Congratulations Graduates!

Today is a big day for many of our members, and AUSU wants them to know that we are all proud of their accomplishment. As you walk down the aisle, our thoughts will be with you -- and, we'll be watching the podcast on the AU site! (Just go to the AU home page and look for the convocation link in the lower left. Podcasts will air Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 11:45 a.m., MST). Don't forget to look for our AUSU reps on the grounds. Sarah will be there with our videographer capturing footage of the day and the grounds, and interviewing grads. Heather will be handing out a custom made copper stick pin with our grad logo, to each new grad. Huma and Bethany will be enjoying their own graduation days, and Sandra, our Voice Editor, will be taking photos and doing interviews as well. Look for the AUSU hoodies (Ok, that makes us sound like a gang, but they are bamboo hoodies, so it's more like a yoga gang :). Hoodies will be for sale on this site shortly!).

Student Software Discounts

AU may not have an on site software store like other schools, but you can still get deep student discounts on software, computers and more. AUSU has teamed with Journey Ed to help our members access educational versions of software, and, by using our affiliate links, you will be helping to support AUSU and keep your students' union fees lowest in the country.

AUSU Orientation Meetings - last day of each month!

Council holds monthly orientation/chat sessions via teleconference where all members are welcome to phone in to ask questions, chat with council, and get to know us a little. There is no formal agenda for these meetings, and phoning in is free! Meetings are on the last day of every month at 6:00 pm MST. These are drop-in meetings, so feel free to come in part way through and leave as you like. To join us, dial 1-800-801-6404, and dial code 294395# (ignore the message stating that student observers will be muted!). This line is not international -- if you live overseas, please contact our office at e-mail to book a line, at least 2 days in advance. Thank you.

AUSU Career Link

The AUSU Career Link is up and running, and employers will begin posting opportunities over the coming weeks. Students seeking work or career options should post their resumes on the system, so employers can find you. We will be sending information to employment agencies across Canada to make sure that employers know that AU has many experienced, mature students with exceptional skills and the ability to learn on their own. If you haven't checked it out yet, visit our career link website today and get your career search started! Please drop us a line to tell us what other career services you would like to see over the coming year -- we're just getting started.

Annual Report 2009, with the 2007/08 audited financials

The AUSU Annual Report contains the audited financial statements of AUSU for the previous year, plus our annual activity report and messages from the executives. Our AGM for this year is complete, and we thank everyone who attended.

Read the 2009 Annual Report in web resolution (smaller, 2 meg file).
Read the 2009 Annual Report in print resolution (larger, 6.5 meg file).

2008 Tuition, Education and Textbook Amounts Certificate

Update from Athabasca University Financial Services: AU Financial Services is pleased to announce that the official 2008 Tuition, Education and Textbook Tax Credit Certificate (T2202A) forms will be available on-line by the end of February to all eligible students. The forms will not be mailed out and instead are on-line in printable format for all students to access. Please visit AU's web site at www.athabascau.ca for further details on obtaining your tuition, education and textbook tax credit information for your 2008 tax return.

SmartDraw, a $297 software value, free for one year for AUSU members

AUSU has updated its licence for SmartDraw so that users can upgrade to the 2009 edition! To access this deal and find out more, log in to this site (AUSU members only) and then click here. If you are an AU undergrade who has not yet set up an account on our site, select the registration link from the login box.

SmartDraw allows you to create a wide range of graphics for your assignments and submit them electronically in a Word file. You can also place your graphics in Excel or PowerPoint files, or export them as TIF, GIF, or JPEG files to make a web graphic or even a logo. Just a few of the graphics you can make include venn diagrams, genetics charts, graphs, organizational and flow charts, and Gantt charts. For any course that requires charts that cannot be easily created in Word or Excel, this should be a real time saver and make it easier to submit all portions of an assigment by email. Remember, though, that you should always check with your tutor to find out if there is a specific format they prefer. Your tutor does not have to have SmartDraw to view these graphics, however. Installations under this program are good for one year. The package includes both the Standard and Health Care editions of SmartDraw.

AUSU Merchandise for Sale

Due to a high demand for AUSU merchandise, and delays in setting up our online store, we have put together a quick catalogue with a few items we have in stock now. To download it in pdf, click here and save the file to your desktop. Shipping costs will be calculated per order and we'll let you know by phone or email. We are only accepting credit card orders at this time, unless you are able to visit our Edmonton office. Please excuse the poor quality of the product photos. These will be improved shortly. More product will be available soon. Suggestions are welcome

AUSU Frappr - we're all over the world!

Join our map and show us where you are. Please view our map and if it's your first visit, read through the posting information. Please email our webmaster if you have any questions. Enjoy!

AUSU members have the option of purchasing Health, Dental and Travel Insurance at student rates. The Campus Value Custom Plan is offered through Ingle International and Imagine Financial, and is available to students in most locations across Canada. If your location or age group is not listed on the rate sheets, or if you want additional coverage not included in the plan, please contact the insurer to find out about more options available to AUSU members. For more information on the plan and all contact information, see the full page story in our newsletter (link below), or visit our health plan webpage, here. Exclusive for AUSU members: AUSU members (aged 44 and under) who sign up to this program within 30 days of enrolment are guaranteed coverage.