In summer 2020 President Vianne Timmons encouraged members of the Memorial community at all campuses and locations to think about enhancing our physical spaces.
The idea is to create a sense of pride in Memorial while making spaces comfortable and appealing for work and study.
“Memorial is filled with creative, passionate and engaged people,” said Dr. Timmons. “We want our campuses to reflect that energy and help it grow.”
More than 75 ideas were submitted when the initial call was announced, and a pan-university advisory committee is in place to steer the beautification process forward.
The committee is co-chaired by Kim Shipp, director of the Botanical Garden, and Grant Vivian, director of operations and maintenance in Facilities Management.
“We want to harness pride in our campuses to create a long-lasting legacy well beyond 2025.”
It also includes representatives from all campuses. The group is charged with kick-starting the initiative and engaging with students, staff, faculty and the community.
“Enhancing our campuses is a continual process, and we expect the committees’ work will take several years,” Ms. Shipp said. “The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of Memorial University. We would like to have several key projects completed in time for anniversary celebrations.”
“Ultimately, we want to harness pride in our campuses to create a long-lasting legacy well beyond 2025,” added Mr. Vivian.
Interior and exterior focus
The committee notes that the majority of the submissions received to date focus on campus landscapes, but interior spaces are included in the the project.
“Interior spaces, like hallways, atriums or gathering spaces should also be considered when people are identifying potential projects,” said Mr. Vivian. “Submissions can still be made via email.”
The committee is in the process of reviewing and prioritizing the received submissions.
Work is also ongoing to identify philanthropic donations, grants and partnership opportunities to support these projects.
