Students will hold a National Day of Action in Corner Brook today

This after an Auditor General report on MUN highlighted overspending such as an employee awards dinner to the tune of nearly $7,000 and included alcohol.

Memorial University students will gather in Corner Brook and St. John’s today as part of a National Day of Action. This after an Auditor General report on MUN highlighted overspending such as an employee awards dinner to the tune of nearly $7,000 and included alcohol. Vicky Quao is the Vice President External at the Grenfell Campus Student Union. She says she was disgusted and discouraged when she heard about overspending at a time when tuition rates are increasing. 

“My parents in Ghana have to pay close to $100,000 for my tuition,” she says. “It’s a lot of money and I’m here working two jobs to get by,” she says. “All while they pay $500 for a limousine, this is crazy!”

Quoa says students are worried about their futures and concerned about the university’s priorities, saying they would have been better off staying at home.

Meanwhile, Alison Coffin of the Lecturers’ Union of Memorial University (LUMUN) says while they are pleased that work is underway to address overspending but says more needs to be done. “They are addressing spending issues,” she says. “I would like to see all groups and stakeholders are involved in the process.

Today’s demonstration will get underway with a march starting around 11:15 this morning from Grenfell Campus heading down to the Sir Ricard Squires building.