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Carole Benner
AU Anthropology Tutor
 Haines
Alaska, 2002
Hi AUSU,
O.K., you asked for it!!
My long and "illustrious" career with Athabasca
University began in the fall of 1976 (I’m not sure that
A.U. and I agree upon this date) when an ad posted on the bulletin
board in the Anthropology Dept at The University of Calgary caught
my eye. I was an impoverished Grad student on a research scholarship.
Along with my studies I was raising a family of 5 children ranging
in age from 9-14 Yrs, hence the need for additional income. Alan
Meech interviewed and hired me, thus beginning my History with
A.U. which has encompassed tutoring, coordinator of learning services
in Calgary and other less impressive titles. My intention was
to work as a tutor until I graduated and found full time employment.
However, my pleasure in working with A.U. students in my field
led me to stay on just one more year, then another and another.
Well you see where this has led!
Like others I have complaints and dissatisfaction
with my employer, but I find this pale when I am talking to others
about Athabasca University. This university gives so many people
an opportunity to be educated and I have been fortunate to work
with many of them. Three in particular stand out.
The first, now an M.A. student in Anthropology at
McGill, became my student several years ago. He was enrolled in
Anth 334, a notorious course for several reasons, for some of
us. He phoned often, at least once or twice a week, and asked
the hardest questions. I began to dread his calls. He had an address
in southern Alberta, and he was a Francophone. Then there was
a change and his calls were coming from a Bed and Breakfast in
the Gulf Islands. What was this all about? He also had a bizarre
idea about cowboys and pastoralists. Actually it was brilliant!
I casually mentioned to him that this would make a good Masters
thesis. I and other Anth tutors have kept in touch with him over
the years and are overjoyed with his success and know that one
day he will join our ranks in anthropology.
The second outstanding student was a woman I met
while I worked in the Calgary Learning Center. She did a distance
course with me along with other courses at the CLC. This student
completed a B.Com. while working as a music teacher, and an aerobics
instructor. She did a course, on the average, of about one every
three weeks! She has gone on to complete a M.B.A. with a specialty
in managing fine arts programs and at our last contact was working
full time in her field.
The third student who stands out was not a student
of mine at all but is my eldest son, who completed a B.Comm with
A.U. and is currently on the Student Council. We often talk about
the advantages of Athabasca University and the opportunities it
gives. I have worked with many students who otherwise would not
have had the opportunity to study. These are women with small
children, seniors, who didn't have the opportunity to go to university
earlier in their life and people working full time and taking
A.U. courses in their spare time. There are countless others.
Carole and Olympic Athlete Friend
 My
colleagues and friends at A.U. are numerous. Bonnie Nahornick,
at the Calgary Learning Centre has been helpful and supportive
over the years. In fact I think we came to Athabasca University
at about the same time. Bonnie is the soul of the Calgary office
and is a most fair and kind person. Bill Gaudette, who has gone
on to other employment, a loss to Athabasca University as his
skills in reasoning and logic are outstanding. I'm sure many of
you remember Bill. I have worked closely with my coordinators,
Sheila Greaves in Calgary and Linda Dreidger, Leslie Johnson,
Tracey Lindberg, Barbara Spronk, Linda Bull and others. All have
been excellent coordinators and always available for discussions
of various kinds and I thank them for their support over the years.
Presently I am responsible for 7 courses and 100+
students. This is challenging, especially at the end of a long
day of back to back calls since students could be calling about
any course and at any point in that course. This can be confounding
at times. Despite all this, I find my work satisfying and work
with the students still rewarding.
Carole Benner
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