I remember when the hiring freeze first started. The funding model wasn’t sufficient for AU to support all of its students. Positions started to be left vacant. And then came the massive provincial budget cuts. Layoffs, buyouts, and the elimination of vacant positions. Less staff at the university to assist students. Remaining staff beginning to… Read more »
It does not take more than a few minutes attending the Athabasca University Convocation to see just what sets AU apart from other universities. One of the first things I noticed was how many graduates had travelled from all over the world to be there, many more than at brick-and-mortar university ceremonies. Since AU is… Read more »
One of the hardest things that I have found I have had to deal with as a distance-learning student is the feeling of isolation. When you attend a traditional university you are surrounded by your peers?like-minded people taking the same courses you are. I live in a small community and, while I am able to… Read more »
This holiday season will be unlike any other I’ve experienced. You see, my Mom passed away suddenly just after Thanksgiving. The weeks that followed were a whirlwind for me; travelling to my hometown in rural British Columbia, funeral planning, making sure my Dad was doing okay and had some support, and also trying to navigate… Read more »
This one is another of my personal favorites. From April (of course) I wish I knew the tune.
So what’s involved in a Best Of issue? Do I just pick the stuff I like, and foist it off on you people as the Best of? Well, in some cases, yes, that’s exactly what happens. However, most of this issue was picked by students. I don’t get a lot of responses to my calls… Read more »
Just before we get going here, I have to point out and apologize for an error that was made in the last issue. We said (or more particularly, I did, as I write the opening blurb for the Meeting the Minds column) that Dr. Diehl-Jones is with AU’s Faculty of Health Sciences. This was a… Read more »
Zachary, my grandson, is a unique and special person. I know everyone thinks their grandchildren are special, but Zac (as he likes to be called) truly is, for many reasons. Zac and his twin sister Madison were the first grandchildren born to both families. Within days of Zac’s birth we were confronted with a devastating… Read more »
A part of distance education is an insane amount of reading, especially as a humanities student. When we are not reading, we are writing about what we read, which often means rereading some of the previous readings. This can get mundane, and I tend to lose focus. My mind will wander and after a few… Read more »
