General Information

1.3 Recognition and Accreditation

1.3.1 Recognition

Athabasca University has achieved the highest possible award each year for the Province of Alberta Performance Funding. Recently, the University received the Commonwealth of Learning Award of Excellence for Institutional Achievement. Most recently, the International Council for Open and Distance Education recognized Athabasca University as one of the world’s outstanding distance and open learning institutions.

1.3.2 Accreditation

Athabasca University is a publicly funded institution of the Province of Alberta that reports to the government through the Minister of Advanced Education. Through the Post-secondary Act, 2003, the government authorizes Athabasca University Governing Council (AUGC) to govern its own affairs. Public members of AUGC are appointed under orders-in-council of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

Athabasca University operates with a bicameral governance system. AUGC membership includes one chairperson, up to 10 public members, two academic staff, two students, one tutor, one non-academic staff, one alumnus, and one graduate student. The president of the University is an ex officio member of the council.

Athabasca University is the first Canadian university to be accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (3624 Market Street , Philadelphia , PA , 19104 , 267.284.5000). The Commission is one of six regional accrediting agencies in the U.S. recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Membership

Athabasca University is also a full member of the following organizations:

• Association of Commonwealth Universities
• Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
• Canadian Association for Distance Education
• Canadian Association for Graduate Studies
• Canadian Virtual University
• Circumpolar Universities Association
• Inter-American Distance Education Consortium
• International Council for Open and Distance Education