Today, I am sharing an important leadership update.
Following a commitment to the Board of Regents and the Memorial community to review our executive leadership structure before Feb. 11, 2026, I have completed the first stage of this work and will be implementing a more streamlined, pan-university executive structure, effective March 1, 2026.
Our new executive structure reduces the number of vice-presidents from seven to three, creating a smaller, more focused executive team and includes provost and vice-president (academic), vice-president (finance and administration) and vice-president (research and innovation).
This redesign recognizes the distinct strengths and identities of our campuses.
Guided by community feedback, the new structure includes three deputy provost positions:
- Deputy provost (Grenfell and Labrador Campuses)
- Deputy provost (Marine Institute) and executive director (professional and continuing education)
- Deputy provost and dean of graduate studies
These roles will ensure dedicated attention to campus priorities while strengthening academic alignment and collaboration across the university.
Further, under this streamlined structure, the role of vice-president (Indigenous) will transition to the special advisor to the president on Indigenous affairs, ensuring the priorities of Indigenous students, faculty and staff at Memorial and the communities in which we operate are firmly anchored within the president’s office. The work administered by the Office of Indigenous Affairs, including the resources and funding that support it, remain unchanged.
The role of vice-president, advancement and external relations, has been eliminated. The departments of Development and Alumni Engagement, as well as Marketing and Communications, will report to the president, while Signal Hill Campus Operations/Conference and Events Services, Johnson GEO Centre, Botanical Garden and Newfoundland Quarterly will report to the vice-president (finance and administration) portfolio.
The role of vice-provost (Labrador Campus), which is currently vacant, has been eliminated. The dean of arctic and subarctic studies on that campus continues, reporting into the deputy provost (Grenfell and Labrador Campuses) as of March 1. Within the provost’s portfolio, the associate vice-president (academic) position will be eliminated at the end of the incumbent’s contract this summer.
All individuals directly impacted by these changes have been notified, and teams are being informed through a respectful sequence of communication.
This executive restructuring will trigger cascading changes to select leadership roles, primarily within vice-presidential portfolios, including adjustments to title, mandate, scope or reporting relationships. While some of these changes may take time to work through, they are an important step in reducing administrative complexity.
Change takes adjustment, especially when it affects how we work together. I’m asking for your patience; specifically, it may take time to navigate particulars or answer detailed questions. I want to acknowledge the care, steadiness and professionalism people have shown through the transition thus far. These same qualities will carry us forward as this new structure strengthens.
A province that cares and a university that must lead
Memorial University matters deeply to this province. I see that every day: in classrooms, in communities and in unexpected places. People care not only about what this institution teaches, but what it contributes, what it stands for and what it makes possible for future generations.
That care comes with responsibility.
Over the past few years, the auditor general’s report and feedback from members of our community have pointed to the same concerns: uneven leadership capacity across campuses, accountability gaps, duplicated roles and slow decision-making. These issues have limited our ability to move at the pace this moment requires.
Like many other universities across Canada, we are navigating complex, interconnected challenges. At the same time, we are rich in possibility: through our people, our students, our research and our deep connection to communities.
This leadership update is about ensuring our structure matches that responsibility so we can lead with clarity, coherence and the capacity required for the years ahead.
Leadership structure as a strategic enabler of Memorial’s evolution
Memorial is in a defining moment: one that requires clarity of purpose, disciplined action and a leadership structure capable of steering a multi-year evolution. The most important consideration in this work has been aligning our leadership structure with our current and longer-term strategic priorities.
The new executive structure is a contraction that reduces the number of positions eligible for executive-level compensation from seven to three. Based on current estimates and once fully implemented the changes announced today and their associated impacts will result in annual recurring savings of approximately $1 million, though the actual amount will be confirmed over time as contractual obligations and additional efficiencies occur.
I want to be clear: this redesign is a structural efficiency and strategic alignment measure intended to strengthen academic governance, reduce fragmentation, clarify accountability and position the university for the work ahead. It is an important first step in addressing longstanding concerns about administrative complexity.
We are announcing this change today because our challenges require focused leadership now, not later. Enrolment pressures, financial constraints, academic sustainability concerns and the realities of operating a multi-campus institution all demand a leadership model built for coherence, decisiveness and long-term resilience.
This structure also aligns with executive models used at many comparable Canadian universities, where focused leadership tables strengthen accountability and strategic capacity. Transformation on this scale takes time. There will be milestones, learning and adjustments.
Some of the strategic outcomes of this new structure include the following:
- Less duplication at the top
- Clearer academic governance
- Stronger accountability
- Increased capacity for long-term strategy
- Better conditions for long-term administrative and academic sustainability
This update is part of a larger evolution
This leadership change is one step within our broader journey to evolve Memorial. It is our co-ordinated response to the pressures shaping our future. It brings together the data, context and key priorities we are navigating so that our community can understand not only what is changing, but why.
If you have not yet explored the Evolve Hub, I encourage you to do so. It provides the most up-to-date view of:
- The pressures we face,
- The focus areas guiding our work and,
- How decisions connect across our institution.
How we move forward and evolve together
What you can expect from me and from this leadership team is:
- Open communication,
- Transparent rationale for decisions and,
- Regular updates as priorities move from planning to implementation.
We will continue to proceed with care, especially in how we communicate and support people through change.
This university has always evolved in response to moments in its history. What defines us is not whether we face pressure, but how we meet it.
We will continue this work guided by our shared commitment to building a university that is both viable and vibrant: financially strong, academically excellent, research-focused, student-centred and deeply connected to the communities we serve.
As always, you can reach me via email. I welcome your questions, reflections and ideas.
With appreciation,
Janet
