Acadia
business students make impression on "real world"
For Release: November 19, 2001
(Wolfville,
NS) - They weave through the Internet
analyzing the behaviour of publicly traded corporations using
methods previously confined to Bay Street. They develop and deliver
multi-media presentations making recommendations based on their
analysis. They collaborate in virtual teams using live chat software
to evaluate and critique the work of their peers in real time. And
they haven’t even graduated yet!
Originally
developed as a means of collecting funding for scholarships and
bursaries for graduating business students, the Acadia Real Time
Case Competition (ARTCC) held last week involved competing teams of
students presenting scenario analyses of publicly traded
corporations for the coveted Bruce Galloway Business Award and other prizes. North
American industries that were analyzed include tires, wireless
devices, regional banking, power, oil and gas, processed food,
pharmaceuticals, hardware, rail transportation.
Students
were grouped into teams of four and asked to present a scenario
analysis of an industry using MS power point and Web-based evidence. While a team was presenting, a second virtual team
simultaneously developed a critique of the analysis using ICQ
technology. Ten minutes
after the first presentation was completed, the critiquing team was
asked to rebut their colleagues.
Judges from sponsors such as Irving Oil, Emera, Aliant Inc.,
Maple Leaf Foods and the Canadian National Railway queried both
teams, and awarded prizes to the top three presentation teams and
the top three rebuttal teams.
“The ARTCC gave students the
opportunity to stand up in front of "real world"
executives to present their best intellectual offerings. It further
developed our ability to work effectively in a team-based
environment, and modeled the sort of accountability for our work
that we will face in the real business world.
Finally, it enabled us to forge relationships with executives
from Canadian industries,” said Erin Bresnahan, 4th year business
student.
Dr. Kelvin Ogilvie, President of
Acadia University, who was present for the event, was enthusiastic
about the demonstration of the exceptional learning environment that
faculty and students have created through the Acadia Advantage
Program. “The caliber of the presentations by our students was
exceptional; these are the leaders of tomorrow,” said Dr. Ogilvie.
During
the awards banquet, over 200 students and industry representatives
were entertained with multi-media presentations showcasing
state-of-the-art educational innovations from the Fred C. Manning
School of Business, the Acadia Institute for Teaching and
Technology, and the Acadia Centre for Virtual Learning Environments.
Guest
speaker Dr. Craig S. Fleisher, a professor of strategy and
competition at the University of New Brunswick (Saint John),
discussed the increasing importance of competitive intelligence for
corporations. Approximately $25,000 in scholarships and bursaries
was awarded.
Next
year’s theme, "Thinking Outside the Box: Understanding
the External Pressures on Business and Industry,” will analyze the
pressures that government, media, and special interest groups place
on industries and companies and how they respond.
-30-
For more information contact:
Sheri Woodland
Communications Manager
Office of Public Affairs
Acadia University
(902) 585-1362
Acadia
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