NAITSA Executive & Staff

Led by the President, NAITSA’s Executive team is made up of three Vice Presidents: a VP Academic, a VP Student Services, and a VP External. Each team member holds varying portfolios and works together throughout the year to provide services, events, and activities for NAIT students. All executives are elected to their positions on a yearly basis by the student body. Follow the Life as an Executive link to learn more about these roles.

Life as a NAITSA Executive

As student executives, the NAITSA President, VP Academic, VP External, and VP Student Services enjoy many benefits while gaining valuable experience for their resumes. To run, all you need is to be a student with academic good standing at NAIT in a full-time program. If you¹re in your first year of your program, you can still run and continue your program the following year. If you¹re finishing your program this year, you can still be on the executive, as long as you are currently a student with academic good standing in your last year.

On an average day, a NAITSA executive could be representing the student body in meetings with NAIT administration, lobbying the government for improved transit or funding for NAIT students, networking with other student leaders at an ASEC conference, talking to bands and other performers for one of our many campus events, meeting with one of NAIT¹s students, or fulfilling any number of other exciting tasks. If elected, you will receive a competitive salary and benefits, your education will be paid while you are in office, a phone and laptop will be provided and subsidized while in office, and you will travel across the country for conferences, all while you network, build your skill set, and most importantly, have fun.

Post-Secondary Education Platform in the Alberta Election 2012
Responses to our Questions

Edmonton – On Monday April 9 the NAIT Students’ Association (NAITSA) contacted each party running in the provincial election requesting a response to three questions regarding their stance on post secondary education in Alberta.

We received responses from three parties, NDP, PC, and Wildrose. The other parties; Liberal, and Alberta, did not respond.

Here are NAITSA’s questions to each party leader:

1. Considering the forecasted labour shortage, do you feel that Alberta’s post-secondary system is adequately meeting the needs of industry and the economy and what actions would your party take?

2. Considering that Alberta’s population is expected to increase in the future, what does your party intend to do to address the capital funding needs of post-secondary institutions?

3. What do you feel is an acceptable level of student debt upon completion of a post-secondary program and what will your party do regarding this issue?


Responses below are from NDP.

Alberta’s NDP is running on a platform that aims to ensure that our province’s prosperity works for all Albertans. Post-secondary students, many of them young and with careers ahead of them, are an especially vital part of this. Their success and satisfaction living in Alberta will benefit all of us through many decades in many ways. One of the best ways to be prepared for the future is to have a strong post secondary system that meets the diverse and changing demands of labour market opportunities in every way. This can only happen if the institutions are funded properly and if individuals can gain an education in an affordable way.

One of our five priority areas in this campaign is helping young Albertans succeed, and many of our platform commitments regarding this priority directly address the future of post-secondary education in Alberta.

Many Albertans find it difficult to continue their education because of rising costs, and those who do pursue post-secondary education are saddled with unacceptably large debts when they graduate. That’s why an NDP government would immediately freeze tuition fees this spring, and then reduce tuition by 10% effective September 1. Furthermore, we would stop post-secondary institutions collecting non-instructional fees for their general revenues, as there is evidence this has been a way to get revenue when tuition increases have been increased.

The NDP understands that heavy debt loads may make it impossible for some people to pursue post secondary education and will create challenges for others. We would commit to offering more help to graduates with student loans who stay in Alberta after graduation. An NDP government would forgive $1000 per year for these graduates, until their student loans are paid off. We also believe we can increase opportunities for students training in a trade by working with unions to increase apprenticeship training opportunities.

Accessibility of post-secondary education is important, but so is quality. Reductions in tuition would not be enacted without considering the effects on revenue for Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. Unfortunately, when the Conservative government limited the amount that PSIs could raise tuition, they didn’t compensate that loss of revenue with appropriate increases in funding. Alberta’s NDP would do things differently. We would increase funding for post-secondary institutions to adequate levels, compensating PSIs for the decrease in tuition and the elimination of non-instructional fees. This way, PSIs could count on receiving enough funding through transparent, stable commitments from the government.

Decisions about the capital needs of post secondary institutions so that there are necessary facilities and equipment for the programs they deliver need to be made through a process of good planning and not year-by-year for a political agenda. These processes need to be transparent and decisions determined in a fair and open process that is objective and independent of bias.

Alberta’s NDP believes that a strong post-secondary education system is key to ensuring that Alberta continues to have a strong economy well into the future. Our plan will increase both the accessibility and the quality of Alberta’s PSIs, allowing Albertans to get the education they need to participate in the future demands and opportunities of the increasingly knowledge-based economy in a successful way.

Responses below are from PC.

1. Considering the forecasted labour shortage, do you feel that Alberta’s post-secondary system is adequately meeting the needs of industry and the economy and what actions would your party take?

My government has demonstrated unwavering commitment to post-secondary education, and Budget 2012 reaffirms this commitment. But we can do better. We know that the success of our home-grown labour force is intrinsically tied to education opportunities. We will support innovation in post-secondary education, making it easier for Albertans to acquire the education and skill sets they need to meet the demands of the labour market. This requires a multi-pronged approach, and a comprehensive plan:

• We will encourage collaboration and cooperation between institutions, especially programs and partnerships that allow students studying at one of our colleges to stay in their home community, but receive a degree from one of our universities. This kind of partnership already exists between Mount Royal University and Medicine Hat College for the delivery of MRU’s business degree program. A Redford government will promote more of this kind of institutional bridge-building.
• We will also provide new financial resources to expand access to locally-basedmedical training through a pilot project at the Universities of Calgary andLethbridge, and the Rural Clerkship residency training program.
• We will support Aboriginal people in achieving their post-secondary goals by empowering our post-secondary institutions to work with Aboriginal communities so that they have the supports in place that will promote Aboriginal post-secondary success.
• We will help to smooth out the transition from Alberta high schools, certificate and diploma programs to Alberta degree programs. We will create opportunities for high school students to earn credits through apprenticeship and trades courses.
• We will improve access to education in remote and rural communities through a new bursary program that will make it easier for students from these communities to more fully participate in post-secondary education in Alberta.
• We will create a program of Externships where students receive competitive work-experience opportunities facilitated through placements in multilateral organizations and agencies, helping recent Alberta graduates jumpstart their careers and establish global networks.
• A Redford government will take action to increase private-sector support, through tax incentives, investment promotion, and matching grant programs to increases. The business community will directly benefit from participation and partnership through an increased number of highly skilled graduates, apprentices, engineers and trades-people.
• We will include our post-secondary institutions and programs as integral elements and contributors to our provincial vision and economic strategy.

2. Considering that Alberta’s population is expected to increase in the future, what does your party intend to do to address the capital funding needs of post-secondary institutions?

My government has recently announced the enhancement of post-secondary facilities across the province through a new three-year $650million capital project funding commitment. We know that our post-secondaryinstitutions have strong and innovative visions for Alberta’s future, and we have, and will continue to support that vision. This is a real investment that will support our student population today, and into the future. The five projects announced will enhance each of the institution’s unique teaching capabilities and ensure that Alberta’s post-secondary facilities remain competitive, and maintain their exemplary reputations.

For NAIT, this means replacing a costly, aging building and enabling the institution to produce more skilled labour in the trades, technology and health care sectors. NorQuest College will be able to consolidate its services into a single campus. Lethbridge College will educate students through its first rate Trades and Technology Renewal and Innovation Project. The University of Calgary will have the resources to expand the Schulich School of Engineering, and Mount Royal University will now be able to invest in theirlibrary and learning centre.

This is a sample of the kind of capital investment post-secondary institutions can expect from a Redford government, and there are a number of other projects underway that will be completed between 2013 and2015. These include Northern Lakes College Gift Lake Campus Replacement project, Keyano College Roof Replacement, and Grande Prairie College HVAC Upgrade, to name just a few. These investments are critical, because investments in our post-secondary infrastructure are investments in Alberta’s future. By providing the necessary facilities and expanding capacity, we can help our institutions meet the needs of a growing population, and better prepare Albertans to meet our economy’s demand for skilled labour as part of a world-class workforce.

3. What do you feel is an acceptable level of student debt is upon completion of a post-secondary program and what will your party do regarding this issue?

My government knows that debt load has been an obstacle for Albertans entering into the post-secondary system, or achieving post-secondary success. We have taken measures to relieve the burden of debt on students. Budget 2012 included changes to the student aid program that will directly and significantly benefit post-secondary students. Changes to the program include the introduction of a flat-rate contribution of $1,500 (reduced to zero for single parents); the elimination of savings, RRSP, part-time earnings or parental contributions in determining loan eligibility; and new grants designed to encourage students to graduate and remain in Alberta. We also allocated $274 million to the student loan program so that any student who qualifies for student loans will receive funding.

New Completion Grants will replace the previous remission program. They will provide students who have loans with grants between $1000 and $2000 upon graduation. In addition, a new Retention Grant will provide graduates who work in Alberta for three years in essential occupations with an additional $1,000.

Responses below are from Wildrose.

1. Considering the forecasted labour shortage, do you feel that Alberta’s post-secondary system is adequately meeting the needs of industry and the economy and what actions would your party take?

Alberta’s post-secondary system is not adequately meeting the needs of industry and the economy, and Albertans deserve better. A Wildrose government will improve Alberta’s post-secondary education system by implementing the following reforms:

• Establish a student loan forgiveness program that gradually forgives student loans incurred by graduates who choose to remain in Alberta to practice a trade or profession of high need over an extended period of time.
• Ensure the limit on post-secondary tuition fee increases are limited to the rate of inflation.
• Review the Alberta student loan application process to ensure loan amounts meet the basic living needs of students and eliminate parental income as a factor in determining final approved loan amounts.
• Invest in Internet-based learning and other technologies for the purpose of opening up thousands of additional post-secondary spaces without having to spend billions of taxpayer dollars unnecessarily on increasingly outdated teaching methodologies and infrastructure.
• In cooperation with post-secondary institutions and industry, permit trades students to select a written or verbal examination to complete their trade certification.
• Coordinate with all Alberta post-secondary schools to improve the seamless transfer of post-secondary credits between institutions.
• In consultation with Alberta’s post-secondary institutions, industry and professional associations, expand spaces for high demand degrees, diplomas, and trade certificates by allowing a substantial amount of post- secondary government funding to directly follow the student to the institution of his or her choice. Rather than setting arbitrary limits on courses of study, Alberta universities, colleges and technical schools should be competing for students by offering the programs and courses students most want to enroll in.
• Work with the federal government to expand federal and provincial tuition and related tax credits, and implement tax incentives that promote the creation and growth of post-secondary endowment funds for scholarships, research and infrastructure projects from individual and corporate donors.

2. Considering that Alberta’s population is expected to increase in the future, what does your party intend to do to address the capital funding needs of post-secondary institutions?

A Wildrose government will:

• Invest in Internet-based learning and other technologies for the purpose of opening up thousands of additional post-secondary spaces without having to spend billions of taxpayer dollars unnecessarily on increasingly outdated teaching methodologies and infrastructure.
• Coordinate with all Alberta post-secondary schools to improve the seamless transfer of post-secondary credits between institutions.
• In consultation with Alberta’s post-secondary institutions, industry and professional associations, expand spaces for high demand degrees, diplomas, and trade certificates by allowing a substantial amount of post- secondary government funding to directly follow the student to the institution of his or her choice. Rather than setting arbitrary limits on courses of study, Alberta universities, colleges and technical schools should be competing for students by offering the programs and courses students most want to enroll in.

3. What do you feel is an acceptable level of student debt is upon completion of a post-secondary program and what will your party do regarding this issue?
A Wildrose government would implement the following in order to help alleviate the amount of debt students graduate with:

• Establish a student loan forgiveness program that gradually forgives student loans incurred by graduates who choose to remain in Alberta to practice a trade or profession of high need over an extended period of time.
• Ensure the limit on post-secondary tuition fee increases are limited to the rate of inflation.
• Review the Alberta student loan application process to ensure loan amounts meet the basic living needs of students and eliminate parental income as a factor in determining final approved loan amounts.

Work with the federal government to expand federal and provincial tuition and related tax credits, and implement tax incentives that promote the creation and growth of post-secondary endowment funds for scholarships, research and infrastructure projects from individual and corporate donors.