Whether the institution is the classic brick-and-mortar type like the University of Alberta, or a distance education model like Athabasca University, there are strong benefits for both employers and employees.  Better productivity, better work-life balance, and stronger outcomes.

As someone who works with distance students I can tell you the distance model of education is transformative.  There are many barriers to accessing a university education for so many in our community.  Potential students face financial barriers like tuition or having to take time off work.  They face physical barriers like the distance between their school and their home or a disability.  Distance education is not for everybody – which many students learned well in the pandemic.  But for those it works for, it really works.  Athabasca University has allowed tens of thousands of people to graduate who otherwise would have had no option.

I worry that the distance students at Athabasca University are being forgotten amidst this conversation of what Athabasca University’s role is in the town of Athabasca.  Students want what is best for their university, the quality of their education, and the long-term reputation of their degree.  They also want that education to be affordable.

I do not know what the right answer is for what Athabasca University’s future is in Athabasca – by many accounts it has been a fantastic collaborative environment in the past and I love the idea of a community becoming strong boosters of their local post-secondary institution.  But what I see in this conversation is nothing like a collaborative relationship or an environment of innovation.  It feels like a confrontation, one that is killing enrolment at Athabasca University and painting the town of Athabasca as a place people would only live in if they were forced to.

Athabasca University has been teaching and researching successfully for decades and is well-positioned to take advantage of new technologies that not only allow students to learn anywhere, but to allow universities to teach anywhere.  Working and studying from home are trends that are here to stay.  And they are trends that will breathe new life into many rural communities, as people no longer must choose between their home and their career.  I see a place where towns like Athabasca will have hundreds of digital commuters in their communities without the need to turn to government fiats but because they offer a place for workers and their families to thrive.  Athabasca University is going to be an institution that leads that revolution, and I think Athabasca itself can join in that revolution.

Duncan W.

I agree with Barb Godin in her recent Dear Barb column. Divorcing a husband, especially when you have children, spells trouble.  Web MD author, Sid Kirchheimer, says, “A new study shows that children of single-parent homes are more than twice as likely to commit suicide.”  Just as troubling, The Morning Call author, Bob Linton, says, “70% of criminals are from broken homes.”  Also, according to VeryWell Family, “Adult children of divorce tend to have lower-paying jobs and less college education than their parents.”   And “children of divorced parents are twice as likely to drop out of high school.”

But if that’s not enough reason to save your marriage, consider this: your divorce is 50% likely to lead to a second divorce.  According to VeryWell Family, “approximately 50% of American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage.  Of these, close to half will see the breakup of a parent’s second marriage.  One of every 10 children whose parents have divorced will also see three or more subsequent parental marriage breakups.”   As author Paul Friedman says, your husband gave you his vows.  He chose you, and you chose him. He is there for you where others are not. He cares for your children as much as you do.  Isn’t that incredible on its own? You have the ideal person to learn how to love unconditionally. And I believe we all need to learn to love unconditionally before we exit this world.

As for Megan, who wrote Dear Barb, I beg you, don’t leave your husband.  Instead, try the books and course from The Marriage Foundation.  If you heed my advice, I guarantee your family will flourish—and you will realize one of your grandest life purposes: how to love unconditionally.

Otherwise, you and your loved ones suffer.

Woefully signed, Marie Well.

I totally get what you were trying to go with in the picture (especially now that I have read your explanation), however it is an off-putting picture. It didn’t stop me from reading the articles, but my mind went to “ew that’s gross!” and yes, the puppy appears cute, if you could see its face. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had two small dogs and I’ve had to clean up a lot of what’s pictured, but I just don’t think the picture belongs, relative or not. If the dog had been turned around maybe? The part of the picture that stands out most is the bottom end of the dog and the results from it. Sorry. All I can say is, good on the reader for communicating her stance and good on you to attract more feedback. We all learn from feedback whether good or bad.

All the best,

Marie L.

I think prompting the discussion made it a good thing in the end. Or perhaps that’s a poor choice of words.  -Ed. 

Imagine my surprise, when I open up an email in my browser at work to see see a photographic image of a dog defecating in the body of said email. Not that it matters, but there is no tie to the image in the adjoining content. Adding images for sensationalism, good, bad or indifferent has led us to an era, where intelligence and expected intelligence have a low valuation.

So it should come as no surprise, that I am unsubscribing to your online magazine as I’m sure the content is not worth my time, since it was not worth the editor’s time to consider the ramifications of such imagery.

Marcie E.

This evening I read an article about a women in politics meeting attended by the writer, Jaclyn van Beek. This article bothered me because it kind of came off as a contemptuous one-sided attack.

The implication was made that these issues are multifaceted, but also that the author’s views are the right ones. The snide tone implies that if the reader disagrees with the author then the reader is incapable of understanding these issues. Or, more bluntly, implies the reader is stupid.

I’m new to reading university newspapers/magazines, but I guess I expected more. More thoughtful, more substantial, and more inclusive.

What I’m getting at is, I thought the articles written by this person came off as vapid and derogatory and as an early reader I was put off by it. There should be some element to an article beyond someone’s opinion and I didn’t see that here.

On the upside, it looks like the newspaper is always looking for new contributors.

Thanks,

Sara

Hi Sara, while I agree that Jaclyn’s articles certainly have a strong viewpoint and can be an uncomfortable read for someone with the opposing view (myself included), I disagree with your assessments of the tone, implication, or that the articles were vapid or derogatory. Challenging? Absolutely. But that’s a different thing.
As a magazine “by AU students” however, inclusive, to me, means including even the opinions we don’t agree with.  That said, I would love to receive an article from someone with a point of view opposing Jaclyn’s, as I think (and you demonstrate) AU students come from all sides of the political spectrum.  -Ed.

Dear Editor;

 Hi, I just wanted to give a point of feedback on the professor who wrote that nursing assistants are using AU and doing psych 290 to upgrade to rn; we are not nurse assistants. We are licensed practical nurses and professionals in our own right already, practicing within our own scope and with our own responsibilities.

 And I for one am very proud of that.

 I am not a nurse assistant. I am a Nurse.

 Kind regards, Debbie Q., proud LPN.

  (It’s always good to avoid generalizations -Ed.)

Can the Voice help gauge the importance to AU’s broad student body of having reliable and accurate information about the dates and timing of the annual convocation ceremonies at an early date? Would knowing with certainty by the beginning of the calendar year make a difference in whether an out-of-province student will decide to attend their own graduation? These are not idle questions. They can impact on AU’s public image and the economic benefit to the community.

The diversity and geographic dispersion of AU’s student body are without parallel among Canadian universities. It means that many of those who are scheduled to graduate from AU – unlike those who reside in Alberta and can easily drive from their homes to Athabasca – must make plans for long-distance travel from elsewhere in Canada or abroad, and reserve necessary accommodation if they want to attend the convocation ceremonies. In short, the cost burden for out-of-province students is much greater than for Alberta residents. Moreover, given the wide fluctuations in travel prices depending on when bookings are made, the difference between being able to do so months in advance instead of later can be substantial.

With cost and other considerations in mind, I recently contacted AU to confirm the dates of the 2018 convocation ceremonies prior to finalizing arrangements for multi-destination travel that would include a side trip to Athabasca to attend my wife’s graduation. The response was not fruitful, and appeared dismissive.

While AU Faculty members are probably cognisant of the unique situation of their student body, those in administration may be handicapped by the absence of appropriate cognitive models and conceptual lexicon for distance education institutions. Traditionally, a “student” has been a young person, usually in full-time physical attendance at a brick and mortar institution, and in an “in loco parentis” relationship. AU is breaking new ground. It students typically “attend” virtually via electronic communication, are older, and have other primary responsibilities in addition to their university studies. In short, many are adults with responsibilities equivalent to if not surpassing those of many AU admin personnel.

Slowness in deciding and announcing the dates of convocation serves to discourage attendance at that memorable event by AU’s very broad spectrum of students, diminishing the university’s ability to publicly showcase to best advantage what it has to offer as a leader in distance, post-secondary university education. The convocation decision-makers may wish to contemplate those broader considerations when deciding their priorities and timing.

L. Lehtiniemi

Bird by Bird, by Ann Lamott (I don’t actually own this book because every time I buy one, I give it away. I think I’ve now bought 5 copies so far.)
On Writing, by Stephen King
Still Writing, by Dani Shapiro

Just thought I’d share.

Laura B.
BSc. Architecture Student

(Thanks for sharing! Agree on King, I’ll have to see if I can find Bird by Bird. -Ed.)

-Matt

AUSU staff are non-profit, not government or university workers. Overpayment isn’t generally an issue (I wish!) – Karl

Vera

I love it when we’ve inspired something in our readers! -Karl