The campus renewal fee provides critical funding to address the most pressing deferred maintenance and information technology projects at Memorial.

This student fee is assessed per credit hour to a maximum of $250 a semester for all students and is allocated to the campus where the student is completing their studies.

On the St. John’s campus, the Enterprise Risk Management Committee, a sub-committee of Vice-Presidents Council, provides a risk-based approach to assist in allocation of the fees. Approval of funds resides with Memorial’s Board of Regents.

Since 2017, $11.3 million has been allocated ($2.7 million in 2017-18, $3.8 million in 2018-19 and $4.8 million in 2019-20) to address deferred maintenance.

The remaining campus renewal fee funds has been directed to technology infrastructure (IT) requirements.

“Our real estate portfolio is valued at approximately $1.7 billion, with identified needs for deferred maintenance of $500 million,” said Kent Decker, vice-president (administration and finance). “With this perspective, it is clear that a planned approach to prioritize work is required.”

Board of Regents approves funding

The campus renewal fee funds are allocated between facilities and IT.

At its Dec. 5, 2019, meeting, Memorial’s Board of Regents approved the 2020-21 allocations.

Facilities projects received $4,029,000, which will address needs such as electrical and mechanical requirements to support life safety systems like emergency notifications and fire alarms; water and sewer; windows, doors, brick and roof maintenance to address leaks and end-of-life materials; walkways and roadways; and air handling units for heating and cooling.

IT projects received an allocation of $2 million, which will address network and wireless improvements, cyber security enhancements and data centre and laboratory improvements.

Risk remains high

Deferred maintenance is a term used to describe when the repair or replacement of building infrastructure items are postponed due to fiscal constraints.

Memorial’s facilities condition index, which evaluates the current condition of physical infrastructure, is approximately 29 per cent. Memorial’s engineers estimate that it will require about $24 million annually to maintain this level. The target at Memorial is 12 per cent.

The approximately $6 million in campus renewal fee funds collected each year only address the highest priorities. Memorial will continue to monitor and prioritize deferred maintenance requirements in coming years.