40th anniversary of Athabasca University

June 25, 2010

Athabasca University was officially founded 40 years ago today.

The university was established by order in council of the Government of Alberta on June 25, 1970. The first AU course, World Ecology, was offered in 1973, and AU's first Convocation, for two graduates, was held in 1977. The university achieved self-governing status as Alberta's fourth public university on April 12, 1978

Originally conceived as a traditional campus-based institution, AU was tasked with exploring new procedures in curriculum and instruction.

"I think we can safely say the university has succeeded in that mandate," says Dr. Frits Pannekoek, president of Athabasca University. "Many years ago, we embraced the open access concept, and have developed it over the past 40 years to the point where we are now considered world leaders in open and distance education. It's a long way to come in four decades, and it's all due to the quality of the faculty, our other staff and, of course, our students."

Athabasca University serves more than 38,000 students annually, offering more than 700 courses in 90 undergraduate and graduate programs. Students from across Canada, and 84 countries around the world, take AU programs and courses in arts, science and professional disciplines.
More than 74% of Athabasca University graduates are the first in their families to earn a university degree.

 

< back to news

Updated August 21, 2012