We’ve been celebrating convocation since 1977! See how the annual tradition has changed over the years
Athabasca University’s (AU) first convocation ceremony took place in 1977 with a graduating class of two. The ceremony featured a president’s installation, graduation, and a film premiere all in one event!
Over the years, as our graduating classes have grown, so too have our convocation ceremonies. This year, 1,950 grads will receive AU parchments as part of the Class of 2024, one of the largest in the university’s history.
Convocation 2024 also marks an exciting return to AU’s home community of Athabasca, making for a celebration like no other!
Check out this snapshot of AU history from convocation through the years!
In 1975, AU was granted permanent status as a university and allowed to grant degrees. The university held its first convocation ceremony in 1977. The event not only celebrated graduates of that year’s class but also the installation of Dr. W.A. “Sam” Smith, who joined AU as president in 1976. The image above is from the inside cover of the 1977 convocation program and features the original AU logo in a teal pattern.
Neil Henry (right) places a convocation hood on the shoulders of a university graduate circa 1980. Henry served several roles at AU over the years, including registrar and as vice-president of university services. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
Convocation is not just a celebration for AU graduates but for their families as well. Since the first ceremony in 1977 to the present day, families have been a huge part of convocation, as was the case in 1980 when this photo was taken of a grad and his family. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
Convocation festivities, especially early in AU’s history, often included a dinner and dance following the ceremonies, as was the case in this photo, taken circa 1980. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
A graduate crosses the stage to receive their degree in this photo, taken circa 1981. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
AU’s founding colours were blue and green, as shown here in this photo circa 1984. Though AU’s brand colours are now dark blue and orange, the original blue and green can still be seen on AU’s coat of arms. The colours reference AU’s connection to central and northern Alberta and local rivers and forests. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
Former AU dean Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd (right) stands with staffer Randi Allan prior to convocation ceremonies circa 1995. Murgatroyd was dean of the university’s former Faculty of Administrative Studies and the founding director of the Centre for Innovative Management. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
Convocation is a special time for any university graduate but for many distance learners at AU, it has also been an opportunity to meet classmates from every corner of the country—sometimes for the very first time. In this photo, taken around 1986, graduates join hands in celebration. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
A graduate, presumably a mother, holds a baby and a degree parchment following convocation ceremonies circa 1984. Today, 66% of undergraduate students and 77% of graduate students are women, many of whom choose AU for the flexibility of programs and work-life balance. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
The kneeling stool, shown here in this photo from around 1986, is a ceremonial tradition at convocation ceremonies. The practice of kneeling during degree hooding originated in England late in the 15th century. During the ceremony, the draped hood is taken from the student’s arm and, while the student is kneeling, placed over their head, resting on the shoulders.
AU graduates celebrate convocation under a tent at AU campus in Athabasca in this undated photo, likely from the 1990s. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
The Athabasca University Mace is displayed prominently at every convocation. Created by Métis artist Brian Clark, the mace symbolizes the traditional talking stick commonly used by many Indigenous Peoples to express the authority and power of the group.
Members of the Yellow Ribbon Dancers perform at convocation in 2006. The group helped celebrate the Honorary Doctor of Letters awarded to Marie Smallface-Marule, and the Order of Athabasca presented to Herb Belcourt. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
A view from inside the charter bus transporting graduates from Edmonton to Athabasca for convocation in 2015.
A new AU graduate celebrates convocation in 2015 with her proud family.
Programs from convocation in 2015.
An AU graduate signs a poster celebrating his graduating class.
Retired RCMP Cpl. and bagpiper Ted Soltys leads the procession at a convocation ceremony at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex. Soltys is a familar face at convocation and has led the procession for several years.
A video crew films a graduate getting ready for ceremonies inside the Athabasca Regional Multiplex in 2017.
Dr. Neil Fassina, who served as AU president from 2016 until 2021, gives high fives to graduates of the Class of 2018. Fassina made it a tradition to high five all graduates before they crossed the stage.
AU’s oldest-ever graduate, Louisa Daley, celebrates convocation and her Bachelor of General Studies in 2018 at the age of 93. It was Daley’s second degree from the university, where she studied at for a remarkable 34 years! She passed away in 2021.
A group of Master of Nursing graduates celebrate their special day during a ceremony in 2018. For many grads, convocation is the first time they meet their classmates in person.
For most of its history, AU convocation ceremonies have been held in 1 of 2 locations: Edmonton, the university’s first home, and Athabasca, the institution's home since 1984. That changed in 2019 when the threat of wildfires in north-central Alberta prompted moving ceremonies to Red Deer.
Members of ASANI sing and perform drums during opening ceremonies at convocation in Westerner Park Exhibition Hall in Red Deer in 2019.
Canadian icon Rick Hansen address graduands after receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from AU in 2019. The “man in motion” is known for his year-long trek around the world in a wheelchair in support of spinal cord research, and for his advocacy for people with disabilities and issues such as accessibility.
AU marked its 50th anniversary in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down much of Alberta, Canada, and the world that spring, in-person convocation ceremonies shifted to online for the safety of participants. This photo shows the platform party—wearing masks and spaced 2 metres apart—on stage at a recording of the convocation ceremony that was later broadcasted to the graduates.
A lone organist plays during the convocation ceremony in 2020. The broadcast was recorded at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton.
Dr. Matthew Prineas, provost and vice-president academic, delivers an address at convocation in 2022. Parts of the program were pre-recorded from a state-of-the-art studio in Edmonton so that graduates could tune into the ceremonies from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.
Wanda Dalla Costa (centre) receives an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from AU President Dr. Alex Clark at convocation in 2023. Dalla Costa is a respected architect from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta.
A group of convocation guests cheer heartily as their family member crosses the convocation stage in 2023.
