When students normally think of NAITSA, they may visualize events, services, or the U-Pass. But offstage, behind closed doors, the NAITSA Senate plays a crucial role in student governance — drafting and passing bylaws and holding the Executive Council accountable. Decisions made in the senate influence all NAIT students, either directly or indirectly, even if they don’t often realize.
The Nugget interviewed Danielle Libunao, who served as a student Senator for two years before assuming her current position as NAITSA’s VP Academic. According to Libunao, students should care about the Senate because it’s the governing body of NAITSA.
“Every student who’s taking a course, a credited course at NAIT, pays a NAITSA fee. And if you’re part of the Senate, you have a better idea of how those fees are being spent, how the Students’ Association is creating services for students to benefit from,” she explains.
For Libunao, the Senate became more than a governing body; it was a turning point in her time at NAIT.
“It meant a second chance for me to get involved on campus,” she says. “I was trying all these different things out and I was like, ‘Oh, Senate, let’s give it a try.’”
That idea opened unexpected doors. “I learned that I really love governance because it really related to my area of study of HR and professional development,” she says.
Senators serve on subcommittees, and Libunao, a Business student studying Human Resources, challenged herself by choosing the finance subcommittee over governance. “I was like, ‘let’s do this.’ And I learned to love it. A lot.”
Decisions have real life impact
Bylaws passed by the Senate affect students in real life. Libunao experienced this herself when she ran for NAITSA VP Academic and found herself bound by the voter interference bylaw she had helped pass as a Senator. “It became a really pressing issue and it was the first time we had to put something forward like that since it was sort of happening consistently,” she says.
“I was part of that board that passed this bylaw. So it directly affected me as well and it just gives you a really good idea of, okay, that’s the board that makes these types of decisions, no one else.”
Beyond bylaws and budgets, the Senate helped her build lasting connections. The Senate consists of 12 elected student Senators representing a total of five electoral zones across campus. Libunao says the Senate was an opportunity to hear “everyone’s perspectives on things and being able to contribute together in that.”
“We’re all students and you could see the different types of students there are, and it’s very diverse,” says Libunao.
The student Senators and Senate meetings are facilitated by the Chair of the Senate, an outsourced student governance professional with no ties to NAITSA. The Chair provides guidance to Senators and helps the elected students learn how professional meetings are run.
For student Senators, Libunao believes courage matters more than experience. “I think you could build confidence in this role. Just because you are in a meeting with Executive Council, for some students it could be intimidating.” But as a former Senator and now a member of the Executive Council, Libunao says she wants to give students the impression that ECs are students, too. “We’re all in the same boat.”
Students should stay informed
Even for students who aren’t a part of the Senate, there are ways to stay engaged and informed. The 10 Senate meetings each year are livestreamed, and “all students are welcome to attend our board meetings as an observer” by request, according to NAITSA’s website.
Libunao says students can contact Executive Council members to bring any pressing issues up. “Maybe this is something we could advocate on their behalf, or bring up to Senate.”
Some students may be hesitant to engage in campus politics, but student governance ensures their NAITSA fees are being spent effectively. “I say try and come to the idea of Senate with an open mind,” Libunao says. Student Senators are elected by the student body, so students have a choice in who sits on their governing board with the Executive Council. NAIT students can vote for nominated Senators from Oct. 10-15. For more information on the NAITSA Senate, visit the NAITSA website.
