NAITSA is still working at 100% capacity during the COVID-19 crisis, only now almost everything we are doing is virtual and remote. While the physical office is closed, NAITSA’s Executive Council and full-time staff continue to work to support students and many of our services are being offered virtually. As the administrators of your student health and dental plans, and as advocates to ensure students’ interests are heard, advocacy and representation are important. We are working hard at all levels of government and with NAIT’s administration, and right now our work is more important than ever. However, with students’ access to campus being extremely limited, there are barriers to our ability to deliver our services.

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.

The City of Edmonton has agreed to allow all contracted U-Pass Post-Secondary institutions to suspend the U-Pass program until August 31, 2021. 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. However, if most students return on campus for Fall 2021, we will examine our options which could include reinstating the U-Pass program. More information will be available soon closer to the Fall 2021 semester.

Students’ health and dental plan coverage will remain active and available for you to access until August 31, 2021. 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, 2021.

Students who were enrolled into at least one credit course for the Fall 2021 term will be assessed the Health & Dental fee. If you have comparable coverage through another insurance carrier (BlueCross, Great West Life, Manulife etc.) and you would like to opt-out of the benefits, you must fill out the online waiver form with proof of comparable coverage before the given deadline date.

Click here to find the most up-to-date information.

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/

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.

NAITSA has been following the responses to COVID-19 at all levels of government and in the community to identify opportunities that students can take advantage of if they have been impacted. We have centralized that information here and will continue to add to it as supports are made available.

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.

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)