Janet Morrison named new Memorial University president
CBC
Memorial University announced Wednesday that Janet Morrison will be taking over as president and vice-chancellor, succeeding interim president Neil Bose.
Morrison was previously president and vice-chancellor of Ontario's Sheridan College, where she oversaw major cuts to staffing and student programming.
In November, the college put 40 programs on hold and laid off staff to account for a 30 per cent drop in enrolment, resulting in a $112-million drop in revenue.
An additional 27 programs were placed under an "efficiency review."
At the time, Morrison told CBC reporters in Toronto the cuts were required for Sheridan to remain a "financially sustainable and vibrant community in response to chronic underfunding, changing government policies, and social, technological, and economic disruption."
Memorial finds itself in a similar financial troubles.
The search for a new president started in 2023 when former president Vianne Timmons was removed from her role following a CBC News investigation into her statements on her Indigenous ancestry and past membership in an unrecognized Mi'kmaw First Nation group.
On top of Timmons' controversy, her tenure saw major tuition hikes for students in 2022 following the end of the institution's tuition freeze, which started in 1999.
In December, MUN launched a hiring freeze following a 5.4 per cent drop in enrolment and a loss of more than $9.5 million in tuition fees.
At the time, Bose told reporters that he would meet with faculty deans to discuss student enrolment to determine what programs should be placed under review.
Changes in course and program offerings have yet to take place, but the university is bound by legistlation to maintain a balanced budget.
To keep in line with this policy, Memorial changed its budget model to analyze expenses and budget allocations based on the university's needs, goals, and priorities rather than previous spending patterns.
Morrison said the university's budgetary challenges are not unique to MUN — and it's a topic, she won't shy away from.
"You'll hear me talking very frankly about the challenges that we're facing," she said.
About 100 people gathered outside the Colonial Building in St. John’s on Saturday for an anti-war rally. They were met with some counter-protesters, highlighting different views on the Iran war.
The two candidates hoping to become Quebec's next premier in less than a month took part in a first official sparring match Saturday, with Christine Fréchette accusing her opponent of having a big ego and bringing the debate over shale gas back to the forefront.
Amanda Lathlin, the first First Nations woman to be elected to the legislative assembly in Manitoba's history, has died, the provincial NDP said on Saturday.
Colten Poitras describes Indian relay as an extreme sport.
After more than 48 hours of heavy rainfall, conditions began to ease Saturday morning, but the City of Fernie, B.C., says untreated wastewater is still being released into the Elk River.
An Alberta town reeling from the loss of its rinks has advanced to the final stage of a national competition, with $250,000 on the line.
Members of the new Arctic Canada Tourism Network want to make sure their industry has a voice in conversations about the future of the Arctic.
People continue to flock to Banff National Park.
Two Toronto councillors have brought forward a motion to ban raising foreign flags at Toronto City Hall and civic centres.
Thousands of Maritime Electric customers in multiple communities across Queens County are without power Saturday morning.
Three weeks into the conflict in the Middle East, the joint U.S.-Israel onslaught has killed much of Iran's leadership, knocked out much of its ballistic missile capability, sunk nearly all of its navy and, according to U.S. President Donald Trump, has "militarily WON" the war already.
Sometimes to understand the weather, you have to fly straight into it.
When he was a student at what was then known as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Andrew Scott had a professor who regularly said that painting was something that could be done until someone dropped dead, while rock n' roll had a best-before date.