Advocacy
What is the NAITSA Advocacy department?
The NAIT Students’ Association’s Advocacy department manages external relations on behalf of the students’ association. This includes research, government relations, lobbying, as well as addressing and dealing with issues involving NAIT. NAITSA provides a strong voice for students on a wide range of topics including tuition costs, student fees, facilities, academics, government funding, transit and programs for trades.
The External Relations Director, Jason Roth, assists NAITSA’s elected student executives with all research, political issues and external relations.
Tuition and Government Funding
Post-secondary institutions in Alberta are all dealing with cuts to government funding. The Government of Alberta is allowing post-secondary institutions to raise tuition 7% in each of the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years. After this tuition will be restricted to inflation. NAITSA’s Advocacy Department, in association with the Alberta Students Executive Council (ASEC) has proposed alternatives to these increases. NAITSA and ASEC continue to work with the government to keep post-secondary education affordable. NAITSA also works with other students’ associations to promote the importance of post-secondary education.
NAIT’s Direction
The future direction of the institution matters to NAIT students, and therefore the NAIT Students’ Association. We want to ensure that the diplomas, certificates and degrees offered by NAIT remain valuable in the long-term. NAIT has dealt with significant cuts in funding. This has resulted in difficult choices for NAIT. NAITSA continues to ensure that the student voice is heard when these decisions are made.
MANDATORY NON-INSTRUCTIONAL FEES
Mandatory non-instructional fees are fees charged outside of tuition. The Government of Alberta requires that students’ associations approve new mandatory non-instructional fees. This vetting of fees requires that NAITSA examine the case for need made by NAIT. NAITSA has produced a standardized procedure by which new fees can be examined and decided upon. Along with ASEC, NAITSA is lobbying the Government of Alberta for regulations that restrict how these fees increase over time once approved. Currently these fees can be raised without restriction.
STUDENT SAFETY
NAIT should be a safe and welcoming learning environment. A recent report on campus sexual violence showed that 50% of women and 30% of men have experienced sexual assault or harassment in their post-secondary experience in Canada. This is clearly unacceptable and action needs to be taken to ensure that attitudes change.
There are several crosswalks around NAIT that are unsafe. NAITSA is working to have those crosswalks upgraded. Our lobbying efforts with the City of Edmonton have the goal of ensuring that poorly lit or obscured crosswalks will cease to be a safety issue around campus.
Transit Service
Transit service levels to NAIT continue to be a concern, especially at the Souch and Patricia campuses. NAITSA will continue to press the City of Edmonton for greater transit funding and better service to NAIT campuses.
NAITSA sits on the U-Pass Advisory Committee and takes students’ transit related issues directly to the transit providers.
TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION
NAITSA, along with other Edmonton students’ associations, will negotiate a new U-Pass contract for 2025 in the summer of 2024. NAITSA will work hard to achieve the best possible and most fair deal for NAIT students.
NAITSA also continues to work with our transit partners on issues of safety, cleanliness and service quality.
Apprenticeship Issues
Apprentices make up the largest student group at NAIT, and they have unique issues and concerns. NAITSA continues to seek improvements to programs that affect apprenticeship students, such as Employment Insurance and Incentive Grants. Greater student representation at the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board is also sought by NAITSA.
Student Housing
One of the most important issues facing students at NAIT is access to affordable housing. Currently there are no student residences at NAIT, and housing for apprenticeship students from outside of Edmonton is difficult to obtain. NAIT has included a residence in their campus development plan, and NAITSA is working with NAIT on that project.
External Relations Director
The External Relations Director, Jason Roth, assists NAITSA’s elected student executives with all research, political issues and external relations.
JASON ROTH
External Relations Director
jroth@nait.ca
Tuition and Government Funding
Post-secondary institutions in Alberta are all dealing with cuts to government funding. The Government of Alberta is allowing post-secondary institutions to raise tuition 7% in each of the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years. After this tuition will be restricted to inflation. NAITSA’s Advocacy Department, in association with the Alberta Students Executive Council (ASEC) has proposed alternatives to these increases. NAITSA and ASEC continue to work with the government to keep post-secondary education affordable. NAITSA also works with other students’ associations to promote the importance of post-secondary education.
NAIT’s Direction
The future direction of the institution matters to NAIT students, and therefore the NAIT Students’ Association. We want to ensure that the diplomas, certificates and degrees offered by NAIT remain valuable in the long-term. NAIT has dealt with significant cuts in funding. This has resulted in difficult choices for NAIT. NAITSA continues to ensure that the student voice is heard when these decisions are made.
MANDATORY NON-INSTRUCTIONAL FEES
Mandatory non-instructional fees are fees charged outside of tuition. The Government of Alberta requires that students’ associations approve new mandatory non-instructional fees. This vetting of fees requires that NAITSA examine the case for need made by NAIT. NAITSA has produced a standardized procedure by which new fees can be examined and decided upon. Along with ASEC, NAITSA is lobbying the Government of Alberta for regulations that restrict how these fees increase over time once approved. Currently these fees can be raised without restriction.
STUDENT SAFETY
NAIT should be a safe and welcoming learning environment. A recent report on campus sexual violence showed that 50% of women and 30% of men have experienced sexual assault or harassment in their post-secondary experience in Canada. This is clearly unacceptable and action needs to be taken to ensure that attitudes change.
There are several crosswalks around NAIT that are unsafe. NAITSA is working to have those crosswalks upgraded. Our lobbying efforts with the City of Edmonton have the goal of ensuring that poorly lit or obscured crosswalks will cease to be a safety issue around campus.
Transit Service
Transit service levels to NAIT continue to be a concern, especially at the Souch and Patricia campuses. NAITSA will continue to press the City of Edmonton for greater transit funding and better service to NAIT campuses.
NAITSA sits on the U-Pass Advisory Committee and takes students’ transit related issues directly to the transit providers.
TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION
NAITSA, ALONG WITH OTHER EDMONTON STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATIONS, WILL NEGOTIATE A NEW U-PASS CONTRACT FOR 2025 IN THE SUMMER OF 2024. NAITSA WILL WORK HARD TO ACHIEVE THE BEST POSSIBLE AND MOST FAIR DEAL FOR NAIT STUDENTS.
NAITSA ALSO CONTINUES TO WORK WITH OUR TRANSIT PARTNERS ON ISSUES OF SAFETY, CLEANLINESS AND SERVICE QUALITY.
Apprenticeship Issues
Apprentices make up the largest student group at NAIT, and they have unique issues and concerns. NAITSA continues to seek improvements to programs that affect apprenticeship students, such as Employment Insurance and Incentive Grants. Greater student representation at the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board is also sought by NAITSA.
Student Housing
One of the most important issues facing students at NAIT is access to affordable housing. Currently there are no student residences at NAIT, and housing for apprenticeship students from outside of Edmonton is difficult to obtain. NAIT has included a residence in their campus development plan, and NAITSA is working with NAIT on that project.
External Relations Director
The External Relations Director, Jason Roth, assists NAITSA’s elected student executives with all research, political issues and external relations.
JASON ROTH
External Relations Director
jroth@nait.ca