April 20, 2006 Source: :
http://www.athabascau.ca/media/index.php?id=144 Athabasca University in British Columbia A New Public University for BC Students in British Columbia now have one more assurance of the rigorous quality of online education offered by Athabasca University (AU). In January 2006, Athabasca University was approved by the Government of B.C. to operate as a university and to grant degrees in British Columbia. AU is the first public post-secondary institution to be fully authorized to operate in both B.C. and Alberta. "Last year almost 2,500 students from British Columbia took some 5,300 courses from Athabasca University," says University President Frits Pannekoek. "Going through this approval process in B.C. is just another level of recognition of the calibre of the programs and courses at Athabasca University." "We look forward to developing more partnerships with academic institutions in B.C. that will serve students well and give them more choices for advancing their post-secondary educational opportunities," Pannekoek says. "Alberta’s Athabasca University is a well-known public institution specializing in distance delivery education. The programs and courses they offer complement and enhance the excellent quality of post-secondary education available to B.C students," says B.C. Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell. "Athabasca has met the high standards that all institutions must meet if they want to operate as a university in British Columbia." "Technology is changing the face of post-secondary education in exciting ways, and distance education technology is reaching across provincial boundaries," said Denis Herard, Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education. "This is another great example of collaboration between B.C. and Alberta and it demonstrates a shared commitment to excellence in our respective post-secondary systems." B.C. approval adds to Athabasca University’s growing reputation. AU is the only Canadian university to be awarded accreditation in the United States, by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 267-284-5000). This is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Athabasca University has a long history of serving B.C. students, with 13,154 residents having registered for one or more courses at AU over the last 10 years, helping many complete undergraduate and graduate degrees from the convenience of their homes or offices. Since 1970, Athabasca University has awarded 1,006 program credentials to B.C. residents. - 30 - For more information, contact: Nancy Parker, PhD
Acting Executive Director
External Relations
Email: nancyp@athabascau.ca
Phone: 780-675-6392
Fax: Public Affairs & Communications - Last Updated April 29, 2006, 10:49:28 MST/MDT
| 