Each year NAIT students vote in a new group of student executives to fight for their wants and needs. The students that are voted in make up the Executive Council, a group of student leaders that work to represent the student body in committees and government, and pursue initiatives that impact student life.
There are four positions open: President, who acts as the primary spokesperson for NAITSA and liaisons with NAIT; VP Academic, who represents students in academic related grievances; VP Internal, who works to provide services to students and enhance their overall experience; and VP External, who focuses primarily on external relations and advocacy.
Nominations are currently open for students who have an interest in championing the student voice. Being a part of the Executive Council allows students an opportunity to “gain great experience” and “try out their leadership style,” said Jerilyn Kotelniski, current EC President and the Deputy Returning Office for the current election.
While the position is a full-time one-year term, students can still work and learn at the same time. In fact, students are required to take one class in the fall and winter semesters but can take up to three. Managing the workload can be tough, but Kotelniski explained that being on the EC is a great opportunity to learn time management and organizational skills.
For students worried about their suitability for the position, Kotelniski explained that ECs receive very thorough training to set them up for success. “It’s great to have an understanding of what a student association is [before you start], but you don’t necessarily need it,” said Kotelniski.
“You’re not expected to know it all. You have an Executive Director to lean on, I had an Advocacy Director to help me with media training…anything that you need, it’s there for you.”
Being on the Executive Council also allows students to pursue projects they are passionate about and feel would positively impact students’ lives. “If there are mental health projects that are important to you, or [Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion] projects that are important to you and you think would be important to other students, this is such a great avenue for that,” said Kotelniski.
Nominations for Executive Council close February 1st at 4pm. To qualify, students need 10 people to nominate them and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the Fall 2021 term. For more information about the election, visit https://elections.naitsa.ca/ or contact the Deputy Returning Officer, Jerilyn Kotelniski, at sapresident@nait.ca. To find out more about each of the 4 positions, contact: sapresident@nait.ca, savpacademic@nait.ca, savpinternal@nait.ca, and savpexternal@nait.ca
