In 1984 when the Apple Macintosh computer was first released, Apple entered into a partnership with nine Australian universities to form the Apple University Consortium (Australasia). At the heart of the relationship was the ability for departments, staff and students of the universities to obtain Apple technology at reduced prices and to enable development of innovative solutions using the Macintosh. The concept of sharing information and experiences, and the ability to foster educational development activities were the major motivating factors.
The model operated with only incremental changes for 28 years, until 2012.
The AUC Today
Today the AUC is an association that accepts both individual and organisational members, and has no formal relationship with Apple. Our goals remain essentially the same – to foster the sharing of information and experiences through a collaborative community of engaged members.
Organisational members are represented at AUC meetings by their AUC coordinator who also acts as the primary contact for the association – promoting our programs and events amongst employees and students.
We are also supported on some educational campuses by AUC ambassadors. These are people who have had a long association with the AUC, and volunteer to promote our activities among their colleagues, in some cases even though their institution is not a member of the AUC.
Administration of the AUC is managed by the AUC Executive Council, which oversees the membership program, the AUC’s funding and budget, and a program of annual events designed to benefit our members. Current events include
- /dev/world for OS X and iOS software developers
- X World for system administrators and support staff
- CreateWorld for academics and those working in the creative spaces
Further information about the activities of the AUC can be obtained from:
- AUC Chair, Mr Tony Gray – chair@auc.edu.au
The AUC Mission Statement
The mission of the AUC is to serve members by:
- sharing AUC resources, experience, insights and know-how amongst members
- developing people as leaders in the use of Apple technology
- inspiring and fostering innovative uses of Apple technology