The president of Athabasca University said the Alberta government’s request for an online school to relocate 500 staff to a small rural town was too out of date and that losing oneself risks putting the school at risk. on the path of destruction”.
Peter Scott, in a video address to staff and students, urged those involved to reach out to Minister for Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides and express their feelings.
Earlier this week, Nicolaides asked the school to come up with a plan within two months to get more school staff to do physical work in Athabasca.
Nicolaides said schools can still function effectively while helping the economy grow in a town less than 3,000 people north of Edmonton.
If the school doesn’t implement its relocation plan, the minister warned the school and its 40,000 students could have their monthly stipend cut into millions of dollars – a cut that Scott admits would eventually bankrupt the school. .
Scott said the move would be difficult to implement and risk severely undermining the school’s goal of attracting top talent and thriving in the burgeoning online education sector.
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