New Brunswick Student Alliance

Last updated
New Brunswick Student Alliance
Location Fredericton, New Brunswick
Established1982
PresidentPatrick Hickey (Chair, UNB-SRC)
Vice presidentSarah Kohut (Vice-Chair, STUSU)
Members4 (12,500 students)
Affiliations CASA
Website www.nbsa-aenb.ca

The New Brunswick Student Alliance is a student driven organization that advocates for more than 12,000 post-secondary students across New Brunswick.

Contents

History

The New Brunswick Student Alliance/L'Alliance étudiante du Nouveau-Brunswick (NBSA/AÉNB) is a bilingual student advocacy organization which operates in New Brunswick, Canada. Representing over 12,000 post-secondary students at four university campuses across the province, the NBSA works to convey student issues, concerns, and perspectives to the provincial, federal and inter-provincial government. The NBSA works with the province, university administrators and faculty, and other stakeholders toward its goal of an affordable, accessible, and high-quality post-secondary education system in New Brunswick.

The organization was first established in 1982 as the New Brunswick Coalition of Students. It was founded to better reflect the diversity and needs of New Brunswick post-secondary students than other student organizations that existed in New Brunswick at the time.

In 1983, the NBCS became the NBSA. The organization continued to develop its identity, governance model, and public image throughout the 1980s. In 1986, the NBSA experienced its first major policy success in the awarding of two student representative seats on the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission. Shortly thereafter, the NBSA experienced a decline in participation and folded temporarily.

The 1990s were marked by major cutbacks to the post-secondary education system in New Brunswick. By 1995, the need for a province-based student advocacy movement had resurged and the NBSA was reassembled. The NBSA gained significant exposure in years that followed. It successfully formed relationships with each of the province’s major political parties, seeing all party leaders sign a pledge to help post-secondary students prior to the 1998 New Brunswick election.

The NBSA hired its first Executive Director in the mid-2000s. The organization went on to advocate for the creation of a Post-Secondary Education Commission and a separate government ministry for post-secondary education. In 2006, the NBSA embarked on a large scale campaign to raise awareness of student issues by hosting a “Day of Action,” which saw television, radio, and media ads run during the 2006 provincial election.

A new Post-Secondary Education Commission commenced in 2007. The NBSA recommended a debt cap, improved repayment options for student loans, and tuition regulation. In 2008, the NBSA held demonstrations across the province calling for a cap on student loan debt. In that year’s budget, the provincial government announced the creation of the Timely Completion Benefit that capped student debt at $26,000 and introduced a new repayment assistance program for recent graduates.

In 2010, the Board of Directors eliminated the Executive Director position, electing to operate on a reduced budget without staff support. In 2013, the position was reinstated.

In recent years, the NBSA has re-emerged as a strong voice for post-secondary students in New Brunswick. It has built upon existing relationships with each of the province’s major political parties, and has successfully forged new relationships with government, university administrators, and faculty associations. The NBSA has been very vocal in the past as New Brunswick went through multiple initiatives to report and improve on its post-secondary education system. These include the Commission on Post-secondary Education [1] report "Advantage New Brunswick: A province reaches to fulfill its destiny, [2] the Working Group Report [3] and the final Government of New Brunswick "Action Plan to Transform Post-secondary Education". [4] In addition to being active during the 2014 provincial election, the organization continues to actively meet with Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to provide elected officials with a look into the post-secondary student experience, and to provide suggestions for improving the system in the short- and long-term. [5]

The NBSA’s current policy positions include strategic investments in student financial aid, the elimination of in-study and summer earnings assessments, and an expansion of experiential learning opportunities. In the face of a struggling provincial economy, the NBSA continues to work with all stakeholders toward a better post-secondary system and a stronger New Brunswick.

Structure and staff

The current organizational structure consists of two elected executives and a full-time executive director, working out of an office in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The two executive positions may be held by any student who is a member. The Board of Directors of the NBSA consists, in general, of the Vice-President Externals of member student unions (or VP Education in the case of the St. Thomas University Students' Union) as the voting members and the associated Presidents as observers. All student members are permitted to attend Board meetings and/or participate on committees.

Executive director

Executive Team

Current members

Past executive directors

2019-2020: Kjeld-Mizpah (KJ) Conyers-Steede
2018-2019: Emily Blue
2017-2018: Samuel Titus
2016-2017: Robert Burroughs
2015-2016: Lindsay Handren
2013-2015: Patrick Joyce
2009-2010: Mélissa Cormier
2007-2009: Heather Elliott
2005-2007: Claude Haché

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint John, New Brunswick</span> City in New Brunswick, Canada

Saint John is a seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of George III. The port is Canada's third-largest by tonnage with a cargo base that includes dry and liquid bulk, break bulk, containers, and cruise. The city was the most populous in New Brunswick until the 2016 census, when it was overtaken by Moncton. It is currently the second-largest city in the province, with a population of 69,895 over an area of 315.59 km2 (121.85 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Thomas University (Canada)</span> Small liberal arts university in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

St. Thomas University is a Catholic, English-language liberal arts university located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is a primarily undergraduate university offering bachelor's degrees in the arts, education, and social work to approximately 1,900 students. The average class size is 30 and no class is larger than 60.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Graham</span> Premier of New Brunswick from 2006 to 2010

Shawn Michael Graham is a Canadian politician, who served as the 31st premier of New Brunswick from 2006 to 2010. He was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party in 2002 and became premier after his party captured a majority of seats in the 2006 election. After being elected, Graham initiated a number of changes to provincial policy especially in the areas of health care, education and energy. His party was defeated in the New Brunswick provincial election held September 27, 2010, and Graham resigned as Liberal leader on November 9, 2010.

The New Brunswick Liberal Association, more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal Party or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major provincial political parties in New Brunswick, Canada. The party descended from both the Confederation Party and the Anti-Confederation Party whose members split into left-wing and right-wing groups following the creation of Canada as a nation in 1867.

New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) is a community college located throughout various locations in New Brunswick, Canada including Moncton, Miramichi, Fredericton, Saint John, St. Andrews, and Woodstock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Student Assistance Program</span> Financial aid program in Ontario

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) (French: Régime d'aide financière aux étudiantes et étudiants de l'Ontario ) is a provincial financial aid program that offers grants and loans to help Ontario students pay for their post-secondary education. OSAP determines the amount of money that a student is eligible to receive by considering factors such as tuition, course load, and the financial resources of the student. More than 380,000 students – more than half of all full-time students –received student financial aid in 2014-15.

Kelly Lamrock is a lawyer and political consultant in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was previously a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak, and Minister of Social Development in the New Brunswick cabinet before opening Lamrock's Law in Fredericton.

Government sponsored Student Loans in Canada was designed to help post-secondary students pay for their education in Canada. The federal government funds the Canada Student Loan Program (CSLP) and the provinces may fund their own programs or be integrated with the CSLP. In addition, Canadian banks offer commercial loans targeted for students in professional programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher education in Ontario</span> Colleges and universities in Ontario, Canada

Higher education in Ontario includes postsecondary education and skills training regulated by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and provided by universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and private career colleges. The current minister is Jill Dunlop who was appointed in June 2021. The ministry administers laws covering 22 public universities, 24 public colleges, 17 privately funded religious universities, and over 500 private career colleges. 18 of the top 50 research universities in Canada are in Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher education in Canada</span> Universities, colleges, trade schools and related

Higher education in Canada includes provincial, territorial, indigenous and military higher education systems. The ideal objective of Canadian higher education is to offer every Canadian the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to realize their utmost potential. It aspires to cultivate a world-class workforce, enhance the employment rate of Canadians, and safeguard Canada's enduring prosperity. Higher education programs are intricately designed with the perspective of the learner in focus, striving to mitigate risks and assure definite outcomes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher education in Alberta</span>

Higher education in Alberta refers to the post secondary education system for the province of Alberta. The Ministry of Advanced Education in Alberta oversees educational delivery through universities, publicly funded colleges, technical institutions, and private colleges. These institutions offer a variety of academic and vocational pursuits. Students have access to post-secondary options through most regions of Alberta, and a developed articulation system allows for increased student mobility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher education in Prince Edward Island</span>

Higher education in Prince Edward Island refers to education provided by higher education institutions in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. In Canada, education is the responsibility of the provinces and there is no Canadian federal ministry governing education. Prince Edward Island has two post-secondary institutions authorized to grant degrees: one university, the University of Prince Edward Island, and one college, Maritime Christian College. There are also two community colleges: Holland College, which operates centres across the province, and Collège de l'Île, which offers post secondary education in French. The governing body for higher education in Prince Edward Island is the Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning, headed by the Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning, the Honourable Allen Roach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher education in New Brunswick</span>

Higher education in New Brunswick refers to education provided by higher education institutions in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Higher education has a rich history in New Brunswick. The first English-language university in Canada was the University of New Brunswick. Mount Allison University was the first in the British Empire to award a baccalaureate to a woman, Grace Annie Lockhart, B.Sc. in 1875. Education is the responsibility of the provinces in Canada and there is no federal ministry governing it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher education in Nova Scotia</span>

Higher education in Nova Scotia refers to education provided by higher education institutions. In Canada, education is the responsibility of the provinces and there is no Canadian federal ministry governing education. Nova Scotia has a population of less than one million people, but is home to ten public universities and the Nova Scotia Community College, which offers programs at 13 locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaine Higgs</span> Premier of New Brunswick since 2018

Blaine Myron Higgs is a Canadian politician who is the 34th and current premier of New Brunswick since 2018 and leader of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Gallant</span> Premier of New Brunswick from 2014 to 2018 (born 1982)

Brian Alexander Gallant is a Canadian politician who served as the 33rd premier of New Brunswick from October 7, 2014, until November 9, 2018. Of Acadian and Dutch descent, Gallant practised as a lawyer before winning the Liberal leadership in October 2012, securing the riding of Kent in a by-election on April 15, 2013, shortly followed by his swearing in as Leader of the Opposition. After the 2014 election, in which the Progressive Conservative government of David Alward was defeated, Gallant was sworn in as Premier at the age of 32.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">58th New Brunswick Legislature</span>

The 58th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly was created following a general election in 2014 and dissolved on August 23, 2018, for the new general election.

The education system of New Brunswick comprises public and private primary and secondary schools and post-secondary institutions. By the British North America Act, 1867, education falls entirely under provincial jurisdiction. There is no federal government department or agency involved in the formation or analysis of policy regarding education. Also by constitutional right, Roman Catholics are entitled to their own school system; this led in New Brunswick to contention in the early years of the nation, and, in 1871, to the first case sent from Canada to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, Maher v Town Council of Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Administrative divisions of New Brunswick</span> Local governance in New Brunswick

The Canadian province of New Brunswick is divided into 89 local entities, consisting of 77 local governments and 12 rural districts.

References

  1. ↑ "Commission on Post-Secondary Education | Commission sur l'éducation postsecondaire". Gnb.ca. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  2. ↑ "Advantage New Brunswick" (PDF). Gnb.ca. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  3. ↑ "A New Model for Public Engagement; The Final Report of the Public Engagement Initiative" (PDF). Gnb.ca. April 2008. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  4. ↑ "Action Plan to Transform Post-Secondary Education - Progress Report". Gnb.ca. 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  5. ↑ [ dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Mta Sac". Archived from the original on 2008-10-14. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  7. ↑ "unbsrc". Unbsrc.ca. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  8. ↑ "STUSU - St. Thomas University Students' Union". Archived from the original on 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.