I’d started working with Memorial’s Office of Public Engagement (OPE) in a part-time grad student position; the next summer, I moved into a full-time role as OPE’s Framework Coordinator. Public engagement is identified in Memorial’s academic mission as an area of priority, alongside research and teaching and learning. Drawing on the knowledge and resources brought by all involved, public engagement is based on mutual respect, mutual contributions, and mutual benefits for all participants. Public Engagement at Memorial University / Facebook. In the weeks since the closure of the Office of Public Engagement, I’ve received messages of support, of concern, and of outrage.