I rise in this house today to inform honourable members that I was recently presented with Memorial University of Newfoundland�s 2002 President�s Report. The report, which highlights key achievements at the university in 2001-02, focuses on three areas of importance to the university - vision, action and innovation.

This government is committed to Memorial University and to all post-secondary institutions in this province. More importantly, we are committed to our post-secondary students and to providing them with high quality, accessible and affordable post-secondary education opportunities.

For this reason, we have enabled Memorial University to reduce its tuition rates by 10 per cent for the last two consecutive years, making the current tuition rate the lowest in Atlantic Canada and the second lowest in the country.

Our new Provincial Student Loan Program has been redesigned to better meet the needs of our students. We sought advice from students, parents and educators and have implemented changes to further reducing the debt of our graduates. We have also increased funding for student and graduate employment programs to assist students in funding their education.

Our recent CareerSearch 2002 document tells us that our investment is paying off. Since 1996, we have seen significant improvements in graduate outcomes across the board. In particular, this year�s results show a higher percentage of graduates had obtained full-time employment in the year following their graduation from post-secondary institutions. Memorial University is a part of this success.

Macleans magazine ranked Memorial as one of the top five comprehensive universities in the country with a significant amount of research activity and a wide range of programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including professional degrees.

Memorial University�s vision is to enable their students to acquire a first-rate, well-rounded education, to provide its employees with an excellent working environment, and to serve the needs of communities in this province and around the world.

Examples of key actions towards that vision in 2001-02 included a new multi-million dollar partnership with Inco Ltd. to create the Inco Innovation Centre on the St. John�s campus and with universities and industry in Atlantic Canada to undertake research on petroleum, marine and health issues with the support of the Atlantic Innovation Fund.

The university created new student residences at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College campus in Corner Brook and opened a new marine station near Gros Morne National Park.

Memorial renovated its European campus at Harlow, England, and introduced new programs bridging North America and Europe. And it created a comprehensive recreation complex, including a new Field House on the St. John�s campus.

This government is proud of the high quality education offered at Memorial University and the success rate of its graduates. I am pleased to provide honourable members with a copy of the 2002 president�s report.

2002 12 09                                       1:45 p.m.