Marlin Schmidt

Athabasca U's future seems brighter as Saskatchewan prof named to conduct sustainability review

| January 20, 2017

Two things are abundantly clear after this morning's news conference in Athabasca University's Edmonton offices:

1. Alberta's NDP government is determined the perennially financially troubled distance education university will survive as a viable post-secondary institution
2. Athabasca University’s headquarters and the bulk of its operations will remain in the Town of Athabasca, about 130 kilometres north of Alberta’s capital city

Just how all this is to be done remains to be seen. Likewise, while it appears quite clear AU's mandate as a distance-education and open-learning institution will remain similar to what it is today, that too will have to wait for the outcome of the sustainability review that was the official reason for this morning's announcement.

Meet Alberta PC leadership candidate Richard Starke: Thoughtful, centrist, kind to animals...and thus probably doomed

David J. Climenhaga

| September 30, 2016

Somehow, in all the time I've been interested in politics in Alberta, I've never managed to meet Richard Starke, the retired veterinarian from Vermilion who announced yesterday he is running for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party.

That notwithstanding, I am obligated to inform readers that I have never, ever heard a bad thing about the man from anyone who knows him, left or right, young or old.

The PC MLA for Vermilion-Lloydminster is universally said to be honourable, thoughtful, sensible and cautiously centrist. In other words, he embodies the principles the word "conservative" used to convey.

Grim proposed Athabasca University budget to be shown faculty today projects insolvency by 2017-2018

David J. Climenhaga

| July 21, 2016

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Athabasca University Interim President Peter MacKinnon will present a grim proposed three-year budget this morning to the institution's General Faculties Council that projects growing deficits and financial insolvency by the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

Athabasca University documents suggest institution's leadership remains out of sync with Alberta's NDP government

David J. Climenhaga

| June 16, 2016

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Alberta Advanced Education Ministry now maintaining close watch on Athabasca U

David J. Climenhaga

| April 21, 2016

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Government asks Athabasca University to hold off on financial details; new minister to meet president

David J. Climenhaga

| March 3, 2016

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What's shakin' at Athabasca University? Something is, for sure.

Yesterday at lunch hour, Athabasca U interim President Peter MacKinnon emailed all staff members of the troubled distance-education university to tell them that earlier in the day he had received an "urgent request for a teleconference" from the assistant deputy minister of advanced education.

Appointment of Michael Phair as chair U of A Board of Governors sends exactly the right message

David J. Climenhaga

| February 26, 2016

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The appointment of Michael Phair as chair of the University of Alberta's Board of Governors sends exactly the right message in several ways -- about Alberta, about Alberta’s government, about the Alberta government's views on post-secondary education.

Athabasca U report on moving IT staff to Edmonton area helps explain motivation for space discussions with City of St. Albert

David J. Climenhaga

| February 18, 2016

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St. ALBERT, Alberta

Athabasca University appears to have a plan to consolidate all its Information Technology operations in the Edmonton area, according to a 2015 report on the future workspace needs at the financially troubled distance-education university.

Premier Rachel Notley introduces six new cabinet members … pretty flawlessly

David J. Climenhaga

| February 3, 2016

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Introducing her freshly shuffled cabinet at Government House yesterday morning, Premier Rachel Notley demonstrated again why she remains the Alberta NDP's greatest asset -- engaging, believable, well briefed, thoughtful and thoroughly persuasive.

The cabinet shuffle wasn't bad either.

The Original NDP 4: Deron Bilous, Brian Mason, David Eggen & Rachel Notley

Picking a cabinet is never an easy job -- it'll be tougher, with higher stakes, for Rachel Notley

David J. Climenhaga

| May 19, 2015

If the transition to Rachel Notley’s New Democratic Party government from Jim Prentice's Progressive Conservative government seems to be taking forever, presumably that's because for the first time in 44 years it really is a transition.

In other words, there's more transitioning than has been normal around here to do -- enough, it could be argued, to occupy every waking moment of an entire four-year government term.

Marlin Schmidt

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