Memorial University is proceeding with its plan for staff to return to all campuses full-time today.

Two weeks ago MUN declared its campuses were safe, noting the university has followed all public health guidelines and implemented measures to ensure the health and safety of all.

At the time, they also acknowledged a short spike in cases in November that did not continue.

However, that was before the cluster that emerged in the Eastern Health region last week.

On Friday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald was asked if she would still recommend MUN staff return to the university today.

She declined to comment on MUN specifically, instead referring reporters back to the recommendations for working from home in general. She said each business or organization should follow the public health guidelines to ensure they can resume operations safely.

MUN President Hopeful for Future of Institution

The President of Memorial University is expressing hope for the future of the institution, despite one of the most trying years in their history.

Vianne Timmons recently presented the 2020 President’s Report to the St. John’s Board of Trade.

The report covers a fiscal year of April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020, and an academic year of September 2019 to August 31 2020.

Highlights of the report included MUN’s stable enrollment figures, researched funding of almost $135-million, and the creation of the School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies.

Due to the timeframe the report covers, however, it only covers a fraction of the pandemic response.

In her speech, Timmons described COVID as the “villain” in MUN’s story.

She says staff were able to pivot to remote work, keeping MUN running from “basements and kitchen tables.”

She highlighted some of the successes of the pandemic, and ultimately, how MUN is “rising in the east” and getting stronger.

“This is our university,” she says, noting that it is part of the social and economic fiber of the province.