On September 29, 2026, during a Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Public Accounts Committee hearing on the Memorial University Facilities Audit Report, Committee Chair and MHA Sarah Stoodley asked President Janet Morrison about academic freedom.
Specifically, she raised concerns about the tension between academic freedom and Memorial University’s ability to manage its resources efficiently, particularly infrastructure and technology.
Stoodley said that when a school, department, or faculty member receives research funding, they can spend it as they wish, potentially contributing to IT technical debt or infrastructure debt.
Drawing on her experience as a former elected member of the university’s Board of Regents, Stoodley suggested that this issue may have had a significant negative impact on the university’s ability to manage its resources efficiently and effectively.
She asked whether changes could or should be made to address this tension, noting it was the main issue that came to mind when reflecting on the Auditor General’s 2025 report.
President Janet Morrison responded that this is both the beauty and the challenge of a university.
“I will defend academic freedom at every opportunity,” said Morrison.
She added, “Academic freedom is a tenet of what we do. It’s the foundation of the teaching, learning, research, discovery, and service that the university does all across the province, nationally, and globally.”
Morrison said consensus on a university campus is an illusion.
She said achieving consensus among more than 3,000 people at the university whose jobs involve cultivating critical thinking is unrealistic.
However, Morrison said, “What you get is good ideas and informed conversation.”
Morrison explained that digital and physical infrastructure provides a good example of how the university respects academic freedom while also identifying and pursuing interests shared by the university and its stakeholders.
Matt Barter is a graduate of the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, holding a degree in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, taking walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
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