Service standards
Please note that AU is experiencing higher than normal inquiry volumes. We are committed to providing exceptional service to every AU learner, so we appreciate your patience as we strive to maintain and exceed our published service level standards.
Expect the best
Athabasca University recognizes that students need efficient academic and administrative service. To ensure that learners receive the attention needed to succeed, we have developed a comprehensive set of service level standards.
These standards are provided by Athabasca University to:
- determine if the service standard is being met;
- determine who to contact for follow-up; and
- determine when to involve the Ombuds Office.
Have more questions? Ask AU!
If you have any questions, we encourage you to use Ask AU, our online self-help resource available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you’re still unable to find answers, you can use Ask AU to submit a service request – simply follow the prompts on the website.
General information service standards
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) |
|---|---|---|
| Response to voicemail | 1 business day | Information Centre Phone: |
| Response to email | 2 business days | |
| Telephone response time | 3 minutes during working hours | |
| General inquiry processing | 2 business days | |
| Resolution or referral of problem/query | Immediately during working hours |
Faculty of Business online student support
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) |
|---|---|---|
| Student Support Centre – acknowledge, resolve, refer query | 1 business day | Manager of Student Support Services, |
Faculty of Graduate Studies
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) |
|---|---|---|
| Response to voicemail | 2 business days | For graduate award-related inquiries, contact fgsawards@athabascau.ca. For all other inquiries, contact fgs@athabascau.ca |
| Response to email | 2 business days | |
| Acknowledgement of Dissertation/Thesis Submission | 2 business days |
Administrative service standards
General
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response to voicemail | 1 business day | Office of the Registrar Phone: Please ask to speak with the coordinator responsible for the requested service. Email: registrar@athabascau.ca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response to email | 1 business day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transfer credit query | 1 business day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Library services standards
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) |
|---|---|---|
| Response to voicemail | 1 business day | Library Information Desk Phone: Email: library@athabascau.ca |
| Response to email | 1 business day | |
| Information desk response | 1 business day | |
| Library materials* | 1 business day | |
| Borrowing period | 4 weeks | |
| Information search | 2 business days | |
| Process interlibrary loan (ILL) | 3 business days | Interlibrary Loans Supervisor Phone: |
| Redistribution of ILL material to student | Varies with lender |
* International students should expect to use library materials that are already in digital format, such as online journals, databases, and web resources.
Ombuds Office services
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) |
|---|---|---|
| Ombuds response | 1 business day | Ombuds Office Phone: Email: ombuds@athabascau.ca |
| Ombuds resolution | Variable; subject to inquiry investigation |
Learning resources service standards
General
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) |
|---|---|---|
| Response to voicemail | 1 business day | Distributor/warehouse supervisor Phone: Email: cmat@athabascau.ca |
| Response to email | 1 business day | |
| Learning resources inquiry | 1 business day | |
| Learning resources replacement | ||
| - North America | 5 business days | |
| - International | up to 2 months | |
| Process return - North America - International | 5 business days 1 month | |
| Student waiting for course materials | Maximum of 1 month |
Learner support services
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) |
|---|---|---|
| Advising Acknowledge voicemail and email | 3 business days | Coordinator, Advising Services Phone: Email: advising@athabascau.ca |
| Advising appointment program planning tools | Within 1 business week | |
| Counselling Acknowledge voicemail and email | 1 business day | Coordinator, Counselling Services Phone: Email: counselling@athabascau.ca |
| Counselling appointment (urgent) | Immediate on a business day | |
| Counselling appointment (general) | Within 1 business week | |
| Accessibility Services Response to voicemail | 2 business days | Professional Services Coordinator, Phone: Email: asd@athabascau.ca |
| Response to email | 3 business days | |
| Response to general inquiries | 5 business days |
Undergraduate academic support standards
| Service | Standard | Contact (if standard not met) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial contact by individualized-study tutor or academic expert | Within 2 weeks of start date | Learning Services Tutorial Phone: Email: tutserv@athabascau.ca |
| Response to voice mail by individualized-study tutor or academic expert | 2 business days | |
| Response to email by individualized study tutor or academic expert | 2 business days | |
| Acknowledgement of receipt of emailed assignment | 2 business days | |
| Acknowledgement of receipt of assignment via regular mail | 2 business days from receipt | |
| Marking of electronically submitted assignment (when single sent) | 7-8 business days from date assignment uploaded to course website or sent by email | |
| Marking of electronically submitted assignments | 5 additional business days for each remaining assignment | |
| Marking of assignments mailed by post | 5 business days from receipt by marker, this does not include the time it takes assignment to arrive by post mail/courier |
|
| Electronically submitted exams for marking | 7-10 business days from write date | |
| Exam marking for paper based exams | 5 business days from receipt by marker, this does not include the time it takes exam to arrive by postal mail/courier | |
| Assignment/exam remarked by different tutor | 10 business days | |
| Academic appeal (in writing) | ||
| - North America | 1 month | |
| - International | 2 months | |
Do not send assignments by any method that requires a signature of acceptance by a tutor (e.g. courier), as this will delay response time.
Please Note: although the university is open 12 months of the year, tutors and academic experts/markers are entitled to vacation time. Should your academic expert/marker be away, an alternate academic expert/marker will available to support you. Tutors, on the other hand, may be away and not available to provide tutorial support for up to 9 business days. For any tutor leave of 10 or more business days, an alternate tutor will be available to support you. Please be advised that service standards may be extended by 5 business days.
Updated June 26, 2024 by Digital & Web Operations (web_services@athabascau.ca)