Minister pushes back against Athabasca University's president's defence of virtual campus

Alberta Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says Athabasca University is to come up with plans to resume and expand in-person operations at its main campus in the northern Alberta town. 

"Government has provided very clear direction to the institution," Nicolaides told CBC News on Tuesday. "We've asked for some very specific implementation plans due to government on June 30th and I fully expect those reports and implementation plans to be provided."

The directives, announced by Premier Jason Kenney in Athabasca on March 24, would move AU away from its transition to near-virtual operations. 

The government wants AU to submit a plan by June 30 to retain and expand the number of positions based in Athabasca. The university must consolidate its executive and administrative positions at the main campus and develop a plan for bringing employees back to campus after two years of working from home. 

Nicolaides's comments come after AU president Peter Scott sent an email to staff last Thursday that appeared to defy the government's plans stating that the institution's move to a virtual campus would continue.

"The comments and opinions expressed by government officials during the town meeting were not indicative of the reciprocal and consultative relationship that AU has had for many years with the Government of Alberta and the Ministry of Advanced Education," Scott wrote.

"I would like to underline that our operations, mission, and mandate remain unchanged."

Scott stated the institution's move to an "online virtual campus" with "a near-virtual workforce" would continue, and suggested a requirement for staff to live in Athabasca would inhibit the university's ability to hire.

"To ensure AU's future success, long-term sustainability, and the success of our learners, the university will continue to prioritize the needs of our more than 43,000 learners worldwide by ensuring we continue to hire and retain the best and the brightest talent," he wrote. 

Nicolaides said AU can fulfil its mandate to provide distance learning from a base in Athabasca. 

"We have an array of colleges with satellite campuses across all of our rural communities. They do well. They recruit high-quality talent and not just even within Alberta, but globally. " he said. "So I'm confident that we'll be able to do the same here." 

The announcement was viewed as a victory for locals involved in a year-long campaign to keep Athabasca University operating in Athabasca. 

In spring 2020, the university's board of governors voted to transition to what it called "near-virtual" operations. At the same time, employees at the main campus moved to working at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Residents began to fear that the work-at-home arrangement would stay permanent, and eventually allow hundreds of well-paying jobs to leave the town of 3,000.