The president of Memorial University welcomes differing viewpoints after a group of alumni objected to MUN coming out in favour of subsidies to the oil and gas industry.

Hundreds of faculty, staff, alumni and students at Memorial University are opposed to the university’s endorsement of a campaign to encourage subsidies for oil and gas.

President Vianne Timmons stood shoulder to shoulder, virtually, with politicians and industry personnel at a news conference last week. Timmons says she participated in order to present how faculty, staff, students and alumni intersect with the oil and gas industry. The reality is, she says, that they are preparing MUN students for careers in that particular field.

The president does not see the endorsement as a lesser commitment to climate change. Timmons is committed to the MUN Crisis Pledge signed last fall and will be bringing additional action statements to the senior leadership table for discussion this week.