Alberta Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides seems to have dropped his threat to cut off some or all of Athabasca University’s $41.2 million annual operating funds if the distance-learning institution fails to come up with a plan by the end of September to move 500 employees to the town of
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Alberta Politics: Despite Jason Kenney’s assurances, Athabasca University’s fate in the Town of Athabasca remains unsettled
Is the Kenney Government committed to keeping Athabasca University in the Town of Athabasca as it says? Athabasca University President Peter Scott (Photo: Athabasca University). Are the university’s board and administration ignoring the government’s orders to stay put? Signals that citizens of the community of 3,000 people 145 kilometres north
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Post-secondary review: Alberta prepares to train the workforce of yesterday, starting tomorrow!
Brace yourself for the First 10-Year Plan for the rapid modernization of post-secondary education! As a general rule, promises by highly ideological governments to enact ambitious transformational change in institutions they have targeted as hotbeds of opposition to their dogma and policies should be viewed with a certain amount of
Continue readingAlberta Politics: NDP introduces to post-secondary tuition-fee setting a measure of fairness for students
Alberta’s Legislature returned to work yesterday as Rachel Notley’s NDP Government got the ball rolling with a bill that will keep a lid on post-secondary tuition and ensure foreign students don’t get stuck with unscheduled tuition increases part way through their studies. This may be a long way from what’s
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Big changes coming to academic faculty, graduate student and postdoctoral bargaining rights in Alberta
PHOTOS: Could we someday see scenes like this one at Boston University in 1979 at an Alberta University? The late Howard Zinn, author of the People’s History of the United States (banned in Arkansas), is visible, quite naturally, I suppose, near the front on the left. (Photo from the Boston
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Government asks Athabasca University to hold off on financial details; new minister to meet president
PHOTOS: A scene from Athabasca University’s 2015 Convocation ceremony, where the honorary degrees are handed out. Below: Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt, former AU Board chair and award recipient Barry Walker, AU President Peter MacKinnon,…
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