Climenhaga, D. (2022) Minister’s demand substantially unchanged on move of Athabasca University executives, many staff, to town 145 kilometres north of Edmonton, Albertapolitics.ca, August 27
Four days from now, on August 31, the Board of Athabasca University must decide whether to accede to the Alberta government’s threat that all nine executives and up to 500 staff must live in the town of Athabasca, or it will cut its operational funding.
On the one side, we have President Peter Scott (Wyatt Earp) and the AU staff (Doc Halliday) and on the other the Alberta Government (the Clanton-McClaury gang) – or is it the other way round? Who will blink first? Who will be left dead on the ground?
Hopefully, it won’t come to this. The government and Board will accept some sort of compromise. Peter Scott will keep his job. The town will get a small boost in income from a few extra residents and some indirect government aid. The government can claim it is saving small towns across Alberta.
But a gunfight still looks more likely. It is, after all, Alberta.
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
