Welcome to the Student Moms Club!

The Athabasca University Students’ Union would like to announce the addition of the second AU student club. The Student Mom’s Club web site is now up and running (http://www.ausu.org/clubs/smc/index.php). All student moms or moms-to-be are welcome to come and check out the site which boasts a private discussion forum, recipes, tips, and feature articles. A huge thank you goes out to founder Joy Krys for all her dedication in getting this club off the ground because of a strong desire to unite with other mothers trying to obtain an education while raising a family. If you’d like to find out more about the SMC or have any questions email smc@ausu.org.

Also, the Athabasca University Psychology Students’ Society would like to announce that they will be chatting live on their site every Monday from 9:30AM – 10:30 AM MST and every Wednesday from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM MST. The AUPSS is looking into starting up a peer-counselling program. This would help students connect with peers to help solve their academic or personal problems as well as assisting students in rural areas to obtain some work experience before finishing their degrees in psychology, sociology, etc: If you are interested in becoming involved or have any questions about the AUPSS email Sandra at smoore@ausu.org

And finally, we have students who are interested in forming an English Club and a Technology Club. If you’d like to participate in either or if you have an idea for a club you’d like to start at AU whether it is personal or academic, email Sandra at smoore@ausu.org The Groups and Clubs committee offers free web space and web page maintenance to any AUSU clubs.

We think it is great that students are starting to express to an interest in communicating with their fellow students. AU is a distance learning University but that does not mean that AU students cannot form the same friendships with their peers as normal university students. We don’t have cafeterias or hallways to hang out in, but we do have chat rooms and emails and it is possible for us to connect. Connecting with fellow students can help ease orientation for new students, as well as help students with their career and academic goals. We strongly encourage you to get involved with your fellow students, whether it is through joining or starting a club or just stopping by AUSU’s discussion board and chat rooms (chat times are posted on the AUSU home page).

We are pleased to announce that a new editor for the Voice has been hired, effective immediately. Tamra Ross Low was the successful applicant. Tamra is an Athabasca University student enrolled in a BA Psychology/Women’s Studies, and has been a Voice writer for almost two years, writing a weekly column that addresses a variety of issues of interest to students. Tamra also served on AUSU Council from March of 2002 to January 2003, and has a broad spectrum of experience and knowledge regarding the various activities AUSU is involved in on behalf of students.

In her previous role on Council, Tamra assisted with maintenance of the website and uploading of the Voice, spearheaded the publication of the first newsletter, and generally acted in the capacity of communications coordinator; skills which will serve her well as new editor of the Voice. Tamra impressed us with her clear vision of how the Voice can best serve the needs of students in our unique distance environment, and we look forward to the Voice moving into a new phase of development under her capable guidance. Welcome Tamra!

Debbie Jabbour, President
AUSU

The 9th Annual General Meeting of AUSU was held this past Saturday, September 28 at 1:00 P.M. Eleven students were in attendance, nine in person and two via teleconference. Quorum was satisfied and the meeting could proceed. In the President’s welcome, Debbie Jabbour commented that the low attendance should not be taken as an indicator of apathy, but rather one that speaks to the reality of the lives of Athabasca University Students. Many may be interested in participating in student affairs, but few can manage to find the time to do so. Debbie also spoke of the uniqueness of AU students, and the importance of having a good relationship with the university administration.

Judith Hughes, Athabasca University Vice President External and Student Affairs, brought a welcome from AU and seconded Debbie’s words about the importance of collaboration and cooperation between the university and the students’ union. Many changes are occurring within our university, and development of strong alumni is a first step towards strengthening the image of AU and finding alternate forms of fundraising to benefit the university. By working collaboratively, AU and AUSU can also have a more effective voice in lobbying the government for policy changes that recognize that AU is different and should not be considered under the same funding policies as other universities. Current policies do not recognize our technological infrastructure and open entrance policy, and the result is that AU must rely for the main part on tuition fees rather than government funding to maintain operations.

Activity reports were presented. It was recognized that most of the current group of Council members were not part of the 2000/2001 fiscal year, and did not have input into the financial statements presented. However, Council wanted members to know a bit more about us, and let everyone know what we’ve been up to recently and what is being planned for the future, so each Councillor submitted an activity report.

The financial statements were presented. Treasurer Gurpreet Dulai explained that an operational deficit had been incurred due to the reprint of the student diaries. Steps have been taken to ensure this type of problem won’t re-occur, and during the 2001-2002 fiscal year, the deficit will be recovered. He also explained that increased convocation costs were a deliberate move intended to raise AUSU profile and provide greater graduation support during the most important event of the year. Overall AUSU began the 2001/2002 fiscal year in a financially healthy position.

Once those in attendance approved the financial statements, and an auditor appointed for the upcoming fiscal year, the floor was opened to general discussion and questions. Several Council members spoke about their experience of being on Council during this past year, and how positive and educational it has been. Darren Kereluk, who along with Gurpreet Dulai, are the only Council members who had any significant presence during 2000/2001; Darren spoke of how different the experience has been this past year from the one he had when on Council previously. Even though disagreements occasionally occur, this group has been able to resolve things without entering into the type of conflict that tore the previous Council apart. Others on Council agreed that the atmosphere among this group has been always positive. Even when there is disagreement on how to proceed, the attitude is to discuss it and move on – move forward whether or not there is 100% consensus on issues.

Debbie Jabbour brought the meeting to a conclusion by thanking everyone on Council, volunteers and staff for their participation in making this last year such an enjoyable venture. She noted that in future years, other Council groups may look back at what we do and wonder “what were they thinking?”, and that although we may make mistakes, we are all working with good intentions to improve the student experience for all AU students. The upcoming spring AGM will be a celebration of the 10th anniversary of AUSU, and plans are already underway to make it a very special meeting.

The 2001 Annual Report is available to any AU student who wishes to obtain a copy, and we encourage you to do so. You can request one by calling 1-800-788-9041, extension 3413 (local to Edmonton 497-7000); or by email to ausu@ausu.org. Please include your full name and AU student ID, as well as a mailing address. Indicate whether you prefer a hard copy mailout or a pdf copy by email (include your email address).

Thank you to everyone who showed an interest in the 2000/2001 AGM. We look forward to seeing you next spring for our tenth anniversary AGM!

AUSU met on the evening of September 16th for the last regular council meeting of the 2001/2002 fiscal year. Finances and our preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year were the main topics of discussion, and we laid the groundwork for some exciting new scholarships and student awards. Also under discussion was the possibility of selling AUSU promotional items in the future.

The most important topic of the evening was our upcoming AGM. For those who do not already know, the 2002 AGM will take place on September 28, 2002 at 1:00 PM MST, and all students are welcome. You may attend in person at the Edmonton AUSU offices, located at #306, 10030-107th Street, Edmonton, AB, or you may attend via teleconference from any location, worldwide. Call our office at 1-800-788-9041, extension 3413, or email ausu@ausu.org for more information. Please reserve your spot as soon as possible, so that we know how many attendees to plan for. We’d love to see you there.

Also on the table this week was a proposal for new scholarships and student awards, which was approved by all councillors. Information about these awards will be available on our website as soon as we hammer out the last of the fine details. The details will be posted on the AUSU Services page.

The fate of the AUSU Handbook/Planner is still up in the air. We want to be able to give students items that will be useful to them in their studies, but we need to be certain that the handbook is the best choice before we commit to having more printed. Student input so far has indicated that a smaller planner might be more useful, while other suggestions have included wall calendars, desk calendars, and other items. So far, however, we have had only a few responses to our survey, and we require more.

Please check out the AUSU discussion forums (see: http://www.ausu.org/discussions.html on our website and select the Handbook/Planner Survey topic to download the survey file or to comment in the open forum. Alternatively, you may mail your comments to dkereluk@ausu.org. We’d like to know what might be useful to you, what items you have received from other students’ unions that you have used and enjoyed, and if you have any opinions on the old format of the AUSU Handbook.

Speaking of student input, we are pleased to say that since the first issue of the AUSU newsletter started arriving in students’ mailboxes, we have had many entries for the contest, and a significant increase in Voice readers and users of the AUSU forums. For all of you who just checked out AUSU for the first time this month – welcome!

Finally, back to business matters, AUSU council has approved the proposed preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and we are very pleased to announce that our expenditures for the 2001/2002 fiscal year will remain within budget for that period.

Many new projects have been initiated since the new council took over in March, and we’re very excited about the coming year. Expect a summary of our work so far to appear in the Voice or on the AUSU website very soon.

For further information, please contact ausu@ausu.org, or call 1-800-788-9041, ext. 3413.

The 9th Annual General Meeting of AUSU for 2000/2001 has been scheduled for September 28, 2002, at 1 PM MST. It will be held at the AUSU Office, #306, 10030 107 Street, North Tower, Edmonton, AB. All members of AUSU are invited to attend, either in person or by teleconference.

For further information, please contact ausu@ausu.org, or call 1-800-788-9041, ext. 3413. Students who wish to attend by teleconference will need to book in advance. We look forward to seeing you there!

Debbie Jabbour, President
AUSU

The 9th Annual General Meeting of AUSU for 2000/2001 has been scheduled for September 28, 2002, at 1 PM MST. It will be held at the AUSU Office, #306, 10030 107 Street, North Tower, Edmonton, AB. All members of AUSU are invited to attend, either in person or by teleconference.

For further information, please contact ausu@ausu.org, or call 1-800-788-9041, ext. 3413. Students who wish to attend by teleconference will need to book in advance. We look forward to seeing you there!

Debbie Jabbour, President
AUSU

The 9th Annual General Meeting of AUSU for 2000/2001 has been scheduled for September 28, 2002, at 1 PM MST. It will be held at the AUSU Office, #306, 10030 107 Street, North Tower, Edmonton, AB. All members of AUSU are invited to attend, either in person or by teleconference.

For further information, please contact ausu@ausu.org, or call 1-800-788-9041, ext. 3413. Students who wish to attend by teleconference will need to book in advance. We look forward to seeing you there!

Debbie Jabbour, President
AUSU