tutor

academic coordinator

assistant professor

service administrator

administrator

Athabasca University

AU's work environment is quite accommodating and flexible to the day to day needs its staff -- you can take time off when needed, there are programs in place to help you further your technical skills, people are friendly and helpful, and the benefits are good.

But there's also a downside to this.  People take a lot of time off -- too much time -- so projects linger, work never gets done, and you're always waiting for people to come back to work in order to get your own work done.

Development processes are quite weak as well, so it can take days and even weeks to get access to the programs you need to do your job.

AU has a new CIO, however, and things are turning around for the better.  But it will take 3-5 years before any substantive changes in business culture and technical environment begin to bear fruit.

After working at Athabasca University for approx 15 yrs,i truly believed i had found my dream job!And it was for the first 10 yrs!The last 5 were terrible!The University is so broke that there whole thought process is how do we get and keep money!I have dealt with H.R,payroll,supervisors that should never have gotten that postion!and have no idea how to do the job!There is no empathy,respest of workers rights,and bulling is unbelivable!Work was great,supervisors lie and bully to get what they want,and H.R is of no use!To the point were i had to leave! Way to much favouring going on with supervisors and workers that were friends for yrs!Very sad!

What is the best part of working at the company?
It has good infrastructure to support you in work from home

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
No chance to promote. You have very limited interactions with your colleagues. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Boring, not clear policies, unpredictable changes in management 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Start the work with yourself at your convenience, and have occasional meetings with others.

I was an information center attendant.  First point of contact between students, tutors, professors, and any department of the University.  We tried to assist and accomplish any problems or questions at our level.
Very fast paced environment, always changing.
The most enjoyable part of the job was being thanked by the students for assisting them in a prompt, professional, friendly manner and hopefully finding a suitable solution.

I have loved nearly everything about working for the University while finishing my BSc. I say nearly because my first RA was with a Phd supervisor who was just about the worst possible team leader I have ever had. After that, however, I have been working with a Phd supervisor that is just about the best team leader I have ever had. This experience has led to numerous opportunities and awards. I can't recommend this path enough, not to mention that most RA jobs are remote.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Benefits, learning and growth opportunity and working from home 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Busy and restricted time off during certain times of the year

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Positive, progressive, fast paced, supportive and opportunity focused

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Supporting students and processing requests

the most enjoyable part of the job is the great work/life balance, offers training opportunities, supportive team members. I benefit from the management, leadership and mentorship. the hardest part of the job is working extra hours to meet multiple deadlines due to large work loads.

In general, Athabasca University has a good work environment topping it up with great benefits for Professional and Academic members. If you end up in the unit with good manager, you're set for life. The university encourages both spouses to work there, there is also day care option close by, which means - it is a great place for family related people.

Major restructuring leading to poor management practices. Work from home options, however increased workload, lack of advancement opportunities and high turn over lead to stress and burnout. There is a culture of disengagement and demotivation. Those that can manipulate others end up advancing to management positions. 

My typical day at work was to check phone messages and emails and see what I would need to deal with, since my job was student advisor. Although the other staff were very supportive, there was too much work to get done on time. Like a lot of places they had far too few staff, as well as too many managers. Also, managers somehow have their own union-??

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Tutor 18 salaries reported	$248 per day
Academic coordinator 9 salaries reported	$79,935 per year
Assistant professor 6 salaries reported	$90,023 per year
Service administrator 3 salaries reported	$53,834 per year
Administrator 1 salary reported	$53,834 per year

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