Memorial University has always been a publicly engaged institution. Since the founding of the University in 1949, the work of many of Memorial's students, faculty and staff has emphasized the importance of strong, sustained partnerships with members of the public of Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.

With the collaborative development of the Public Engagement Framework in 2011 and 2012, public engagement was confirmed as one of the core areas of Memorial's mission, along with research and teaching and learning.

Memorial University encourages and provides support for public engagement through faculties, units and centres that offer programming to help facilitate public engagement, through funding for public engagement and through the Public Engagement Framework.