Denise Hanrahan says university lacks oversight and that nearly a third of the school’s expenses are decided by its president and not reviewed by its governing board
Memorial University's campus in St. John's is pictured in June. More than 19,000 students attend the university according to its website.High salaries, expensive dinner parties and nearly $23,000 in custom-made chocolates are among a litany of red flags raised by a report Monday from Newfoundland and Labrador’s Auditor-General about spending and operations at the province’s only university.
The report comes after a difficult few years for the school, which included a controversial tuition hike, a faculty strike and the departure this year of its former president, Vianne Timmons, after questions arose about her claims of Indigenous heritage. More than 19,000 students attend the university according to its website. Its largest campus is in St. John's, N.L., and it has smaller campuses in Labrador, Corner Brook and Harlow, England.
The document also takes aim at expenses that could be considered “unreasonable or excessive,” including those made by Timmons, who was president from 2020 until this April. The report refers to her simply as “the former president.” The president’s office bought $1,792 worth of custom chocolates in December 2020, to be used as gifts from Timmons to “employees, other stakeholders and visitors,” the report said. Other offices also bought the sweets, including the Office of the Provost, for a total tab of $22,800.
John Harris, executive director of external affairs with the school’s student union, said it was “a real shame” that the university decided in 2021 to more than double tuition while it was “misspending” public funds.
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