Memorial University has just announced the appointment of Dr. Janet Morrison as the university’s incoming President and Vice-Chancellor.
Dr. Morrison is set to begin her six-year term on August 11, 2025, complete with an annual salary of $485k, and potential for a contract renewal with an additional four-year term.
Since 2018, Dr. Morrison has been dutifully serving as President and pro-vice-chancellor of Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced learning, a post-secondary institution in Ontario notable for its robust creative programs. Previously, she was appointed vice-president of Sheridan College, and prior to 2016, she held various leadership positions at York University.
Dr. Morrison’s academic background is quite notable, as she holds a PhD in higher education from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and two Bachelor of Arts degrees in history from the University of Guelph and the University of Western Ontario, respectively.
Tackling the pervasive issues concerning Memorial is an ambitious undertaking, especially considering the $450 million in deferred infrastructural maintenance and looming threats to programs and research in the form of seemingly ever-diminishing budgets and funding opportunities, but Dr. Morrison looks like she’s up for the challenge.
In an inaugural speech given at the Marine Institute campus, Dr Morrison stated that she aims to “be Memorial’s staunchest champion, ensuring Memorial is seen, supported and celebrated for the world-class institution it is… My immediate priorities will be to listen, learn and build relationships. Together, we will co–create a path forward that is learner-centric, collegial and purposefully designed to maximize the impact we deliver for individuals and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.”
This decision comes after a long and arduous process of consulting with the Presidential Search Committee, a conglomerate of students, staff, faculty, regents, and one member of the public to find the best possible fit for MUN. This was done through extensive surveying of the Memorial community, as well as five town halls held across all 4 Memorial campuses and online for people to democratically voice their opinions and concerns to be taken into consideration when seeking a new President for MUN.
Some of the key priorities which the search committee outlined included community involvement – not just focused on the St. John’s campus – financial transparency, maintaining a positive relationship with the provincial government for funding interests, rectifying the university’s historically poor public image with more positive media communications, appropriately wrangling technological advancements affecting learning such as artificial intelligence, and enhancing student supports to name a few.
As universities and post-secondary institutions face slashes to funding and cuts to entire programs on a national scale, and students are navigating their studies amidst a cost-of-living crisis, it’s more imperative than ever to have strong leaders who advocate for students.
The subject of the Memorial University Presidency has been an especially contentious one, following Vianne Timmons’ controversial removal from the position in 2023, and interim President Neil Bose’s term, which faced criticism from both organizations like MUN Students for Palestine, as well as the broader student body for evading concerns about student issues.
Following Dr Morrison’s appointment as incoming President, some students at Memorial appear to be cautiously optimistic.
