:

Download files 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 recently obtained ATIPP reveals the amount spent on infrastructure at Grenfell Campus from 2004 to May 2020 at $72,794,442.

The projects include: 1) New Academic Building – $27,543,965, 2) Multi Residence – $23,160,005, 3) Environmental Science Lab – $3,790,761, 4) New Academic Building Atrium – $5,716,771, 5) Extension to Arts & Science – $1,089,500, 6) EPC Second Phase – $4,887,949, 7) Residence Upgrade – $2,233,140, 8) Lab Life Safety Phase II – $3,188,740, and 10) Forest Centre HVAC Upgrades – $1,183,612.

Download ATIPP file 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 recently obtained ATIPP reveals a list of employers who have employed a Memorial University Business Co-operative student from Fall 2015 to Spring 2022. See ATIPP file below:

Download ATIPP file 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 recently obtained ATIPP request reveals that Memorial University has spent a total of $836,985.52 outsourcing to the company Perfect Day Productions for film and design work, even though MUN has employees capable of doing such work.

There have even been situations where MUN employees have produced works, but it was deemed not good enough by the administration, so they outsourced to Perfect Day Productions.

See ATIPP files below:

Download ATIPP 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 recently obtained ATIPP request reveals more student dissent with the senior administration at Memorial University. In a letter to the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ailsa Craig, a student opposed cuts in the Department of Political Science and the contract termination of professor Dr. Mehmet Caman.

The student states that in 2020, Dr. Russell Williams stepped down as department head due to the university demanding that he cut 20 percent of the department’s course offerings. “We as students need more professors and more course offerings, not less,” says the student.”

Additionally, the student says, “the university is simultaneously more than doubling tuition fees, while not making any substantial changes to provide us a quality education.” The student points out that Dr. Caman escaped an oppressive regime in Turkey now only to face an oppressive regime at MUN.

“Students are seeing these cuts, seeing the tuition rise, and feeling alienated by the university administration. Many of us feel that the administrators do not care about our education or our experience at Memorial. It seems to many of us that it’s becoming less about learning and more about money.”

See the full email 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 recently obtained ATIPP reveals that Memorial University used scare tactics in an attempt to prevent Journalist Justin Brake from reporting on a student who was banned from campus for protesting but to no avail.

Brake published Newfoundland university under fire for weaponizing code of conduct against student activist in ricochet on April 27, 2022, and Student Taking MUNL to Court Over Punishment for Protest on May 20, 2022, in The Independent.

Yet another attack on the free press by MUN’s senior administration.

See Brake’s email to MUN 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.

Memorial University Residence has given out a total of $19,600 in fines to students from 2018 to 2020 in Paton College, Macpherson, and Burton’s Pond.

Fined offences include quiet hours, noise levels, beer bottles, drinking games, dangerous drinking, unaccompanied guests, smoking, comply with university staff.

See ATIPP files below:

Download ATIPP file 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.

An obtained ATIPP request reveals that Memorial University has spent a total of $308,122.27 on external counsel for formal respectful workplace complaints from January 1, 2010, to March 10, 2020. Four units provided data: the Office of the Vice-President (Administration and Finance) spent $216,586.89, Human Resources spent $35,655.74, Faculty Relations spent $29,767.85, and General Counsel spent $26,111.79.

The law firms include Cox & Palmer, Benson Myles, Michele Dorsey Law Inc., Browne Fitzgerald Morgan & Avis, Rublin Thomlinson LLP, and McInnes Cooper.

See ATIPP files below:

The Office of The Vice-President (Administration and Finance):

Human Resources:

Faculty Relations:

General Counsel:

Download ATIPP files 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.

An obtained ATIPP request reveals the number of Respectful Workplace complaints at Memorial University. Three units provided data: the Department of Human Resources, the Office of Faculty Relations, and the Vice-President (Administration and Finance) Office.

The Department of Human Resources accounted for 18 formal respect workplace complaints, the Office of Faculty Relations accounted for 25 formal respectful workplace complaints resulting in investigation and 16 formal respectful workplace complaints that did not result in an investigation, and the Office of the Vice-President (Administration and Finance) accounted for two formal respectful workplace complaints. See ATIPP files below:

The Department of Human Resources:

The Office of Faculty Relations:

The Office of the Vice-President (Administration and Finance):

Download ATIPP files 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.

An obtained ATIPP request reveals that Memorial University spent $46,425.22 on external counsel (investigators) for non-academic appeal complaints (filed by students against faculty, staff, or administration) from January 1, 2015, to February 25, 2020.

The law firms include Anne M. Fagan Plc ($28,469.66), MacNab, Fagan, & Murphy ($9,853.11), and Dunne & Baker Law ($8,102.45). Download ATIPP file 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.