ATHABASCA – Athabasca University (AU) is turning over a new leaf with the installation of its 11th president, Dr. Alex Clark.
Clark, who was officially installed as president Oct. 12 at the Nancy Appleby Theatre, has been in the role since he took over from Peter Scott at the beginning of February.
“From its founding, this university has shattered barriers to post-secondary education, providing access to a transformative university education irrespective of sex, gender, race, place, irrespective of physical ability or age. No person is left behind at Athabasca University,” said Clark.
As part of his speech, Clark reaffirmed the university's commitment to Athabasca, saying despite the sometimes rocky relationship between the region and the school, both institutions stood to benefit from collaboration and community.
“We know there have been disagreements about this university, and the role the university has in the region. Those disagreements were tough — tough on so many and trust was damaged. Hurt is the price we pay when we truly care,” said Clark.
AU’s board of governor’s chair Byron Nelson had another announcement to make; the 2023-2024 convocation will be returning to Athabasca, a statement that drew a long round of applause from audience members.
In an Oct. 12 release, AU also included the announcement of the President’s Award for Rural Alberta Nursing Students. Clark, who joined AU in 2021 as the dean of the Faculty of Health Disciplines before becoming president, said he was particularly proud of AU’s nurse practitioner program as more than a third of Canada’s nurse practitioners are educated at AU.
More information on the award will be shared in the near future.
More to come…
