On November 21, 2024, President Jan Lehmann initiated the AUSU council meeting on Zoom at 6:01 PM Mountain Time. AUSU Councillors Tammy Monro and Aiza Nazarmatova were absent. This meeting focused on AU Strategic Plan 2024-2029, AUSU Financial Support, AUSU Tuition Advocacy, AUSU Events & Projects and AUSU committee appointments. The November 21, 2024 council meeting agenda, the October 8, 2024, council minutes and the October 8, 2024 Executive By-Election were approved unanimously.
2024-2029 AU Strategic Plan Discussion
Athabasca University (AU) ‘s current five-year strategic plan highlights three core values: access, opportunity, and community, with a slogan of “a university like no other”. However, the student council revealed a wide range of perspectives with mixed feelings on the plan.
Vice-President Community and Wellness (VPCW) Olivia Shepherd questioned the tangible impact of slogans like “access like no other” in light of current challenges, such as high tuition fees and inadequate resources for community-building. “We’re paying an insane amount of money to teach ourselves through a textbook,” she said, emphasizing the disconnect between the university’s claims of accessibility and students’ lived experiences.
Councillor Faustina Arsenault describes the strategic plan as an “ad” meant to persuade rather than deliver real change, highlighting systemic issues like delays in accommodations and limited institutional support. She emphasizes “Just because you can do it at 24/7 anytime of the day. It doesn’t mean you’re accessible. I’m sorry.”
Vice-President Finance and Administration (VPFA) Diana Ramirez echoed VPCW Olivia Shepherd’s frustration, describing her own struggles navigating AU’s online education. However, she mentioned she had met the president of AU in person. “He really cares about students. His vision really shows in this strategic plan,” Diana said.
Councillor and Indigenous Circle Voice Neenah Brown expressed profound disappointment in the strategic plan. She questioned its authenticity, describing it as overly “wordy” and she said, “I’ve yet to see any action”, calling for concrete measures to support Indigenous students. VPCW Olivia Shepherd also pointed out that “the Cree language courses have been closed for four years with no sign of them reopening” and inadequate awareness of existing ethical and cultural space. These shortcomings, she argued, undermine AU’s commitment to indigenization and inclusivity.
Throughout the discussion, student leaders repeatedly called for greater accountability and transparency from AU’s administration. Vice-President External (VPEX) Chimaraoke Akuchie stated, “Each year, we get a strategic plan, but there’s no way to track what’s been implemented”. Both VPCW Olivia Shepherd and VPEX Chimaraoke Akuchie proposed setting up meetings with senior leadership to demand timelines and measurable outcomes for the strategic plan’s initiatives.
Despite the critiques, President Jan Lehmann ended this discussion with a positive acknowledgement. “The spirit is there!” she said, she endorsed the administration’s efforts to invest in financial aid and technological improvements. She called on the council to remain optimistic and support the university’s efforts, even as they continue to advocate for meaningful changes.
AUSU Financial Support
President Jan Lehmann highlighted the launch of the President’s Task Force on Financial Support for Students, which aims to improve AU’s accessibility and responsiveness to financial support.
The task force’s objectives include:
- Developing short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations to address financial challenges.
- Prioritizing equity, diversity, and inclusion in financial support processes.
- Producing a concise report within one month, including actionable recommendations for immediate and strategic improvements.
AUSU Tuition Advocacy
VPEX Chimaraoke Akuchie provided a detailed update on ongoing external engagements and advocacy efforts. His report touched on workshops and preparations for the upcoming Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) Advocacy Week, discussions with educational stakeholders, and consultations with students regarding a proposed tuition increase. VPEX Chimaraoke Akuchie expressed concerns over the proposed 2% tuition hike, emphasizing the lack of consideration for the student perspective in decision-making.
VPCW Olivia Shepherd clarified that the tuition increase proposal has not yet been formally adopted and still requires approval from the Board of Governors. She encouraged continued advocacy, noting that the rationale provided for the increase—primarily cost recovery due to declining enrollment—places undue burden on students. Olivia stressed the importance of pushing AU to find alternative budget solutions instead of relying on tuition hikes.
VPFA Ramirez added that inflation and salary adjustments were cited as justifications for the proposal. She also voiced concerns about the overworked tutors and the impact this has on student support and academic relationships, and then reaffirmed AUSU’s commitment to attending upcoming meetings to advocate on behalf of students and support overburdened tutors.
VPEX Akuchie reiterated the importance of amplifying student voices, even as the likelihood of immediate change remains uncertain. “We’ll keep on advocating and see if, one way or another, students can be heard,” VPEX Akuchie concluded.
AUSU Event & Project Highlight
VPCW Olivia Shepherd highlighted the success of a recent AUSU speaker series featuring AU’s English professor Dr. Paul Huebener, who shared insights from his recently published book. “I don’t think there was a single person who attended who didn’t get involved in the conversation,” she noted.
VPCW Olivia Shepherd also shared progress on the Wellness Passport, a project under the Member Engagement and Communications Committee. After overcoming design hurdles, she confirmed the initiative is nearing completion and will be ready for discussion in upcoming meetings.
Approval of Committee Appointments
The motions to appoint Annette Karien as a voting member of the awards committee and reinstate Neenah Brown as a voting member of the EDI and Finance Committees were presented and unanimously passed without discussion.
The updated Award, EDI, and Finance committee members are:
Awards Committee
Committee Chair:
- Diana Ramirez (AUSU Vice President of Finance and Administration)
Voting Members:
- Annette Karien (AUSU Councillor)
- Faustina Arsenault (AUSU Councillor)
- Melanie Rousseau (AUSU Councillor)
- Tammy Monro (AUSU Councillor)
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Committee Chair:
- Olivia Shepherd(AUSU Vice President of Community and Wellness)
Voting Members:
- Aiza Nazarmatova (AUSU Councillor)
- Annette Karien (AUSU Councillor)
- Chimaraoke Akuchie (AUSU Councillor)
- Faustina Arsenault (AUSU Councillor)
- Kari Thompson (AUSU Councillor)
- Neenah Brown (AUSU Councillor and Indigenous Circle Voice)
- Amanda Leeman (Member-at-Large)
- Amol Hirole (Member-at-Large)
Finance Committee
Committee Chair:
- Diana Ramirez (AUSU Vice President of Finance and Administration)
Voting Members:
- Annette Karien (AUSU Councillor)
- Kari Thompson (AUSU Councillor)
- Tammy Monro (AUSU Councillor)
- Neenah Brown (AUSU Councillor and Indigenous Circle Voice)
- Halen Deng (Member-at-Large)
- Nimmi Mathew (Member-at-Large)
The meeting was adjourned at 6:53 PM and the next meeting of AUSU Council will be on December 19, 2024. If you are interested in attending the AUSU Council meeting on Zoom, or if you have any questions about the AUSU Council meeting, contact governance@ausu.org.
