Memorial University President Janet Morrison released a statement regarding safety around Memorial’s St. John’s campus, following several incidents in the last month. The statement was delivered through Memorial’s Gmail to all students and staff.
“I am very clear on my responsibility for fostering a safe and [secure] community and am deeply troubled by these incidents,” said Morrison in her official statement on Friday. “I believe it is important to acknowledge the expertise of our law enforcement partners, but I also think we need to create opportunities for members of our community to share their concerns and feedback on safety and security.”
Three incidents have occurred on campus in roughly the last month, with all three assailants not being members of Memorial itself, or its community.
A member of Memorial’s staff was assaulted in their office on October 16th. A second incident occurred on November 8th, in one of the residence buildings on St. John’s campus. The third incident occurred just two days later on November 10th in the University Centre.
Concern surrounding safety on campus has risen in recent weeks, in light of these recent events. Campus enforcement has seen an increased presence around St. John’s campus. Students raised concern to Morrison and other members of administration, primarily as to why there were no alerts or shelter-in-place orders through Memorial’s official channels.
She reaffirmed that Memorial is “in the process of organizing sessions for members of our community to share concerns and feedback. Concurrently, we are working to enhance safety training and supports.”
In her official statement, President Morrison stated that she spoke with RNC Chief Patrick Roche, who “noted that communities across the province are increasingly experiencing complex social and public safety challenges, and organizations like Memorial are not isolated from those realities.”
Morrison closed her statement by saying that Memorial will “learn from every incident and work closely with our security and policing partners to strengthen campus safety. Most importantly, we will continue listening to our community and taking action to support a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.”
This story is ongoing. The Muse will provide updates as they become available.