Common sense and compromise are desperately needed here. Above all, the Minister, the Board, the university executive, and town leaders, not to mention staff and students, all need to sit down and listen to each other’s concerns and try to find a sensible working solution. Above all they need to talk to each other, not through the media.

The Alberta government’s minister in charge of post-secondary education signaled he is willing to negotiate the proposed AU residency target.

The Advanced Education ministers is ordering AU to grow in Athabasca and President Peter Scott claims that will severely hamper the university.

New Athabasca University Faculty Association president Rhiannon Rutherford is frustrated with the hypocrisy being flung out into the media by Athabasca University president Dr. Peter Scott following an Aug. 5 video posted as a response to Minister of Advance Education Demetrios Nicolaides.

President gives unsanctioned speech crying foul.

Alberta should be proud of its unique university, not making life difficult for it, as it has so often done. But the university may need to compromise too, otherwise it could be looking for a new President soon.

Alberta’s Advanced Education minister says he is willing to help Athabasca University to relocate 500 employees to the small town that’s the school’s namesake, but says the school has not stepped up.

What’s up with Athabasca University? Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has threatened to cut off much of the 52-year-old Alberta institution’s funding if it won’t drop plans to move most of its operations into cyberspace from the rural town that serves as its nominal home base.

Athabasca University had planned to move to what it calls 'near-virtual' operations. Alberta's government wants them to halt that move.

AU President Peter Scott can't understand why Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides is demanding his school be the key economic driver for the Athabasca region.

Advanced education minister demands new plan by Sept. 30

The report submitted by Athabasca University “did not answer the questions asked by the government and did not provide a clear timeline or plan to locate senior government functions in the city” per Minister Nicolaides.

Athabasca University says it will consider the government’s latest demand but has not committed to complying with it.

The Alberta government has upped the ante in its fight with Athabasca University, directing the online-oriented school to get busy making sure more staff work in the small northern town or risk losing millions of dollars in funding.

The Alberta government has upped the ante in its fight with Athabasca University, directing the online-oriented school to get busy making sure more staff work in the small northern town or risk losing millions of dollars in funding.

Dr. Peter Scott took the position of president at Athabasca University with the understanding it would be moving toward a near- or full-virtual strategy under his tenure but those plans may have come to an abrupt halt after Advanced Education minister Demetrios Nicolaides ordered the institution to go back to allowing staff to work in offices instead of home and 100 per cent of executive must be working full time out of the Athabasca campus.

Post-secondary Learning Act

ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY AMENDMENT REGULATION

1 The Athabasca University Regulation (AR 50/2004) is amended by this Regulation.

2 The following is added after section 3(2)(b):

(c) the Lieutenant Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister, appoint 2 or more members who are residents of the Town of Athabasca or Athabasca County.

3 The following is added after section 6:

Location

6.1 The exercise by the board of any right, power or privilege of a board is subject to the condition that the Town of Athabasca is established and maintained as the primary location of Athabasca University.

Just weeks after being appointed as the new chair of the Athabasca University (AU) Board of Governors, Byron Nelson got the grand tour of the campus and the Athabasca area by Athabasca Mayor Rob Balay and Athabasca County Reeve Brian Hall.