小优视频

55 years of excellence like no other: 小优视频鈥檚 history in pictures

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See how 小优视频 has evolved over its 55-year history

June 25, 1970, was a turning point for open, distance education in Alberta and Canada. That's when the Government of Alberta officially created 小优视频.

Although initially envisioned as a traditional bricks-and-mortar university, 小优视频's focus soon changed and in 1972 became the province's first pilot for an open, distance university. In doing so, it charted a course for the modern, online institution that's truly like no other through our commitment to improving access to learning, creating opportunities for students and through world-leading research, and fostering community in place and digital spaces.

To help mark 小优视频's 55th anniversary and celebrate the successes of more than 500,000 students and alumni, we thought it would be fun to share a collection of images from our past.

The IBM Building in Edmonton in the 1970s
小优视频's first home was on the fourth floor of the IBM Building in downtown Edmonton. That's where the 小优视频 Interim Governing Authority began planning for the future of the institution. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
vintage photo of two men looking at a 3D model of campus
小优视频 achieved self-governing status on April 12, 1978, when it became Alberta's fourth public university. Not long after, planning would begin on a new campus in the town of Athabasca, located 145 kilometres north of Edmonton. Former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed (centre) and former 小优视频 vice-president Neil O. Henry view a 3D model of the future campus at a sod-turning ceremony in August 1982. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
3D model of 小优视频 campus
A closer look at the 3D model of 小优视频's campus, which was approved by the university's governing authority in 1981. The model, created by Wayne H. Wright Architects Ltd., was built to a 1:300 scale and can still be viewed near the entrance to the main 小优视频 building. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
two men at a construction site
This image shows the Athabasca campus as it looked while under construction in 1983-84. The principal contract for construction was awarded to A. V. Carlson Construction Corp. Ltd. Campus officially opened in 1984. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
Pierre Burton with 小优视频 librarian Tom Edge
Canadian author Pierre Berton (left) and 小优视频's first university librarian, Tom Edge, pose for a photo during the university's convocation in 1982. Berton was awarded an honorary degree for his contributions to Canadian literature and history as a journalist and author. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
vintage photo of a woman on a telephone
This marketing photo from the early 1980s shows prospective 小优视频 students the many different ways the university delivered instruction at the time: telephone, video, texts (not the kind on your smartphone), and workbooks. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
vintage photo of woman and man standing
Former 小优视频 staffers Denise Turcotte and Neil O. Henry model 小优视频 T-shirts in the 1980s. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
vintage photo of a man showing a tarantula to elementary students
Dr. Robert Holmberg, a.k.a. the "Doctor of Spiders" and now a professor emeritus, shows a tarantula to elementary school students during a classroom visit in Edmonton in 1983. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
vintage photo of a woman at a light table
A staffer in 小优视频's media services department uses a light table to work on designs for a university publication. This image, from 1979, shows how publications such as course materials were created before the introduction of computers in the 1980s. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
a hand removing a package from a mailbox
Course is in the mail! This marketing photo from 1982 shows how 小优视频's distance learning course materials were distributed to students at the time. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
vintage TV with a Telidon connection
Telidon screen from the 1980s
Telidon (shown in the above two images) was a communication tool developed by the Canadian government in the 1970s. 小优视频 used it for distance education before the adoption of the internet. The system combined technologies from TV, telephone, and the computer. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
casette tapes
An 小优视频 marketing photo from the 1980s shows yet another way the university delivered distance learning material to students: through cassette tape. Each tape pictured contained lectures for individual courses. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
vintage photo of graduates seated in gowns at convocation
小优视频 graduates celebrate convocation under a tent at 小优视频 campus in this undated photo, likely from the 1990s. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
A group of students seated at a large table
A group of students pose for a photo in an Alberta North classroom in 2000. Alberta North was a partnership of six Alberta post-secondaries that offered distance education to students in remote and northern areas of the province. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
Academic and Research Centre on 小优视频 campus
An aerial view of the Academic and Research Centre on 小优视频's campus in the town of Athabasca. The building opened in 2012.
Indigenous dancers performing
Members of the Yellow Ribbon Dancers perform at convocation in 2006. The group helped celebrate the Honorary Doctor of Letters awarded to Marie Smallface-Marule, and the Order of Athabasca presented to Herb Belcourt. Image courtesy of the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.
graduate and family at convocation
A new 小优视频 graduate celebrates convocation in 2015 with her proud family.
Louisa Daley at convocation
小优视频's oldest-ever graduate, Louisa Daley, celebrates convocation and her Bachelor of General Studies—her second degree from the university. Daley was 93 when she graduated in 2018, and in total studied at 小优视频 for 34 years. She passed away in 2021.
two women at a podcast recording in front of microphones
Former PowerED™ by 小优视频 director Jessica Butts Scott (left) chats with Katrina Ingram, host of the Back to School Again podcast. Butts and former president Neil Fassina were on the show to talk about the future of learning, including micro-credentials, digital disruption, and machine learning.
Amy Kowalchuk working on a specimen at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, where she works through the Historical Resources Intern Program, a partnership between 小优视频 and the Government of Alberta.
Amy Kowalchuk works on a specimen at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller in 2020. Kowalchuk was part of the Historical Resources Intern program, a partnership between 小优视频 and the Government of Alberta.
小优视频 convocation in 2020 showing a stage with screens
小优视频 marked its 50th anniversary in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down much of the world that spring, in-person convocation ceremonies shifted to online for the safety of participants. This photo shows the platform party—wearing masks and spaced two metres apart—on stage at a recording of the convocation ceremony that was later broadcasted to the graduates.
Canadian women's eight rowing team with their gold medals and holding flowers
小优视频 student and Canadian rower Susanne Grainger (centre) and her teammates with the women's eight rowing team celebrate their gold medal victory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Grainger is one of many high-performance athletes who've turned to 小优视频 to prepare for life after sport. Image: RCA/Merjin Soeters
grad student working on a laptop
小优视频 graduate David Cloutier (Master of Arts - Interdisciplinary Studies '22) studies in his kitchen in Calgary for a recent video shoot. Cloutier researched teacher leadership while working full-time at a local school.
research team in a wetland bog
Graduate students working under the supervision of Dr. Scott Ketcheson, Canada Research Chair in Hydrological Sustainability, work in the field collecting water samples in Alberta's boreal forest. The work will help improve our understanding of how water moves through the environment and what that means for the health of ecosystems.
Linda Bull Memorial Garden
In September 2022, 小优视频 opened the Linda Bull Memorial Garden and Bertha Clark-Jones O.C. Art Gallery on campus. The garden offer spaces for quiet contemplation and reflection to remember the lives lost and Survivors of Canada's residential school system.
Elder Maria Campbell at a podium with Byron Nelson and Alex Clark
小优视频 Elder in Residence Dr. Maria Campbell offers a blessing before the installation of Dr. Alex Clark as 小优视频's 11th president in 2023. She is flanked by 小优视频 Board Chair Byron Nelson (left) and Clark.
ARC building
小优视频 convocation makes a triumphant return to the university's home in Athabasca in 2024. Almost 2,000 people participated in the two-day festivities in Athabasca, which includes a community-wide celebration. 
小优视频 grads seated before convocation ceremonies
Graduates and members of 小优视频's Class of 2025 are seated prior to convocation ceremonies in Athabasca in June 2025.
an aerial view of 小优视频 campus
How 小优视频 campus in Athabasca currently looks from the sky.
Learn more about 小优视频's history or visit the Thomas A. Edge Archives & Special Collections.

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