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.
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.
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.
Advocacy Director
The Advocacy 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