MUN professor says Harlow campus big loss, but dean says study abroad will continue

As one Memorial University professor laments the decision to sell Harlow campus, another academic says it doesn’t mean students will lose the chance to study abroad.

In a decision to shore up the university’s finances, MUN president Janet Morrison announced the institution will  sell a number of its properties  around St. John’s and in the U.K. to further ease the pressure caused by its more than $24-million deficit.

“Things like Harlow are jewels in the crown that should be promoted, not sold off,” visual arts professor Gerard Curtis told CBC News.

Curtis has taken several groups of students to Harlow in his three-decade tenure at MUN.

“A lot of the students that go come from outport or smaller communities. It’s their first time travelling. Every trip I go on, I’ve got two or three students who’ve never flown before,” he said.

Harlow — and its association with Memorial University — offers familiarity during what can be a life-changing experience for some, Curtis added.

U.K. trips will continue

Harlow campus isn’t the only property on the chopping block. The board of regents approved the recommendation from administration to divest from the Signal Hill campus, the Johnson Geo Centre and the Ingstad Building, too.

The financial relief includes at least $3 million in annual savings, $20 million in deferred maintenance and it’s expected to reduce annual operating expenses of at least $3 million.

“It is an opportunity for Memorial to right-size its physical footprint and focus on what matters most,” Morrison said.

Peter Ride, who is the dean of the fine arts program at MUN, insists students will continue to study abroad and enjoy the experiences that their predecessors had. 

“Our programs are going to keep on going,” Ride told CBC Radio’s On The Go.

“So our students from visual arts and theatre will continue to go to the U.K., they just won’t be sleeping at Harlow.”

In fact, Ride said, MUN already has its eye on alternatives.

“I’ve been over there recently. I’ve identified other places that students can go to, and we’ll keep working on university partnerships,” he said.

Ride didn’t provide specific details on it, but said there are registered MUN students who go to a university in Germany and Hong Kong, for a semester, as an example. 

But for Curtis, it isn’t the same, given the history associated with Harlow. 

“Harlow is 60 years old. It’s a charitable donation to this province by Lord Taylor. It was the idea that the oldest city in the new world would be matched up with the newest city in the old world. That was the mandate,” he said. 

MUN’s last group of students will head to Harlow in the spring, with operations continuing as normal until Aug. 31.

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