Here’s what our current Chair, Timothy Jobs, had to say during yesterday’s announcement:

My name is Timothy Jobs and I am delighted to be here today to speak on behalf of our province’s post-secondary students.

I am currently the Chair of the Alberta Students’ Executive Council, an advocacy group that represents over half of the province’s quarter-million students, attending technical institutions, universities, and colleges across Alberta.

Investing in Alberta Students

The idea that blossomed into the Serving Communities internship program came from the clear need to find innovative solutions to increase the affordability of our post-secondary system.

Without question, the pursuit of a post-secondary education is the most important and financially significant investment a young person can make in his or her future.

And it is also one of the most important investments taxpayers can make. For every dollar invested in our post-secondary education system, three dollars and eight cents are returned in the form of greater economic output, and lower costs for social programs.

So it is critically important that students have the necessary tools – beyond merely loans and scholarships – to manage the costs of pursuing a post-secondary credential.

With this in mind, two years ago, our council pitched a simple idea: create a program to reward students for using their skills to benefit their communities.

The Serving Communities internship program promises to do exactly this, and much much more.

Connecting Students and Communities

For students, it creates both short-term and long-term solutions to increase the affordability of education. In the short-term, it provides students with a significant bursary to be used towards the costs of pursuing their studies, and in the long term, it allows students to gain important skills needed build meaningful careers.

It also demonstrates that students are committed stakeholders in their communities, working to strengthen the fabric of the non-profit organizations, which provide key services and add vibrancy to their communities.

Imagine fine arts students from ACAD or Red Deer College teaching art-making to at-risk youth. Or information technology students from NAIT or the University of Calgary delivering internet tutoring at seniors homes. Or education students from Mount Royal Univrersity, Grant MacEwan University, Keyano College, or the University of Lethbridge designing curriculum programs at their local YMCA. The possibilities are limited only by our collective imagination.

Partners in Collaboration
What is exciting about the Serving Communities internship program is that it does more than increase community cohesion and affordability of our post-secondary system – it also demonstrates the potential of involving students as active partners in the policy creation process.

Over the past two years, we were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, support and encouragement we received from the Government of Alberta and Volunteer Alberta in helping nurture Serving Communities from a blue-sky idea to an on-the-ground reality.

We stand here today as proud partners in the success of this program.

We are thrilled to see the needs of Alberta students being addressed by the Government of Alberta in a way that benefits both the non-profit sector and post-secondary students.

This new and innovative way of giving students support they need to succeed during, and after, their studies, is a win-win-win for communities, the Government of Alberta and students across the province.

We thank the government, especially Premier Stelmach, Minister Weadick and Minister Blackett, for their support in making this program a priority now.

Learn more at joinscip.ca

ASEC is recruiting for two positions: a summer STEP researcher [see position profile], and a part-time Executive Assistant [see position profile here].

Applications are open now, and close on April 22 and 29. Please email your resume to ed[at]albertastudents.ca

Note: ASEC is an equal opportunity employer.

February 25, 2011

Edmonton, AB – Students at Alberta’s universities, technical institutes and colleges commend Budget 2011 for protecting grants and scholarships for students and stabilizing funding to post-secondary institutions.

“On the whole, it’s a balanced approach which takes into consideration the primary needs of students and institutions, which isn’t easy to achieve in times of fiscal constraint,” says Steven Kwasny, Chair of the Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC).

But students caution that the two-year suspension to the Access to the Future fund, which matched community contributions for student awards, capital projects and other initiatives, will have a negative impact on scholarships funded by the community. “From 2006 to 2009, the Fund boosted community-driven scholarships to nearly $30M” said Kwasny. “Without Access to the Future, an important on-ramp for students in need is now closed for maintenance.”

The Alberta Students’ Executive Council represents over 120,000 students from 12 colleges, technical institutes and universities across the province.

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Steve Kwasny, Chair Carol Neuman, Executive Director
403-896-1560 780-437-4531

Edmonton, AB – The Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC) welcomed incoming Advanced Education Minister Greg Weadick on Thursday.

Steven Kwasny, ASEC Chairperson, noted that previous Ministers have always been keen collaborators with ASEC, and worked closely with students to ensure fairness in tuition fees and funding. Kwasny added that the same is already true of incoming Minister Greg Weadick.

“Students feel confident that Minister Greg Weadick, who has spent a year as the Parliamentary Assistant for the Ministry, can hit the ground running in his new role. We look forward to a smooth transition into working with Minister Weadick,” said Kwasny.

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For more information, please contact:
Steven Kwasny
ASEC Chair
403-896-1560

Carol Neuman
ASEC Executive Director
780-437-4531

Edmonton, AB – The Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC) thanked outgoing Advanced Education Minister Doug Horner for his improvements to the post-secondary education system on Friday.

“The modernization Minister Horner brought to the Alberta post-secondary system has greatly benefited Alberta students. Today, students have greater access to high-quality programs across the province, including at ASEC’s two new universities, Grant MacEwan and Mount Royal,” said Steven Kwasny, Chair of ASEC. “We wish Minister Horner the best in his future pursuits.”

Kwasny noted that Minister Horner was always a keen collaborator with ASEC, and worked closely with students to ensure fairness in tuition fees and funding. “ASEC looks forward to continuing to cultivate the spirit of collaboration we have enjoyed over the last five years.”

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For more information, please contact:
Steven Kwasny
ASEC Chair
403-896-1560

Carol Neuman
ASEC Executive Director
780-437-4531

Edmonton, AB – The Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC) commended Premier Stelmach for his years of public service and record of post-secondary education support on Wednesday.

“Twenty-five years of public service is an achievement few people realize, and a sacrifice even fewer are willing to make,” said Steven Kwasny, Chair of ASEC. “We thank Premier Stelmach for his dedication to the province and wish him well in his future endeavors”.

Kwasny added that the Premier was a friend to Alberta post-secondary students, who, along with Advanced Education Minister Doug Horner, regulated tuition fees, increased core funding for post-secondary institutions, and expanded access to programs within Campus Alberta.

“Despite the challenging economic times in which the Premier governed, the post-secondary education system received needed stabilization and support” said Kwasny. “Alberta students sincerely hope that Premier Stelmach’s successor follows this prudent, predictable approach.”

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For more information, please contact:

Steven Kwasny
ASEC Chair
403-896-1560

Carol Neuman
ASEC Executive Director
780-437-4531

Sweeping new proposed federal copyright legislation, known as Bill C-32, raises a number of substantive concerns. These range from novel legal interpretations of the scope and reach of copyright itself, to over-reaching mechanisms for the administration of the Access Copyright tariff.

Access Copyright – a collective that licenses copyrighted works – currently levies a significant fee from postsecondary institutions for their use of copyrighted materials. This fee is passed along to students, who collectively pay tens of millions of dollars to Access Copyright every year.

The proposed tariff, referred to in Bill C-32 as a “Statement of Proposed Royalties” goes far beyond merely changing an existing payment schedule. This “Statement of Proposed Royalties” attempts to redefine how post-secondary educational institutions would carry out their mission. The proposed tariff, if passed, would mandate particular responsibilities; impose a technology mandate; and mandate the design of certain campus-wide information systems, to monitor usage of educational content across campus and beyond.

Currently, the Access Copyright royalty costs institutions $3.38 per student. Should the new Access Copyright tariff be implemented, the royalty rate would increase to $45.00 per full-time equivalent student for Universities, and $35.00 per full-time equivalent student for other educational institutions. Neither Bill-32 nor Access Copyright offers a substantial justification for this royalty, or the 1300% increase.

In addition to needlessly increasing costs, this proposed tariff imposes an attribution requirement so that all copies, digital and physical, are clearly attributed to their copyrighted source material. This attribution requirement is impractical for any “Digital Copy” and for many reproductions that otherwise fall within the meaning of “Copy” under the proposed legislation. The attribution requirement creates an absurd burden for all educational institutions. To comply with this requirement, an institution would need to put in place the infrastructure and processes to digitally stamp every digital copy printed, e-mailed, uploaded, stored, posted, transmitted, projected, displayed, or otherwise linked. At a time where budgets are being cut, it is too much to ask of our institutions to increase their costs for such an arbitrary regulation. Educational institutions simply lack the capacity to meet this lofty requirement.

A better deal must be struck.

Many Alberta post-secondary institutions have decided to shelter themselves and students from the shock of this new fee by not renewing their licensing agreements with Access Copyright past 2010. We believe this decision is in the best interests of Alberta students and our post-secondary education system. The Alberta Students’ Executive Council stands firm with our institutions in opposing increases to this fee, and seeks a more equitable system of balancing the needs of content creators and post-secondary students.

It is in the best interest of all Albertans to ensure that learning at all levels be accessible, and, no costs increase without due cause.
Yours sincerely,

Steven Kwasny
Chair, Alberta Students’ Executive Council

[Download copy PDF here: ASEC Open Letter - Access Copyright Tariff]

September 24, 2010

Information for Learners Awaiting a Funding Decision

Due to a recent backlog of applications, some learners are facing financial emergencies while awaiting a funding decision.

Alberta Employment and Immigration offers emergency benefits to those learners who find themselves in serious financial need. In order to serve those learners in need, two Alberta Works offices will be opened on Saturday, September 25.

Where:
Edmonton – City Centre LMIC
10242 – 105 Street

Calgary – Calgary North LMIC
1st Floor One Executive Place
1816 Crowchild Trail NW

When: Saturday, September 25
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Learners who need emergency assistance are asked to bring the necessary paperwork, including:

• Government-issued photo I.D.
• Immigration papers
• Eviction notice
• Final notice for utilities
• Any other paperwork that would apply to their financial emergency
• A completed Income Support application (if possible)

Learners applying for emergency benefits must also bring their spouse and children. If their children are not present, identification for the child(ren), such as a medical services card, is acceptable.

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NOTE: You can get an electronic version of the Income Support application forms here: http://www.employment.alberta.ca/documents/FCH/FCH-IS_EMP3428.pdf

Non-perishable food, grocery store gift cards and transit tickets are most needed and can be dropped off at:

NorQuest College Students’ Association
#121, 10215-108 Street
Edmonton, AB

Students’ Association of Bow Valley College
RM249 332 – 6 Ave SE
Calgary, AB

“This crisis could have been easily averted and it’s embarrassing that this situation has been allowed to continue for four weeks, ” says Steven Kwasny, Chair of the Alberta Students Executive Council (ASEC).
ASEC Media Release – Funding crisis
The cause is a computer glitch that has held up learner assistance normally provided by the Ministry of Employment and Immigration to students in need by early September. Emergency measures promised by the government have not alleviated the crisis, and over 3300 students at colleges and technical institutes across the province will have to wait until mid-October for help from the government. Emergency measures promised by Minister Lukaszuk have fallen short.

“This is dark mark for Alberta’s post-secondary education system. It’s a really sad state when we literally have students starving” said Kwasny. “We have programs to ensure that kindergarten students don’t go without breakfast, yet we’re letting adult learners who depend on government support go hungry.”

Students associations at Bow Valley College and NorQuest College have been asked to provide relief efforts for affected students. ASEC is calling on the Ministry of Employment and Immigration to take immediate action to help out the affected students. “Ultimately, it is up to the government to coordinate efforts, not resource-strapped community food banks or students associations,” said Kwasny.