AUSU News

How to find out more about the Candidates? 

Election Results?

The election debates for the 2018 AUSU general election are complete and they were a great success! If you missed the debates, you can access them online here:

• February 20 Election Debate
• February 22 Election Debate
• February 24 Election Debate

To find out more about the election and view the candidate biographies, visit our website here.

You can also find out more and ask the candidates question on our online forum here.

The election voting period is February 28 to March 6. Remember to check your email and cast your ballot for the candidates you want to represent you for the next two years!

If you have any questions, please contact the election CRO, Jacqueline Keena, at [email protected].

AUSU is holding a general election in February 2018. The call for nominations period was from January 26 to February 7, and we are pleased to announce we have 15 nominees!

To find out more about each candidate, just click on their name! Feel free to ask questions in each candidates blog page! (Note: Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name).

• Sarah Blayney Lew (Kingston, ON)
• Sandra Boivin (Montreal, QC)
• Brittany T.M. Daigle (Toronto, ON)
• Natasha Donahue (Barrhead, AB)
• Darcie Fleming (Lethbridge, AB)
• Melinda Goertz (Athabasca, AB)
• Christine Hudder (Palmer Rapids, ON)
• Amanda Lipinski (Prince George, BC)
• Alice Namu (Toronto, ON)
• Lisa Oracheski (Edmonton, AB)
• Lionel Pinkhard (South Africa)
• Joshua Ryan (Orleans, ON)
• Brandon Simmons (Duffield, AB)
• Mark Teeninga (Stoney Creek, ON)
• Julian Teterenko (Edmonton, AB)

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Do you want a great opportunity to get involved with your AU Students’ Union, a chance to advocate and represent your fellow students, and gain some great experience? 

Nominations are now being accepted for AUSU’s 2018 General Election! 

There are 13 council seats available. You can run for council no matter where you live – AUSU work is primarily done remotely, and meetings are by teleconference.

AUSU councillors guide and direct the organization through its mission, vision, and values. Councillors attend council and committee meetings by teleconference, develop strategic plans and an annual budget, and more. You can find out more about councillor responsibilities in AUSU Policy 2.14 Councillor Responsibility and Honoraria.

In addition, following the general election, the three executive positions will be internally elected from the new councillors-elect. Continue Reading

*Note: The proposed fee increase motion was defeated. The minutes from the January 15 council meeting will be posted shortly. Council agrees that a fee increase will be necessary, but is going to do some more research to ensure an informed decision is made. 

AUSU council will be voting on the first reading of a proposed student fee increase during the January 15, 2018 council meeting. Council understands that any increase in fees is of concern to students, and AUSU council takes any fee increase very seriously. However, they also recognize the value of continuing to make improvement to the organization to bring quality services and resources to the membership.

A great deal of consideration and research has been put into the potential fee increase. Although AUSU always has and will continue to advocate for the lowest possible fees for post-secondary students, there are important reasons why a student union fee increase is being considered at this time.

Over the past few years, AUSU has worked to bring increased services, representation, and advocacy to the AUSU membership, as well as enhanced communications, transparency, and additional governance efforts. AUSU will continue to work to enhance its governance model, ensure broader representation on council, and a wider perspective on behalf of AUSU members.Continue Reading

The Athabasca University Students’ Union is currently accepting applications to fill the role of Chief Returning Officer (CRO) for our upcoming 2018 General Election.

Application Deadline: Monday, January 1, 2018

The CRO, working with AUSU staff, is responsible for monitoring all aspects of the election process, including but not limited to:

• accepting nominations;
• verifying the eligibility of nominees;
• informing candidates of campaign policy;
• enforcing campaign policy;
• accepting votes;
• confirming voter eligibility;
• confirming ballot counts from electronic voting system;
• reporting election results to council; and
• conducting any election appeals, unless the CRO is the subject of the appeal.

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A recent announcement from the Government of Alberta has extended the current tuition freeze in this province through the 2018-2019 academic year.

This decision will directly benefit AU students residing in Alberta; as it means that domestic tuition will remain stable for another year and that the provincial government has made affordable and accessible education for post-secondary students a priority.

AUSU is pleased to see that the government is prioritizing students here in Alberta, but we are concerned about the impact of an Alberta tuition freeze for AU students who reside outside of this province.  Additionally, while the announcement has pledged up to $17million in backfill funding to institutions, student services and educational quality are at risk when revenue is limited.Continue Reading

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AUSU will be hosting some Facebook Live Events! Join your AUSU executives in some great discussions about AU, balancing commitments, tips on how to succeed, and more!

Post a comment or question on the topics discussed during one of the three Facebook Live events listed below for a chance to win a sweet AUSU prize pack!

Come visit AUSU live at facebook.com/AthaUSU during the sessions listed below. Participate in the session and your name will be entered into a prize draw. Must be an AUSU member to win a prize.

Monday, October 23 at 12pm MT

Topics: Secrets for studying online, ways to balance your commitments such as family, work, school, etc.

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Overview:

Under the direction of the Executive Director, the Governance and Advocacy Coordinator is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Athabasca University Students’ Union (AUSU) governance and advocacy initiatives and strategies in order to enhance the overall experience of undergraduate students at Athabasca University. The Governance and Advocacy Coordinator will support the AUSU council in the development and maintenance of our bylaws, policies, and procedures, in order to ensure a solid governance structure to which the organization will adhere to.

AUSU is a statutory corporation, established by the Post-Secondary Learning Act of Alberta, representing the undergraduate students of Athabasca University. AUSU works to ensure the members receive an enhanced, quality educational experience. Our primary role for our members is advocacy – both for individual students and our membership as a whole.

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