Today, the chair of the Board of Regents and I attended the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s presentation of the 2026-27 budget.

We appreciated the opportunity to hear about the government’s priorities and how Memorial University fits within the broader provincial context.

At the highest level, total grant funding to Memorial has increased year-over-year by approximately $20 million, including funding to offset the cost of the previously announced policy decision to freeze tuition. We appreciate measures that support students and promote access to post-secondary education.

This positive outcome signals that the government has confidence in Memorial’s direction and provides the stability needed to continue the substantial change already underway. It comes with the clear expectation — shared by government, students and the broader public — that Memorial will be a responsible steward of their investment.

However, the results of our recent employee engagement survey, the auditor general’s findings and sustained financial pressures all point to the same conclusion: maintaining the status quo is not an option. Meaningful evolution is critical to ensuring Memorial remains a strong, sustainable university that meets its special obligation to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador now and into the future.

There is still the need for carefully planned change. Memorial’s total enrolment has decreased by more than 2,000 students since its peak in 2021. Further, by 2030, we forecast a combined graduate and undergraduate enrolment decline of 12 per cent from our current levels, owing to fewer university-aged learners in the province and federal immigration policies.

Fundamentally, enrolment drives the scale of our university; it impels the demand for academic programs, staffing, services and infrastructure, and directly affects the university’s financial sustainability. As the only university in Newfoundland and Labrador — and a cornerstone of the province’s social, cultural and economic well-being — Memorial must respond to this contraction thoughtfully and decisively to ensure we remain strong, relevant and responsive.

Evolving Memorial to meet the pressures of today and tomorrow is our top priority. Already, we have made changes to reduce the size and expense of our executive team, to divest of property that is not closely aligned with our academic mission and to critically assess spending against our priorities: academic quality, research intensity and the student experience. Looking ahead, we must also find ways to reallocate our limited resources to invest in strategic initiatives that are aligned with Memorial’s academic mission and advance our commitment to long-term sustainability.

In that context, we are carefully assessing how the provincial grant allocation will impact the university’s operating budget, which will be presented to the Board of Regents in May. Following board approval, it will be shared with the university community.

Memorial is deliberately evolving toward a smaller, stronger and more sustainable university — one that puts students first, concentrates on academic and research strengths, and continues to serve the province with impact and accountability.

I want to thank the provincial government again for its commitment to the long-term success of Memorial University; the budget announced today provides the stability needed to implement structural change deliberately and navigate our changing circumstances head-on. This year’s funding doesn’t eliminate hard decisions, but it does create space for meaningful engagement with faculty, staff and students to ensure decisions are informed by our academic community’s expertise and commitment.

For more information about how Memorial is evolving, visit www.mun.ca/evolve. There, you can also submit comments or questions to inform our work in this area.