The Memorial University Faculty Association says it has “serious concerns” about the potential for further cuts following the approval of the university’s 2026-2027 operating budget.
MUNFA says the university has described it as a “stabilizing budget,” and the result has been a 4 per cent cut to every academic unit, and an “unplanned voluntary retirement program” which could result in not enough faculty to meet teaching obligations in September.
The union calls those actions “particularly concerning” given that there has been a “significant increase” in student applications and admissions for the upcoming year.
MUNFA also claims that the budget overview shared by the university is “far from the standard” that people should expect, questioning its transparency.
They also raise questions about what they call “continued government cuts,” citing a statement from Education Minister Paul Dinn during budget estimates in which he stated MUN received “what it asked for” in terms of funding.
They believe that if that is true, people should demand an explanation from MUN leadership, and how they “made the decision to propose a budget that would require program reductions and job losses despite awareness of a positive change in enrolment.”
