A year ago I visited the Athabasca University campus for the first time, to attend Convocation 2001. It was an inspiring experience, one that motivated me to write my very first article for the Voice. I was profoundly touched by the formality of the ceremony and the personal experiences related by the graduates, and it… Read more »
Dear Sandra, I am in my second semester at AU and I love the courses and all my tutors. I decided to quit working full-time and devote myself entirely to school and this is where my problem comes in; I desperately miss having co-workers to interact with daily. Besides the minimal contact I have with… Read more »
CLASSIFIED SPACE: Students of AU may print classifieds in The Voice free of charge (maximum three per issue) as long as they are not representing a company or product. Classified ads must follow the direct guidelines and ethics stated in the Voice Policy and should be submitted to the editor at voice@ausu.org with “?CLASSIFIED AD’… Read more »
A local, free-paper film reviewer wrote about the newest version of Planet of the Apes and I was foolish enough to believe the reviewer’s trashing of Mark Wahlberg and the film. The reviewer said it was a clone of the original film shot by shot and word for word! My husband decided after seeing the… Read more »
I’ve always found it humorous that tourists to Canada make assumptions about Canadian way of life – -both the way we live and the environment in which we live. I grew up in rural towns, and wildlife and forests were not such a novelty; we respected the more harsh aspects of our living conditions, and… Read more »
Recently there has been some discussion over whether students should provide free promotional support to the university for the purpose of securing affiliations with other universities, or for any other purpose that increases business for the university. Personally, I have been puzzled by the debate. I had thought that most students are happy to promote… Read more »
Earlier this year I wrote an article called “?Writing Fiction to Improve Your Non-Fiction Prose’ that appeared in the June 26, 2002, Volume 10 Issue 24 of The Voice. As a special Halloween inclusion into the paper, I would like to share with you the results of one of my own fiction writing efforts, a… Read more »
Television is a chewing gum for the eyes. -Frank Lloyd Wright April 22-28, 2002 marked the eighth annual TV-Turnoff Week. During this week, people are encouraged to turn off the television and do other activities. Recent studies point out that Canadians are more sedentary than ever. Health experts blame television, computers, parcel pickups and drive… Read more »
Do you know why gravity holds you to the earth? It is because you are falling towards the centre of the earth’s mass. It is actually a little more complex than that because the earth spins very quickly, and it also is falling around the sun. In turn, the sun itself spins, and it too… Read more »
They say she was a gypsy. I’m fairly certain she wasn’t a spy. Her birth certificate says she was born in Alberta. But the year is scratched out. She had this thick Russian accent. And a distinctively folksy Slavic farmer chic about her. She wore a purple babushka, kept a flask of vodka in her… Read more »
Snow – some say you either love it or hate it. As most Canadians probably agree, there’s a little bit of both love and hate in our relationship with the great fluffy white. A look out the window at the first snowfall, or a magical early winter evening, with the first flakes lit up by… Read more »
Society’s ever-increasing need to “super size” everything is perpetuating greediness. Do we really need everything to be super sized? What was wrong with the old size? Who told the manufacturers to make everything bigger? The profit-driven companies of North America are making money from super sizing everything from fast food to vehicles to houses. If… Read more »
In the last century, the human race has made stunning scientific advances. One of the newest, most controversial of these is genetic engineering. It is an awesome power, but one that humanity is not mature enough to possess. Morally and medically, human cloning is too risky, and the human race too prone to selfishness, for… Read more »
The issue of striking teachers is not one untouched upon. Listening to the radio this afternoon, many were made aware that human beings can be the most ignorant species on the planet. A girl in grade nine phoned in to make known a rally she’d be involved in to protest the striking teachers. Her argument… Read more »
“Where can I buy clothes that aren’t made in sweatshops?” is probably the question we at MSN are asked most frequently, over e-mail, by phone and, quite often, in person. Especially during the holiday season. It’s a fair enough question, but to date there are no easy answers. Boycotting particular countries or brands doesn’t necessarily… Read more »
The Alberta Child Health Benefit (ACHB) provides children in low-income families with free: · Dental care · Prescription drugs · Eyewear · Emergency ambulance services · Essential diabetic supplies More families are now eligible for coverage through the ACHB because of increased income eligibility levels, which took effect July 1, 2002. These income levels are… Read more »
on behalf of AUSU Winter Edition News from the November 28, 2002 council meeting AUSU met on November 28th, 2002, for a regularly scheduled council meeting. Items on the table for discussion included the post-secondary coalition to fight tuition increases and government under-funding (headed by CAUS), the CAUS media campaign to raise awareness about tuition… Read more »
Many students may not be aware that AU recognizes prior learning and encourages students to use the challenge for credit process if they feel they have knowledge or expertise in a particular subject area. The process is not easy, but it is not insurmountable, and it can save the cost and time of taking a… Read more »
Athabasca University Students’ Union is in the process of establishing an AU Graduate Students’ Association. Here’s a sampling of benefits of belonging to a Graduate Students’ Association: · Graduate student representation on University Committees · University and government advocacy and lobbying · Affiliation with provincial and national graduate students’ organizations · Assistance with university/student dispute… Read more »
· CASE District VIII – March 8-11, 2003 – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – “Connect in Coeur d’Alene.” Details: http://www.connectincda.com AMTEC (Association of Media & Technology in Education in Canada) -“E-convergence: Education, Media & Technology” – May 25-28, 2003, Montreal, Quebec. Call For Papers deadline is Dec. 15, 2002. Details: http://www.amtec.ca · ICDE World Conference –… Read more »
The 9th Annual General Meeting of AUSU was held this past Saturday, September 28 at 1:00 P.M. Eleven students were in attendance, nine in person and two via teleconference. Quorum was satisfied and the meeting could proceed. In the President’s welcome, Debbie Jabbour commented that the low attendance should not be taken as an indicator… Read more »
Kinsmen and Kinettes Bursary – Hal Rogers Endowment Fund Value: $1000 Application Deadline: February 1 Description: · Canadian citizens or permanent residents · Must be full-time students in the upcoming school year at a recognized post-secondary institution · Selection is based on demonstrated high ideals and qualities of citizenship · Recipients must not have previously… Read more »
Athabasca University’s Mathematics Diagnostic Assessment is now published online at: http://www.athabascau.ca/html/services/counselling/math/. Two versions of this online test contain 30 or 70 questions that will help assess students’ mathematical skills. Based on their score, the assessment will recommend which Athabasca University mathematics course a student is likely ready to take successfully. You may also find the… Read more »
Contributed by The Community Networks Group http://www.vibrantcommunities.ca Canada is a country of countless opportunities. We have exceptional health, education and social programs, a robust economy and a quality of life that is envied around the world. It’s hard to think of Canada as a “poor” country. And yet more than 16% of us live in… Read more »
What We Do Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) is a non-profit, charitable organization with over 150 branches across Canada. CDA volunteers and staff work directly with people with diabetes and their families at the grass roots level. The CDA Collections Program collects clothing and reusable household items as an entrepreneurial fundraising venture. The funds raised from… Read more »
This is to advise you of an important change in the undergraduate Grading Policy at Athabasca University. Athabasca University has approved a new Alpha/4.0 grading scale for undergraduate studies effective January 1, 2003. The grades that students achieve will be stated, on transcripts and in student records, as alpha grades on a scale from A… Read more »
AWARENESS PROGRAMS SOCIETY OF ALBERTA Volunteers Needed and Invited to Help Infoline: 924-3432 We are a volunteer, registered non-profit society, which has been serving the work of Wanjiku Kironyo in Kenya for seventeen years. Wanjiku works in the slum communities with the women and street kids, handicapped children and youth groups. Our chairperson, Rosalind Shepherd,… Read more »
AUSU is interested in purchasing original works of art from students for use in promotional purposes. These promotions may include: gifts from AUSU to graduates at convocation, tokens of appreciation for volunteers, special presentations, etc. The works of art must: -be created by an AU Student -be within a value range $0-$500. -be accessible or… Read more »
Upcoming free screening of Canadian documentaries – feature films co-sponsored with the Edmonton Public Library & CBC Radio One Showing @ the Milner Library Theatre downtown, 7 Churchill SQ. Time: 7-9 p.m. January 14: To My Birthmother …. Directed by Beverly Shaffer / Produced by Beverly Shaffer & Mark Zannis Delving into the past can… Read more »
Academic Council passed the following Action Items at its Nov. 6th meeting: · Step II & III approval of a Master of Nursing program (open for applications on April 1, 2003 with courses beginning Sept. 1, 2003) · Regulation changes to the Master of Health Studies program (effective Sept. 1, 2003) · Step II approval… Read more »
CLASSIFIED SPACE: Students of AU may print classifieds in The Voice free of charge (maximum three per issue) as long as they are not representing a company or product. Classified ads must follow the direct guidelines and ethics stated in the Voice Policy and should be submitted to the editor at voice@ausu.org with “?CLASSIFIED AD’… Read more »
The Department of Neuroscience at the University of Calgary is holding a second National Neuroscience Competition to identify students to fly to Calgary for an all-expense-paid trip for 4 days in March 2003 to visit with group members. We are interested in meeting with undergraduate students taking courses relevant to neuroscience as well as graduate… Read more »