I first started working at SAIT not long ago after having left another post-secondary institution. At first I thought it was a great, great place, until I tried to advance, at which point I learned from many other SAIT employees that they DO NOT like you to move from the position you're in. They want you to stay where you are, so if you're even thinking about moving up to another pay grade, don't even bother because chances are they won't let you. I definitely found this out the hard way.
SAIT can be quite hierarchical and the treatment of assistants is very reminiscent of downtown oil and gas setups where they're treated more like maids, servants and housekeepers than people who can actually take on responsibility regardless of how qualified and experienced they are. Instructors who are incapable of tying their own shoes are left to teach the students which results in a large body of students who, in turn, have a hard time sorting themselves out.
SAIT definitely coddles students too much and expects very little of them, not to mention lets them get away with treating staff horribly; I can't count the number of times I've been yelled at by an irrationally irate student and management never lifts a finger to instigate change, nor do they condone the behaviour of staff insisting on getting respect from students.
There is a huge unbalanced focus at SAIT right now, and they are moving in the direction of focusing solely on international recruitment which will definitely hurt it in the long run (not many spots available for Canadian students thus leaving a large uneducated body in our economy) but all they can see are the dollar signs. The alternative to this is that SAIT pays its staff well and encourages covered PD conferences on occasion.
Compared to another big institution in Calgary, it's pretty good, but it's FAR from perfect. Think of SAIT as a stepping stone to bigger and better things, NOT as somewhere to settle in and move up, because you probably won't.

Posted on 19 August 2014 by Rater #13 | Flag as inappropriate

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