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2026/27
NAITSA’s Executive Council Election

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Student Executive Council Nominations Open

January 5 – 26, 2026

COMMIT. EXPERIENCE. REPRESENT.

Are you ready to act on behalf of your fellow students? Be a part of something bigger, run for NAITSA’s Executive Council.

There are four positions in 2026/27 that will provide new and unique learning opportunities.

PRESIDENT
Official spokesperson for the student body

VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC
Helps with any questions and issues involving studies at NAIT

VICE PRESIDENT EXTERNAL
Represents students interests throughout campus, city and province

VICE PRESIDENT INTERNAL
Fosters campus life at NAIT

If elected, you will:

  • Become the voice of the NAIT student body
  • Receive a salary, benefits, and have your tuition paid by NAITSA
  • Have the opportunity for professional development, retreats, and networking.
  • Develop your leadership, negotiation, and other soft skills that will
    help you in your future career.

Interested in Student Government?

Think of this as a 12-month commitment in the ultimate learning incubator, a sabbatical to accelerate beyond your education, and a chance to master skills that you don’t get in an entry level job. The learning curve is steep, but you’ll gain knowledge and experience you won’t get in the classroom.

Five reasons to consider getting involved in Student Government at nait

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
  • Responsibility: Becoming an elected student leader, a member of NAITSA’s Executive Council, comes with a tremendous responsibility to lead and serve. It provides opportunities to gain invaluable career experience in working as a team, communication, problem solving, negotiation and time management.
  • Leadership Skills: Gain hands-on experience facilitating meetings, leading projects, goal setting, making decisions, and representing your student peers.
  • Confidence Building: Learn to speak up, advocate, and work in professional settings with NAITSA and NAIT staff, faculty, and external partners.
  • Transferable Skills: Develop communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and organizational skills—all valuable in any career.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
  • Workplace Experience: Work alongside full-time staff in a professional office environment, providing a unique bridge between being a student and entering the workforce.
  • Resume Boost: Employers highly value governance and leadership experience—especially roles that involve accountability and decision-making.
CONNECTIONS
  • Networking Opportunities: Build connections with institutional leaders and student leaders from other post secondaries.
  • Student Representation: Work with NAITSA staff, NAIT administrators, politicians, multiple levels of government and successful community leaders. This is the perfect opportunity to build a respected public profile while serving the students of NAIT, who elected you.
  • Contribution: If elected you’ll be a key person providing student perspective to staff and administrators at NAIT, giving back to your school in a way very few students get the opportunity to do. It’s rewarding work ensuring your fellow students are successful in a supportive, healthy and fun campus environment.
MAKING AN IMPACT
  • Student Advocacy: Directly influence changes that improve the student experience, from academic policies to campus services within NAIT and local government.
  • Peer Representation: Be the voice of NAIT students that elected you—listening to concerns and working to address them in meaningful ways.
  • Impact: Leave a lasting impact on campus life and governance that benefits current and future students.
SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

Mentorship & Guidance: Work closely with experienced full-time NAITSA staff who provide training and support.

Collaborative Teamwork: Learn from your fellow student executives, NAITSA staff and board members in a shared governance setting.

Learning by Doing: No prior experience is needed—skills are built as you go with structured support.

Duties & Responsibilities

For a complete list of the duties and responsibilities refer to the NAITSA Bylaws (Sections 5 and 7) but for quick reference here is a short list of things you should expect:

ACCOUNTABILITY
You will report to the student Senate on the performance of duties specific to your role and on the progress of goals you set out to accomplish during your term.
COMMUNICATION
Good leaders communicate well and work to improve their skills. You will participate in and/or chair committees, discuss issues and solve problems with a variety of people, keep your team informed on situations and information relevant to NAITSA, and keep in touch with the students you represent.
LEADERSHIP
From the moment you take office you will become known as a NAITSA Executive, and you will represent not only the student body but also the Students’ Association and NAIT. To fulfill the responsibility of leadership, it is critical to understand how your actions, good or bad, reflect on all of the NAIT community.
HELPING
Students will look to you and the other Executives to do good things for them, whether it’s advocating for more study space or just giving them directions in the hallway. A key responsibility is looking out for the health and well-being of the students you are elected to serve.

Executive Council
Job Summaries

PRESIDENT
The President acts as the student body’s spokesperson, representing NAIT students to internal and external stakeholders, including government and media. The role also includes supporting NAITSA’s operations, in line with its strategic plan.

While financial oversight is shared among all Executive Council (EC) members, the President reviews activities, serves as a signing authority, approves cheques, and monitors credit card usage monthly. The President leads the Executive Director, ensuring daily operations align with student interests.

Key duties include scheduling and leading meetings, preparing agendas, writing reports, attending NAIT and NAITSA committees, and supporting EC members. Advocacy efforts are closely coordinated with the VP External, with the President occasionally serving as ASEC’s voting delegate if required. The position demands flexibility as work hours vary, including attending summer conferences.

VP INTERNAL
The Vice President Internal works to provide services and enhance the student experience outside the classroom. This role addresses non-academic concerns such as food services and study spaces while advocating for student engagement and involvement within the NAIT community.

As VP Internal, you will support the Campus Life department at NAITSA in various capacities, including attending events as a student representative, chairing Ooks Life Team meetings, and participating in club grant review committee meetings.

You will collaborate with your team to ensure the Executive Council remains accessible to students. These efforts include hosting events, communicating through the Ooks Life platform, and organizing ad hoc student check-ins to gather feedback and inform future advocacy efforts.

Building relationships and collaborating with NAIT community departments is essential. You will serve on various committees, providing a student perspective and promoting student success and well-being.

This position requires a flexible schedule as work hours vary.

VP ACADEMIC
The Vice President Academic is the official advocate for students’ academic interests at NAIT. This role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities aimed at representing and amplifying students’ voices in institutional decisionmaking and policy development. Acting as a bridge between students and NAIT leadership, the VPA works to address individual concerns, promote change, and ensure equitable access to academic resources.

In this role, you work closely with NAITSA’s Student Academic Rights Advisor to address individual and systemic academic challenges, advocating for solutions that prioritize students’ needs and success. This position offers opportunities to collaborate with the Office of Student Conduct & Accountability, holds an executive position on NAIT’s Academic Council, and engages with the NAIT Academic Staff Association. Additionally, you will participate in various committees to influence decision-making at NAIT, NAITSA, and externally. These committees can change from year to year.

The VPA acts as the Deputy Returning Officer for elections and referendum, and appoint and mentor students-atlarge to sit as members on NAIT’s Academic Council. This position requires a flexible schedule as work hours vary.

VP EXTERNAL
The Vice President External focuses on advocacy and external relations, representing students to municipal, provincial, and federal governments. This includes meeting with MLAs, MPs, and other stakeholders to address issues like tuition, financial aid, U-Pass, and more. Collaboration with student leaders across Alberta and Canada fosters shared strategies for lobbying and addressing student concerns.

This role also involves advocacy for NAIT’s satellite campuses, ensuring their specific needs are represented. The VP External often serves on ASEC’s Board of Directors, strengthening NAITSA’s voice within the broader advocacy network. Advocacy responsibilities evolve to address emerging student needs, including industry-focused efforts introduced in 2017.

Flexible hours are required, as the VP External attends conferences, primarily in summer, and participates in events to enhance advocacy efforts and build networks.