COVID-19
UPDATES
NAITSA is committed to ensuring the safety of staff and students through its pandemic response policies which will be updated regularly with the most up-to-date information available.
Please visit this page frequently for updates.
STUDENT
GOVERNANCE
NAITSA is committed to ensuring the safety of staff and students through its pandemic response policies which will be updated regularly with the most up-to-date information available.
Please visit this page frequently for updates.
Coming onto campus? Here are a few guidelines you need to follow:
We are following current guidelines set forth by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Public Health Authority of Canada (PHAC) and monitoring updates as they happen. Our student leaders are staying in contact with officials from NAIT and Alberta Advanced Education.
NAITSA has implemented our business continuity plan. Many of our services are still operational but are being delivered alternatively where possible (more information below.)
We want to assure our members we will continue to provide updates regularly on our website and social media, and NAITSA staff will make every effort to continue to answer all emails and telephone messages throughout this closure. Please use the following contact information related to your area of interest:
General NAITSA inquiries: asknaitsa@nait.ca
Twitter: @naitsa | Facebook: @naitsa | Instagram: @naitstudents
Academic Grievances and Concerns
If you have any academic grievances or concerns please contact savpacademic@nait.ca
Service Hub
The Service Hub will continue to serve students as follows:
- For Peer Support – In-person Peer Support services will be closed until further notice. If this is an emergency please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. For a list of resources please visit https://naitsa.ca/student-resources/. For questions or concerns please email peersupport@nait.ca
- For Health & Dental – studentplans@nait.ca
- For U-Pass – upass@nait.ca
- Food Centre (food hampers) – foodcentre@nait.ca
Student Elections
We are suspending the Executive Council by-election for President indefinitely. We will revisit plans to hold a by-election once students are no longer limited from being on campus. If you have questions please contact Leeanne Mills at leeannem@nait.ca
Nugget Student Media
The Nugget newspaper will continue to operate online. Please check their website and social media for regular updates.
Web: https://www.thenuggetonline.com
Twitter: @NuggetOnline | Instagram @thenaitnugget
Campus Clubs
Campus Clubs will continue to serve student club leaders through an online presence. There has been a special email created (clubs@naitsa.ca) that will reach all the Campus Clubs staff. Be sure to place a keyword (events, finance, etc.) in the subject line to facilitate efficient follow up. All equipment bookings are suspended until further notice.
Events
Effective March 16, 2020 all NAITSA campus events have been cancelled through April. Students who have paid to participate in our events can expect to have a refund processed within 10 business days. Any additional questions or concerns can be directed to our events team at events@naitsa.ca.
NAITSA Executive Council
As mentioned before, our student leaders are staying in contact with officials from NAIT and Alberta Advanced Education. However, our purpose has always been to listen to and serve the needs of students, so please reach out to us so that we can continue to work on behalf of our community.
Here are our Executive Council contact info:
- Alexis Sieben | Acting President // VP Internal savpinternal@nait.ca
- Jerilyn Kotelniski | VP External savpexternal@nait.ca
- Alley Medeiros | VP Academic savpacademic@nait.ca
LAST UPDATED: MARCH 16, 2020 @ 6:00PM
COVID-19 RESPONSE FAQ
Why am I still paying NAITSA fees?
Since classes have been shifted from ‘Face to Face’ to ‘Online/Home’ delivery for the Fall 2020 term, the amount for the NAITSA fee has been adjusted. By continuing to collect a fee, as mandated by the government, this ensures NAITSA can continue to provide students with the many services which are vital at this time, such as:
- As representatives of NAIT students, and as members of ASEC, NAITSA’s President and VP External are advocating at all levels of government to make sure that calls for student support will not go unanswered during this crisis.
- Our Service Hub staff continue to ensure that NAIT students have access to group health & dental benefit coverage, as well as myWellness mental health services.
- Throughout the many changes that have taken place during this crisis, NAITSA has and will continue to amplify news and opportunities that directly affect NAIT students. Whether it is support from within NAITSA or external sources that students can access, we will continue to make sure students stay informed about learning resources, employment and financial resources, mental health resources, and anything else that may be of benefit to them.
Is the U-Pass fee waived since we will not be on campus full-time?
The City of Edmonton has agreed to allow all contracted U-Pass Post-Secondary institutions to suspend the U-Pass program for Fall 2020. We advocated for this suspension as a majority of students will not be on campus and would not benefit from the U-Pass for this semester.
Many health practitioners (massage, dental, physio, etc) are prohibited from operating due to COVID-19 restrictions. Since I can’t use my benefits at this time, will Health & Dental fees be refunded?
Students’ health and dental plan coverage will remain active and available for you to access until August 31, 2020. Should COVID-19 restrictions be lifted, you will be able to access your benefits until that date. In the meantime, many providers have adapted their services to be administered through virtual appointments; we suggest contacting your provider to see if this is an option for you.
Information on how our services can still be used is frequently shared via our social media accounts (@naitstudents), and we invite you to follow these accounts to learn more. Please use this link to find out about all the services available on your plans: (https://www.mystudentplan.ca/nait/en/home).
Our online mental health supports can also be accessed virtually using MyWellness (www.mywellnessplan.ca/nait) until August 31, 2020.
Since students are no longer on campus, will our benefits terminate?
Click here to find the most up to date information.
What kind of mental health supports are available to me while the campus is closed?
While in-person Peer Support and Counselling has been suspended, there are online delivery options. Visit www.nait.ca/counselling and www.mywellnessplan.ca/nait for info.
You may also call The Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 (24hrs a day). This service also supports Text and Live Chat. Visit their website at https://kidshelpphone.ca/
What direct financial support can students access from NAITSA?
Food Centre hampers can still be requested online through https://naitsa.ca/service-hub/food-centre/
The NAIT Students’ Association is doing everything possible to limit the chance of person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 and we are making every effort to fulfil hamper requests in this difficult time. Please contact the NAITSA Food Centre Coordinator at foodcentre@nait.ca if you have any questions about a food hamper. Thank you for your patience.
After you have received an email advising that your hamper is ready to pick-up, you can do this at our temporary remote pick-up location, NAIT’s Protective Services office in D104. Please take your student One@NAIT card with you.
What other resources are available to help me?
What should I do if I am unhappy with the quality of my education, now that classes are strictly online?
For all academic grievances, students are encouraged to reach out to the NAIT Ombudsperson who can act as a mediator if you need to resolve a conflict with NAIT administration. The Ombudsperson is there to help you if you believe you have been treated unfairly, are unsure of your options, or if you want help understanding how NAIT’s policies and procedures apply to you. You can contact NAIT’s Ombudsperson by phone at (780) 491-1305, or by email at ombuds@nait.ca.
Will there be a refund of NAIT’s Recreation Fee?
NAIT’s mandatory Recreation Fee is a fee assessed by NAIT and we cannot speak on behalf of the campus. You may contact NAIT to ask about this charge by contacting them at (https://www.nait.ca/nait/contact/student-service-centre)
Will there be a refund of NAIT’s Recreation Fee?
NAIT’s mandatory Recreation Fee is a fee assessed by NAIT and we cannot speak on behalf of the campus. You may contact NAIT to ask about this charge by contacting them at (https://www.nait.ca/nait/contact/student-service-centre)
For further information that directly affects students, NAIT also has a FAQ page with information about academics including WIL – Work Integrated Learning (practicum), the new Honours/Pass/Fail system, and other financial and program issues that students are facing. To get answers for more of your questions, visit NAIT’s Information For Students FAQ page here.
This page will be updated regularly with more information as the situation changes.