There were two major things discussed at NAITSA’s third senate meeting on Dec. 3: exceptional tuition increases and the conduct of a senator that earned him a formal warning.
Presentation from External Relations on exceptional tuition increases
First came a presentation from External Relations Director Jason Roth about a NAIT proposal to increase tuition in certain programs. The Government of Alberta has opened up a process for post-secondary institutes to apply for an “exceptional tuition increase” (ETI) — raises to tuition above the 2 per cent overall cap and 10 per cent individual cap.
Roth explained that NAIT is proposing ETIs for 20 programs, with an average of 82 per cent increase. He shared some historical financial data from NAIT’s annual reports to give senators additional context so they can decide “if it’s fair to ask students to pay more.”
NAITSA President Lilly Houcher did clarify his list was not current and that some numbers have changed.
Roth used inflation as a basis for comparison for most of his numbers. Since 2021-22, inflation has increased 17 per cent. He highlighted that since then, NAIT has spent 50.33 per cent more on “institutional support,” which accounts for institution-wide administrative services like executive management, public and government relations, insurance, human resources and more. Roth compared that to spending on student-facing expenses like Instructional Delivery (a 20.09 per cent change) and Student Support (a 33.88 per cent change). Spending on facilities and maintenance decreased 17.82 per cent since 2021/22.
NAIT tuition, fees and revenue:
- Student tuition and fees made up 38 per cent of NAIT’s overall revenue in 2024/25
- NAIT had a $57,353,000 surplus in 2024/25.
- Tuition revenue from international students has increased 217 per cent since 2021/22, and domestic tuition revenue has increased 21.54 per cent.
- Revenue from mandatory non-instructional fees has increased 122 per cent from 2022/23. It went from $2,408,000 in 2022/23 to $5,347,000 in 2024/25.
The senators asked questions about how the proposed increases may hurt domestic enrolment and what else NAIT has done to attempt to cut costs.
Senator formally warned for conduct
The other major part of the Senate meeting was a formal censure (a warning) for Senator Josh Escandor following an in-camera session — meaning the live stream was paused and the Senators went to a private room to discuss.
After the in-camera session, a motion was passed to formally censure Escandor for attending NAITSA’s staff-only holiday party after he was “explicitly and directly informed by NAITSA staff that he was not permitted to attend.” Despite being told not to, the motion explained that Escandor attended the event anyways, interacted with partygoers and had to be asked to leave. The censure passed, was recorded in the minutes and provided to Escandor in writing.
MOTION: Whereas Senator Joshua Escandor was explicitly and directly informed by NAITSA staff that he was not permitted to attend the staff-only holiday party on November 21, 2025, and that whereas the event was private, limited to NAITSA staff and invited guests only, and attendance by non-invited individuals was a breach of protocol. Whereas despite clear communication and boundaries, Senator Escandor entered the event space, interacted with attendees, and had to be asked to leave by event leads, and whereas the Senator acknowledged he was not permitted to be at the event and left only after being confronted by event leads. Be it resolved that the Senate formally censures Senator Escandor for knowingly disregarding boundaries set by NAITSA staff, failing to uphold the standards expected of elected senators, and disrespecting the events’ inclusivity, potentially causing discomfort to NAITSA staff. Be it further resolved that this censure will be recorded in the Senate meeting minutes and communicated to Senator Escandor in writing, and that continued disregard for NAITSA protocols or inappropriate conduct may result in further disciplinary action as permitted by Senate policy and the NAITSA bylaws.
Other Dec. 3 Senate meeting highlights:
- President Lilly Houcher shared that NAITSA is now providing bi-weekly feedback on the Advanced Skills Centre to ensure it has student-focused spaces.
- Houcher also updated on a statement from NAIT regarding collaborating on metrics to measure student engagement. She wasn’t sure what it would look like yet, but would report back to the Senate.
- The Senate spent 20 minutes discussing hot water on campus and if it would be possible to advocate for hot water taps in CAT. VP Internal Teaira Current said it wasn’t on her radar, but she could look into it. Secretary Leeanne Mills added that since hot water taps had been added to Y-building, there had been some interest in other buildings, but there can be risk associated with the higher temperatures.
