Athabasca University turns 50!
2020 marks an important milestone for Athabasca University (AU), as we celebrate our 50th anniversary.
We’ve come a long way from the development of our first three courses, World Ecology: The Scientific Context, Ancient Roots of the Modern World, and Introduction to the Study of Human Communities which comprised a package of print and other materials and were supported by telephone tutorial service.
Just two years later we changed course and began exploring new ways of delivering post-secondary education to students anywhere, any time. We pioneered the use of computers to deliver online courses and we have continued to redefine the post-secondary learning landscape ever since. Today we offer 950 online courses to more than 42,000 learners around the world.
We’re excited to kick off a year of celebration with the theme Beyond 50. This year we will acknowledge our past, but more importantly, look toward the future and imagine what AU will be like in the next 50 years.
Join us in celebrating our 50th by staying engaged with all things AU. Plan to attend the great events we’ll be hosting throughout the year (stay tuned!), and share your AU story. We’ve had thousands of learners throughout the years, and we would love to receive your special stories, memories, or updates. Send us an email at communications@athabascau.ca, we can’t wait to celebrate Beyond 50 with you!
