Despite significant growth in the size of its overall footprint, Memorial University is not making good use of the space it has, according to a scathing report from the Auditor General.
The report indicates that MUN’s footprint has increased from 3.8-million square feet in the fall of 2012, to 5.1-million square feet in the fall of 2023, all while the student population decreased by 1.4 per cent.
The audit cites a consultant’s report that says Memorial’s classrooms are only used during 40 per cent of available daylight hours—40 per cent below the national benchmark, and MUN’s labs are only used 22 per cent of available hours, which is 38 per cent below the national benchmark.
AG Denise Hanrahan says the recommendations in her report lay a base towards “finding out what the real problem is” at the university.
She says they need a “much more concerted effort” to determine that, and then the question comes down to choices such as “does Memorial need a 5-million square-foot footprint?,” and do they need to have faculties fundamentally owning space when they know it is underused.
When asked if MUN needs to downsize, President Dr. Neil Bose says that will happen over time.
He says they will “substantially” take down the old science building, though the plan isn’t to completely tear it down, and they also plan to tear down Coughlin College, which will reduce the footprint of the university.
