och_web_banner

FAQ

Answers to your Frequently Asked Questions!

 

What is SAITSA?

SAITSA is a representative organization that every full-time, part-time, and apprentice student at SAIT Polytechnic is automatically a member of. Founded in 1922, SAITSA is an incorporated not-for-profit organization with some $6 million of revenues each year.

SAITSA’s Mission
The SAIT Students’ Association is a representative organization dedicated to enhancing student life by providing rewarding leadership opportunities and quality services.
SAITSA’s Vision
SAITSA will foster a positive and memorable experience for every SAIT student.

History of SAITSA
A lot has changed since the formation of SAIT’s first Students’ Association in 1922. Enrolment was 811 students when the original SA was formed for the purpose of ‘promoting intellectual and physical improvement and a better social intercourse among the student body.’ The eight governing members of the Association, including a President, Vice President, and Secretary, fulfilled their mandate by organizing a literary society, an athletic association and by hosting biweekly debates for students. The annual association fee was $2. (Before you get upset about this, remember that the Students’ Association was doing a whole lot less back then!)

In 1926 the SA established The Emery Weal, a monthly publication that sold for five cents a copy. (Today SAITSA’s Publications department prints both The Weal newspaper and Emery magazine.) In the years that followed, the Association toiled through financial losses during the Great Depression and a temporary relocation to the Stampede Grounds during the Second World War when the government took over the campus as a wireless training base.
As new tensions developed between students and administration, SAIT’s first Students’ Council was formed in 1967 with representatives from each of the academic departments.  It was Council’s job to enhance communication between students and administration and to bolster school spirit alongside their Students’ Association co-workers.

SAITSA grew to manage several operations on campus over the years, including the Spartacus Lounge (now The Gateway). Back in the day they brought in many small acts for student concerts that would later become famous (including Joni Mitchell, Kiss, and Bryan Adams – we so called it).

Today SAITSA has grown to become a busy and effective revenue-generating organization that works tirelessly both on- and off-campus to serve the best interests of SAIT students.

For more SAITSA history and some hilarious old photos, browse through our Archives.

What operations does SAITSA run on campus?

In an effort to provide student-friendly outlets on campus and to generate additional revenue for SAITSA services and programs, SAITSA runs several businesses on campus.

The Gateway Restaurant & Bar
‘The Gate,’ as it is affectionately known, is our beloved campus bar. With a full-service kitchen and a busy team of staff, The Gate serves food at student-friendly prices. It is also one of Calgary’s premier indie music venues. Last but not least, The Gateway runs a busy catering business. FFWD Weekly consistently nominates The Gate for ‘Best Concert Venue – 500+’ in their annual Best of Calgary awards.

The Odyssey Coffeehouse
Opened in 2008, The Odyssey serves up high quality, direct-trade coffee from Calgary’s own Fratello Coffee Roasters, as well as hot breakfast and lunch. The Odyssey often serves as a space for private functions and acoustic lunchtime concerts. With the addition of a new patio in 2011, this is one of the best study and hang-out spots on campus.

The Station Market
Located in the Senator Burns building, The Station Market serves quick, healthy and delicious food at student-friendly prices. Offerings range from direct-trade Fratello coffee to smoothies made in-house using fresh fruit to gourmet hot dogs to Peppino’s sandwiches.

The Station Express
The Station Express serves up quick and easy snacks and drinks in the Stan Grad Building (next to the SAIT Bookstore).

SAITSA Seconds Lockers & Used Books
SAITSA Seconds does exactly what its name suggests – it sells used textbooks (hit this place up first when you get your book list if you want to save a few dollars!) and runs lockers on campus.

What other things does SAITSA do?

Health & Dental Plan
All SAITSA-fee-paying students are automatically enrolled in the student health and dental plan. Those with existing coverage (through a parent or employer) can opt-out at the beginning of the academic year. SAITSA prides itself on providing an excellent student plan so be sure to read the details of your plan so you know what’s covered.

SAITSA Resource Centre
Located at MC107 in the Stan Grad building, the SAITSA Resource Centre:
- Sells tickets to Gateway events
- Sells discounted tickets to Calgary Flames and Calgary Stampeders games
- Sells Empire Theatre movie passes
- Sells discounted ski hill passes
- Offers free local phone calls and cheap faxing and photocopying
- Manages the microwaves on campus
- Runs the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (i.e. they’ll do your taxes for you, free of charge)
- Administers SAITSA elections

Campus Safewalk
Run out of MC107, Safewalk is supported by a team of volunteers who receive training in first-aid, non-intervention and self-defense. Anyone on the SAIT Campus can call 284-SAFE to be escorted anywhere on campus by two Safewalk volunteers.

SAITSA Publications
Operated at arms-length from SAITSA but supported by student funds, the SAITSA Publications department publishes The Weal newspaper every week, as well as the yearbook, the Student Handbook, and the newly-launched Emery magazine.

Off-Campus Housing
SAITSA maintains a listing of off-campus housing via RentingSpaces.ca. Visit our website for more info.

SAITSA One Card
The SAITSA One Card is an easy-pay card that you can load up with money and use at any of SAITSA’s outlets on campus. If you purchase one at MC107 (SAITSA Resource Centre), we’ll chip in an extra 10%. That’s free money.

SAITSA Awards
Every spring, SAITSA hosts an Awards Banquet to recognize the brightest and hardest-working students SAIT has to offer.

Lobbying
SAITSA is an active member of both the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC), federal and provincial lobby groups that work closely with the government to ensure that student concerns are being heard.

SAITSA Fees Explained

The Post-Secondary Learning Act of Alberta grants authority to the Students’ Association to collect fees in order to fulfill its mandate of representing and serving students. SAITSA collects and applies the fees to the capital asset fund, summer working capital, building fund and general operations, all of which are in place to serve students.

Who pays SAITSA fees?
All full- and part-time students, apprentices, and in certain cases earned revenue students pay SAITSA fees. The actual fee assessment depends on the number of credit hours or apprentice weeks in which a student is enrolled. For more information, see the SAIT fee table at SAIT.ca.

How much are they?
A full fee-paying member is assessed at $119.64 per semester. Students falling outside this classification will be assessed according to the SAIT fee table. Apprentices pay $7.49 per week of study. Health and Dental coverage fees are levied in addition to the SAITSA fees, and are as follows: Health – $120; Dental – $135.

Where do my fees go?

Capital Asset Fund - Purchases, renos and leasehold improvements - $26.34
Restricted Building Fund - To fund a building for SAITSA - $89.95
Summer Working Capital - Operation of SAITSA over the summer - $8.37
General Fund - $114.62, which includes:

  • Lobbying - Annual membership fees (CASA and ASEC) -$17.23
  • Student Resources - Includes Safewalk, Marketing & Communications, etc. - $45.94
  • Publications - Yearbook, The Weal, Emery, and the SAITSA Survival Guide -$33.26
  • General Operations - Day-to-day operations -$18.19

TOTAL: $239.28*
*Numbers may be subject to change without notice. Figures based on full-time enrollment in two semesters.

Who runs SAITSA?

SAITSA is proudly student owned and operated. This means that we are accountable to our members – SAIT students. SAITSA is run by a team of full- and part-time staff and volunteers, all of whom are accountable to our elected student government. Here’s how it works:

Students’ Legislative Council (SLC)
The Students’ Legislative Council serves as SAITSA’s governing body, in accordance with the Post Secondary Learning Act of Alberta. They are responsible for overseeing the business and affairs of SAITSA, and councilors are elected from the members of SAITSA (namely, SAIT students).  SLC elections are held each fall for terms that continue until the end of the academic year in April, and members are elected to represent each school at SAIT. SLC meets twice a month with the Students’ Executive Council (SEC) to discuss student concerns and new business.

Students’ Executive Council (SEC)
The Students’ Executive Council is elected in the spring and takes office in May each year. Any student who pays SAITSA fees is eligible to run for an SEC position. Comprised of four executives, SEC meets weekly and works full-time to ensure that SAITSA is serving students as well as possible.

President
The President is responsible to the Students’ Legislative Council for providing the overall direction and management of SAITSA within the confines of the SAITSA bylaws. The President is accountable for monitoring and directing all SAITSA activities to ensure that SAITSA goals and objectives are met and that the services provided to SAITSA student members are effectively delivered.

VP Finance
The VP Finance is responsible for the finance and human resource programs of SAITSA, as well as for overseeing the student Health & Dental Plan. The VP Finance also plays a strong role in ensuring that SAITSA’s Policies & Procedures support the achievement of SAITSA goals and objectives.

VP Academic
The VP Academic is responsible to act as an advocate on behalf of students at SAIT as well as to facilitate the resolution of student concerns. This is the person to talk to on campus if you have an academic concern of any kind.

VP Student Life
The VP Student Life implements programs and events to promote student life on campus. Working closely with the Events & Programming department and the VP Finance, the VP Student Life also facilities the start-up and administration of student clubs on campus.

SAITSA Staff
SAITSA is run by approximately twenty full-time staff and a great many more part-time and casual staff. Overseen by the General Manager and working closely with SEC, SAITSA staff serve year-round to ensure that SAITSA’s businesses, programs and services are consistently of the highest quality possible and that they meet student needs in an affordable and effective manner.