Download - Aspire - Winter 2013

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BUILDING BRIDGESSupply Chain Management program strengthens bonds with energy andconstruction sectors

THE PARTNERSHIP ISSUE

VOL. 4 ISSUE 2 WINTER/SPRING 2013

BEYOND THE NUMBERSResearch yields a new performance framework for business

INNOVATION EXCHANGEInternational knowledge gained through cross-border connections

A partnership between MacEwan University students and Baba’s Own revives the social enterprise

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26 No BoundariesMacEwan University hosts international students from India’s Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research

28 Swinging for SuccessEdmonton’s new Quarry Golf Club is run by graduates from MacEwan University’s Professional Golf Management program

37 Institute for Asia Pacifi c Studies Explores Chinese investment in Alberta’s oil sands

PROBLEM SOLVERS

When MacEwan University students made the case for

saving Baba’s Own, the leaders of the social enterprise listened

WINTER/SPRING 2013THE PARTNERSHIP ISSUE

RESEARCH MATTERS

CONTENTS

PEOPLE@MACEWAN

38 Faculty Profi lesThrough extra efforts to engage students, two MacEwan University faculty are creating more responsible leaders

40 Student and Grad Profi lesA MacEwan University student is building community through the campus club he founded, while an entrepreneur credits MacEwan for instilling work ethic

4Message From the Dean

5Message from the Associate Dean

6Around MacEwan

42SpringboardDynamic classes and course material set the stage for a vibrant career

DEPARTMENTS

35 Beyond the NumbersTwo researchers are building a new performance model for business, which considers social, sustainable, economic and environmental factors

FINANCIAL WIZARDSStudents in a market research class put their textbook learning into practice when they conducted focus group discussions and surveys at local high schools

15 Learning Together

MacEwan University’s Corporate Learning and Continuing Education department partners

with Canadian Western Bank to develop a comprehensive training program

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18 Constructing Partnerships

By considering the construction industry, in addition to the oil and gas sector, MacEwan University

diversifi es the abilities of its supply chain students

22 Mutual Benefi ts

The successful relationship between Intact Insurance and MacEwan University’s Insurance

and Risk Management program proves the importance of clear communication

24Work Term Winners

Cooperation between West Fraser Co. and MacEwan University has been a bonus to all involved

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MacEwan University School of Business aspire p.3


www.MacEwan.ca/businessp.4 aspire

FROM THE DEAN

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jana Clarke

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERJoyce Byrne

CONSULTING EDITOR Cailynn Klingbeil

ART DIRECTOR Charles Burke

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Andrea deBoer

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Colin Spence

EDITORIAL ADVISORY Jana Clarke, Robert Dean, Mike Henry

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Caroline Barlott, Caleb Caswell, Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Adrienne Hill, Matt Hirji, Omar Mouallem, Michelle Lindstrom, Robin Schroffel, Kelley Stark, Doug Yearwood

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS Bluefish, Jana Clarke, Buffy Goodman, Eugene Uhuad, Constantine Tanasiuk Aspire is published by MacEwan University School of Business to celebrate student, faculty and staff successes.

Aspire is published by MacEwan University in conjunction with Venture Publishing Inc.

If you would like to receive additional copies or be placed on the regular mailing list for ASPIRE, please contact: MacEwan University10700 - 104 Avenue, Room 7-252Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2 780.633.3785

Contents copyright 2012 by MacEwan University. No part of this publication should be reproduced without written permission.

Canada Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement # 40063489. Return undeliver-able mail to MacEwan University 10700 - 104 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2

ELSIE ELFORD

Partnerships provide strength – not only in numbers – but through the exchange of knowledge and experience. At MacEwan University School of Business we strive to provide as much contact by our students to the real world of business, both locally and internationally, as possible.

We work to create partnerships at many levels. We invite industry experts to sit down with us on program advisory councils to talk, without inhibition, to ensure our curriculum meets their needs. We host and participate in events, like the Edmonton Chamber’s Small Business Week Kick Off, or our own Student Business Conference, to provide our students with direct contact and conversation with business experts. And we place our students, through short term practicums and year long co-operative education initiatives right into the workplace.

Then, we also offer an international study tour opportunity, open to all business students. So our students can expand their classroom experience into the real world.

This issue of Aspire highlights some of the partnerships, activities and events School of Business faculty and students are involved in. Partnerships like Enactus students promoting Baba’s Own; work term placements with companies like PCL, Intact Insurance, West Fraser, and more; and networking events like Avenue Edmonton’s Top 40 under 40 event – hosted by a group of our Public Relations students.

We find great strength for our students in partnerships, strength that allows them to ‘hit the ground running’ in their careers. As you read through the following pages, I’m sure you will find that our business and academic partners find strength in these relationships as well. And, I encourage you to ask yourself how partnering with the School of Business can be of benefit to your organization.

We are fortunate to work and partner with some exceptional people, businesses, and academic institutions around the world. Through these partnerships we create an environment where our students can apply skills and maximize their education.

Elsie Elford, BA, LL.B Dean, School of Business

MESSAGE


MESSAGE

Alberta has always been a land of pioneers and innovators. Our entrepreneurial spirit is evidenced throughout our province, and in our classrooms here at MacEwan University School of Business.

Our faculty and students strive to create partnerships with businesses that connect classroom learning to the real world of work – locally and internationally. As our university continues to grow and internationalize, the demand to think outside our borders in formation of partnerships grows as well.

This September, I visited the China University of Petroleum in Beijing (CUPB) to discuss increased collaboration between CUPB and our School of Business. These discussions led to a visit and lecture by Dr. Lianyong Feng, on his research on Chinese investment in Alberta’s oilsands, found in this edition of Aspire on page 37.

Students from the Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development in Mumbai, India visited MacEwan University (page 26). Last year, our own students visited their institution, and a more study tours are planned with education and industry partners in China, Brazil, India and Europe.

Our local partnerships are the foundation that connects our students and faculty to Alberta business. Co-op placements, internships, business consulting experience, marketing research projects for local businesses, industry speakers, career mixers and business-based applied research projects are all examples of the support and collaboration between our School and Edmonton’s business community.

This issue of Aspire highlights just a few of the partnerships formed and fostered over many years. I encourage you to visit our campus or contact us to learn more. Our contact information can be found to the left on this page, with more information available at www.MacEwan.ca/Business.

Mike Henry Associate Dean, MacEwan University School of Business

MIKE HENRY

FROM THE ASSOCIATE DEAN

MacEwan School of Business aspire p.5

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jana Clarke

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERJoyce Byrne

CONSULTING EDITOR Cailynn Klingbeil

ART DIRECTOR Charles Burke

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Andrea deBoer

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Colin Spence

EDITORIAL ADVISORY Jana Clarke, Robert Dean, Mike Henry

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Caroline Barlott, Caleb Caswell, Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Adrienne Hill, Matt Hirji, Omar Mouallem, Michelle Lindstrom, Robin Schroffel, Kelley Stark, Doug Yearwood

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS Bluefish, Jana Clarke, Buffy Goodman, Eugene Uhuad, Constantine Tanasiuk Aspire is published by MacEwan University School of Business to celebrate student, faculty and staff successes.

Aspire is published by MacEwan University in conjunction with Venture Publishing Inc.

If you would like to receive additional copies or be placed on the regular mailing list for ASPIRE, please contact: MacEwan University10700 - 104 Avenue, Room 7-252Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2 780.633.3785

Contents copyright 2012 by MacEwan University. No part of this publication should be reproduced without written permission.

Canada Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement # 40063489. Return undeliver-able mail to MacEwan University 10700 - 104 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2

VOLUME 4 Issue 2Winter/Spring 2013


Women Win Bronze at CCAA National Golf Championship

For the fourth time in as many years, the MacEwan Griffins Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams have competed in the Canadian College Athletics Association (CCAA) National Golf Championship. During the week of October 15 – 19, the National Tournament was hosted by the Durham College Lords at the beautiful Oshawa Golf and Country Club in Ontario.

Top teams (15 Men’s teams and 10 Women’s teams) from across Canada qualified for the event including teams from B.C. (4), Alberta (4), Ontario (6), Quebec (4) and Atlantic Canada (1).

The event included three rounds of competitive golf, a skills competition and the CCAA Awards Banquet, where the

BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS: The 2012 MacEwan Griffins Women’s Golf Team

2012 CCAA All-Canadians and 2012 CCAA Golf Coach of the Year were announced. This is the first year that the CCAA appointed All-Canadians for the sport of golf.

The Griffins teams enjoyed three days of ups and downs, with the women’s team victorious with a bronze medal. The men’s team placed 7th, but with such low scores on day one and three to solidify the team as one of the top teams in the country. “The guys played so great on day one and put themselves where they wanted to be on the leader board. Unfortunately, all it takes at the national level is one day and you get pushed out of the medals, and that’s what happened on the second day for them,” comments Coach Jodi Campbell. “On the flip side, the women really came out and showed what they can do. They launched themselves back into this competition with their scores. It was one of the best team performances of the year.”

Congratulations to Rachel Whyte, Sydney J. Parker, and Megan Vermillion (pictured in order above, flanked by coaches Jodi Campbell on the left and Alan Riley to the right).


AroundMacEwan


MacEwan University School of Business works to connect their students, not only with the business world, but to academics from across the country and around the world. Dr. Howard Lin, from the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University, visited MacEwan University in mid-September. MacEwan University filled every moment of his time, meeting with deans and faculty to discuss his experience with Ryerson’s transition from a college to a university, and delivering several presentations to faculty, students and the business community. His talks focused on the changing organizational landscape in China, which were very well received.

A Memorandum of Understanding between MacEwan University School of Business and the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade’s International Business School was signed in September 2012. This partnership allows MacEwan University School of Business students to participate in a collaborative International Trade Simulation course.

Students play the role of simulated companies in their respective countries to trade goods mainly between China and Canada - busi-ness students in the US and Taiwan also participate. Students gain experience in negotiation, export price calculation, export contract drafting, letter of credit checking, customs clearance, shipping and documentation.

School of Business + Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade = International Connections

Visiting Scholar Howard Lin

COMING TOGETHER: Delegates from MacEwan University and the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade’s International School of Business

aspire p.7MacEwan University School of Business


McLennan Ross Sun Junior Golf Tour

AroundMacEwan

MacEwan University School of Business has been sponsoring the Alberta Junior Golf Tour for approximately five years. The goal of the tour is to provide junior golfers in Alberta the opportunity to develop their golf games in a series of coordinated tournaments throughout Alberta in a fun, but competitive environment. As MacEwan University offers Professional Golf Management as a major of the Business Management diploma, the tour is an incredible fit – promoting the program directly to young people with a love of the sport.

Small Business WeekAs a sponsor of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week initiatives, MacEwan University School of Business was pleased to host the kick off event for the week. Small Business Week is an annual national event. This year’s theme Aim High! Invest in Your Future, resonated with students, many of whom will own their own businesses – and some who do already. This event was a great example of the networking opportunities MacEwan University provides to connect students with the real world of business.

NEXT GENERATION: Junior golfers from across Alberta com-pete in the McLennan Ross Sun Junior Golf Tour every year



Put Accounting Employers and Students in one Room and what do you get? SuccessOver 120 employers and students from the accounting industry came together at MacEwan University South Campus on October 25 to meet, greet and seek employment or employees. MacEwan University offers a wide variety of accounting options, including a diploma, applied degree and four-year degree with an accounting major. Many students in attendance sought work placement to complete their applied degree or co-op diploma requirement. Others were in search of part-time, summer, or permanent employment. Whatever the reason, all employers left loaded down with student resumes and business cards. And all agreed they had found some great prospects.

ADVANCED ACCOUNTING: Janet Paterson-Weir, Provost & EVP Academic; Joy Thomas, President & CEO of CMA Canada; Elsie Elford, Dean, MacEwan University School of Business

MacEwan University School of Business recently received confirmation of accreditation with the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada). This Certified Management Accountants (CMA) accreditation will allow high achievers in the Bachelor of Commerce degree an exemption from the CMA Canada Entrance Exam and registration into the Strategic Leadership program.

“Receiving this accreditation is a recognition of the quality of our curriculum by CMA Canada,” says Elsie Elford, Dean of MacEwan University School of Business. “They are recognizing the unique at-tributes placed into this degree – the focus on connecting our students to the real world of work and the importance we place on communication skills through things like group work and case competitions.”

Launched in fall, 2010, the Accounting major was the fourth major launched in the Bachelor of Commerce degree. This major rounds out MacEwan University’s accounting offerings, which still include a diploma and applied degree.

CMA Accreditation – Recognizing Quality Accounting Curriculum

FACE TIME: Employers and students participated in a ‘speed networking’ exercise, then mixed and mingled


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AroundMacEwan

Top 40 Under 40Ten students from MacEwan University’s Public Relations program lent their talent and energy to assist with Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 event. This award celebration was held at MKT Fresh Food & Beer Market on November 1, with our soon-to-be PR graduates hosting and assisting with event logistics. This event celebrates forty award-winners, under 40 years of age, who not only have successful careers, but also work to improve the quality of life in Edmonton. The evening was both inspiring and an excellent learning laboratory for the MacEwan University students, all of whom will be called on to plan events in their future careers.

WELCOMING TEAM: MacEwan University Public Relations students help host the event

MEET THE HOSTS: Susan Meingast and Orville Chubb of Avenue Magazine

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Emma Butler and Chelsey Swankhuizen interview a Top 40 winner



t just a hairnet over five-feet-tall, Olya Vrana is dwarfed by the walk-in freezer inside the kitchen at St. Michael’s Long Term Care Centre. She waves her hand to a scarce few boxes

stacked against the wall. The bright green label reads: Baba’s Own Pyrohy. “Two weeks ago, full freezer,” Vrana says. She repeats it for emphasis: “Two weeks ago. Now? Just a little bit. This week, everything sell.”

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By Omar Mouallem

PROBLEM SOLVERS

When MacEwan University students made the case for saving Baba’s Own, the leaders of the social enterprise listened

PEROGY MAKERS: Cameron McCoy withproject supervisor Yevheniya Vasylysyna. The students focused on differentiating Baba’s Own from the competition


costs. Even at double the price of a bag of per-ogies from one of its competitors, last year’s net profit was only about $10,000. They may have increased annual sales from $127,000 to $485,000 since 2005, when CEO Stan Fisher came in and expanded the social enterprise, but it also meant ballooning costs. As a result, the 2011 AGM saw board members suggesting they shut it down.

But they were convinced otherwise thanks to some very young attendees. MacEwan University School of Business students made the case for saving the social enterprise, based on brand recognition. “Even though we don’t have a facility in the Northwest Territories, they know Baba’s Own and St. Michael’s,” explains director of general services Paul Teterenko, who was at the meeting. “And that kind of recognition would cost thousands.”

Adds Ostermayer, “It’s a part of our identity.”

On a late September day inside MacEwan University’s Robbins Health Learning Centre, 50 students have taken over an

Each year 1.26 million perogies and half a million cabbage rolls will be stored here be-fore being shipped off to grocery stores as far north as Yellowknife, where customers will enjoy up to 14 varieties of perogies and three types of cabbage rolls. And every time one does, they’re contributing to the St. Michael’s Health Group. The perogies are essentially

the 32-year-old organization’s version of the Girl Guide Cookie, helping with its $19-mil-lion-a-year objective of providing long-term care to people in Edmonton with physical and mental challenges.

It sounds like a big operation, but it’s not. The second you step out of the freezer you’re facing six mostly senior women from Eastern Europe who, like Vrana, speak little English

and came here as a stepping stone to citizen-ship, to learn the language and earn a mod-est salary (though Vrana has so far stayed for 19 years).

They quietly mix, cut, stuff and pinch perogies – 1,200 per person per day. The only heavy machinery is a dough roller that is malfunctioning today. A woman tries

hopelessly to shove a log of dough through a slit while tampering with some buttons. Meanwhile, her colleagues sit on stools and work over flour-strewn counters, intently ensuring each perogy is as good as the one her grandmother made.

“Oh yeah,” chimes sales consultant Cheryl Ostermayer, “it really is Baba’s own.”

But with this high quality comes high

The perogies are essentially the 32-year-old organization’s version of the Girl Guide Cookie, helping with its $19- million-a-year objective of providing long-term care to people in Edmonton with physical and mental challenges.

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HIGH YIELD: Each Baba makes 1,200 perogies by hand every day, in 14 varieties, plus three kinds of cabbage rolls


amphitheatre room for an orientation on Enactus (which just recently changed its name from Students in Free Enterprise, or SIFE). It’s 5:15 p.m. and the meeting was adjourned 15 minutes ago. “They could go home if they want,” says Faculty Advisor Gordon Lucyk. But they don’t. Instead, they rattle on about the partnership opportuni-ties in the local business community and create a buzz you can hear from outside.

There are classes buzzing like this across 39 countries and 1,600 colleges and universi-ties. For 37 years, Enactus has charged post-secondary students with an entrepreneurial spirit and plugged them into socially respon-sible businesses. Just a year ago, in Septem-ber 2011, the MacEwan University chapter of the international non-profit organization launched with 15 members.

Assistant Professor of Marketing Leo Wong, one of seven Enactus faculty advisors including Lucyk, isn’t surprised that mem-bership has tripled in just a year. Enactus offers students the kind of real-world experi-ences they’ve been working for since they

filled out their application to the School of Business. “They’re consulting, working with external organizations, and that gives them something to supplement their education here,” says Wong, who has also participated with Enactus on the other side, as a marketer for a Calgary nonprofit working with Mount Royal’s chapter.

“The other aspect,” he says, “is it deals with those social and environmental issues that this generation of students care about quite a lot.”

And that’s the way business schools are heading, says Co-chair of Student Services Lucyk, who likes to point out the not-so humble origins of Enactus: “Its goal initially was to beat the communists by showing what free enterprise could do. After communism died, they adopted a triple bottom line focus – people, profits and planet.”

For third-year MacEwan University student Cameron McCoy, the attraction to Enactus felt natural. “I quite enjoy leadership, work-ing with people one on one,” he says. “I really enjoy that aspect of business.”

McCoy, 19, learned about Enactus last year in his Non-profit Management class with Wong and has since become the local chap-ter’s president and CEO. Wong challenged his students to gain experience by either creating a pretend non-profit and dealing with the logistics that would hypothetically entail, or getting involved with Baba’s Own, an opportunity made possible through his long-standing friendship with St. Michael’s CEO. “I thought it would be much more interesting to help real people,” McCoy says. “It was not hard to get involved.”

The problems challenging Baba’s then and now are many. It makes a great product, but compared to its machine-made competi-tors, the cost per unit is high. Wong posed a question to McCoy and fellow project members – “Is there any way they can dif-ferentiate themselves?” – and one of their answers was to conduct a taste test.

St. Michael’s sent its best Babas to MacEwan University and City Centre mall, where between 500 and 750 people sampled


ROLLING IN DOUGH: Enactus’s challenge is to help Baba’s Own increase profits while maintaining a high qual-ity and high cost, product


to the table might actually cause damage? “No,” says Ostermayer, “they’ve got a lot of fresh, bright ideas.” In fact, they’re already collaborating on improving Baba’s visibil-ity in the aisles. Enactus members went out to local suppliers, took photos and docu-mented where their product was shelved and reported back to Ostermayer and his team.

If there are ever concerns with the student activities, faculty advisors are there to help. But although they help maintain good rela-tionships, their jobs aren’t to convince the business owners – quite the contrary. It’s to teach students how to make a case for their ideas so not only can they sustain partner-ships, but grow them. “The whole idea of [Enactus] is students can come in first year and it adds value throughout, until fourth year,” Lucyk says.

McCoy has one more year in the School of Business and he plans on making the best of it with Enactus. Some days it costs him two to three hours, other times it means early Monday morning meetings, but for him it’s worth it. “In the long run, I really hope to make my degree worth more.”

four perogies, each from a different brand. It turns out people highly prefer Baba’s, which was second only to a niche brand more likely to be found in health food markets than any of Baba’s dozens of suppliers. But it was a test of the students, too. It showed that they could successfully organize an event,

demonstrate leadership, delegate among themselves and coordinate a focus group.

“What I really learned was how to market a product and get it out into the public,” McCoy says. “I enjoyed learning how to design market research.”

“That set the stage for other things to consider, like repackaging and re-branding,” says Wong. “We wanted to know how much

people were willing to pay for perogies … The students were able to communicate these issues to St. Michael’s so that the company could understand them better.”

Communication and presentation skills are hallmarks of Enactus, and the students were able to execute both at the board meet-

ing where Baba’s was put on the chopping block. “The future is bright with [Enactus] and the number of things they’re planning,” says St. Michael’s Teterenko. “It’s exciting for us because it will allow us to grow a little bit more and to increase our sales and maybe diversify our revenue streams.”

But were St. Michael’s staff ever con-cerned that inviting a bunch of amateurs

St. Michael’s sent its best Baba’s to MacEwan University and City Centre mall, where between 500 and 750 people sampled perogies. It was a test of the students, too, and showed that they could successfully organize an event, demonstrate leadership and delegate among themselves.

DEEP FREEZE: This walk-in will store 1.26 million perogies and half a million cabbage rolls bound for stores as far north as Yellowknife, each year

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ommunication is one of the most foundational skills an individual can possess, and is a key characteristic in building a successful business.

Canadian Western Bank Group (CWB) is one company that puts communication at the forefront of its business practice, whether it is with clients, staff, or partnering organizations.

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MacEwan University School of Business Corporate Learning and Continuing Education partners with Canadian Western Bank Group to develop a comprehensive training program

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When CWB decided to implement a training course to help their staff acquire the skill-set to lead and communicate effectively, they came to MacEwan University’s School of Business Corporate Learning and Continuing Education team to assist in developing the program. Their work together has resulted in a lasting partnership greatly benefi ting both organizations.

Clear and effective communication is a skill that’s benefi cial in all areas of life; how-ever, in business it is vital for success. “Often employees are promoted to supervisory or management positions because of their job related skills. However, they may not yet have developed key skills and competencies such as communication, performance management and how to effectively lead a team,” says Ratka Janjic, Senior Manager of Corporate Learning and Continuing Education at MacEwan Uni-versity School of Business. And considering the

expansion of CWB – a growth that’s ballooned from 120 employees in 1991 to over 1,800 in recent years through hires and acquisitions –management training was necessary. In fact the company created an entire department devoted to providing training and develop-ment opportunities for their employees.

“We knew we were missing the mark

Ratka Janjic, Senior Manager of Corporate Learning and Continuing Education

internally,” says Heather Sanregret, Assistant Vice-President of Training and Development at CWB, “so we searched for something a little more structured.”

The search prompted CWB Group to get in contact with MacEwan University’s then-Direc-tor of Corporate Learning and Continuing Edu-cation, Sheila LeBlanc. After a thorough needs assessment, a classroom and online “Essentials in Management” program was created to equip new supervisors and managers with a series of management and communication skills.

In the beginning, however, the program was smaller in scope. “We were looking for a one-day session,” says Sanregret. “I already had in my head what the program would look like, so I started by asking how much it would cost. But during the needs assessment important questions were asked such as, ‘What do you need? What do you want to accomplish? What competencies do you want your people to have?’ The needs assessment process was very personal and passionate. The resulting “Essen-tials in Management Program” is a comprehen-sive program that surpasses the typical training program consisting of a classroom, some projector slides and a manual that inevitably ends up on a shelf.

The modules are designed to give partici-pants the skills to motivate employees, manage time and delegate responsibility. Communica-tion skills, such as confl ict management, effec-tive writing, supervision skills and problem solving are also included. Four additional factors, customized for the program, make it particularly effective: the practical application of the material to real situations; the smaller

classroom size of 25 people; the close networking of par-ticipants who share similar experiences, histories, and goals; and a coaching guide provided to upper-man-agement post-graduation explaining how to help participants transfer newly acquired skills back to the workplace.

Upon successful comple-tion of the program, participants are awarded a Professional Development

certifi cate from MacEwan University, followed by a graduation ceremony. So far approxi-mately140 members of CWB and their sub-sidiaries have completed the program since its inception in 2009, and the program continues to be held annually, rotating between Edmon-ton, Calgary, and Vancouver.

The Essentials in Management program is

“It’s important to be aware of our strengths, and our strength is our people. They care about our clients and students and want to provide a positive learning environment and the best service possible,” says Ratka Janjic, Senior Manager of Business Corporate Learning and Continuing Education.

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consistently praised by its participants “The content of the program and its comprehen-siveness is much more robust than what I thought it would be,” says Sanregret. “And it didn’t come at a cost I was uncomfortable with. The price was absolutely fair.”

The effectiveness of the courses comes from the unique pairing of MacEwan University’s expertise in program development and CWB’s corporate philosophy of equipping their employees with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions. MacEwan University and the CWB Group are currently in discussions to develop a follow-up program that will use the Essentials of Management program as a jump-ing off point. This new program would focus on key leadership skills and competencies.

The two organizations continue to partner on other initiatives as well.

MacEwan Business Continuing Education develops a co-branded Professional Develop-ment guide for CWB employees that offers opportunities for employees to enroll in courses as part of their ongoing professional

development. CWB also engages their profes-sional staff to speak to MacEwan University School of Business students or participate in various business events held by the University. “It’s a small community,” says Janjic. “We’re in the heart of downtown and we search for ways to collaborate that are benefi cial to both organizations.”

Janjic continues to develop methods to answer the question of how her Corporate Learning and Continuing Education depart-ment can strive to meet the needs of the business community, while aligning with the department’s strengths. “It’s an ongoing question of what does the business commu-nity need.” says Janjic. “We’re not going to be all things to all businesses, and when you promise something you can’t deliver, you lose credibility. It’s important to be aware of our strengths, and our strengths are our people. They care about our clients and students and want to provide a positive learning environ-ment and the best service possible.”

Janjic’s answer on how to provide the best

service: “It’s about opendialogue and asking the right questions.

Every organization is unique; therefore, it is our job as training professionals to assess, design and create training that meets their needs.”

Both the Business Corporate Learning and Continuing Education department and CWB attribute the success of the program and their continued relationship to the importance both sides place on communication. Whether sell-ing a coffee to a customer, learning to motivate an employee, or courting a conglomerate to provide their staff training, communication is the most important tool an individual or business can develop. Good communica-tion leads to continuing relationships, and Sanregret’s endorsement of MacEwan School of Business, Corporate Learning and Continuing Education says it all: “We value the relationship with MacEwan University and we see them as a partner of ours. We’ve had other needs for management training, and MacEwan University is our fi rst contact.”

TRAINING RELATIONSHIP: Ratka Janjic, Senior Manager of Corporate Learning and Continuing Education with Kerry Seto, CWB, Help Desk manager




Creating diversity in MacEwan University Supply Chain

Co-op placements means considering the construction

industry in addition to oil and gas

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WORK TERMS: Craig Gordon-Fulk (left), a fourth year student in the Supply Chain Management major, with Scott Sharun, Assistant Manager, Procurement of PCL Industrial Management

By Michelle LindstromTHE

PARTNERSHIP ISSUE



CONSTRUCTING

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upply chains are everywhere in Alberta, from the local corner store to the biggest oil and gas companies in Fort McMurray. Companies are fi nding now, more than ever, that strong partnerships within their supply

chains can be what makes or breaks them, even more so than their product’s price. Quality and delivery times are directly dependant on suppliers, so fi nd-ing the right links in the chain can start with a well-informed and connected MacEwan University Supply Chain Co-op student.



Enrico de Borja, MacEwan University’s Co-op Education Advisor for the Supply Chain Management major, hears fi rsthand what companies are looking for in terms of labour and it’s his job to connect them with qualifi ed Supply Chain Co-op students and graduates. The students don’t get the short end of the stick either, considering they get paid for three blocks of four month work placements during their third and fourth year of studies.

“We’re one of the fastest growing majors in BCom,” de Borja says. As of September 2012, approximately 120 students were enrolled in the Supply Chain Management Co-op program, a nearly 40 per cent increase from the previous September.

Employees from PCL, Canada’s largest construction company, spoke to MacEwan University students late in September. Dave Hall, Manager, Materials Management and Jamie Nelson, Supervisor Materials Manage-ment, presented to over 20 students. They described a general scenario to the audi-ence: when required material or shipments to a job site are not there on time, thou-sands of dollars are lost each hour because employees are on standby, waiting to begin their work. “That’s how critical the supply chain is,” de Borja says.

It is a two-way street of interest between de Borja and Alberta’s construction compa-nies to form a few partnerships. “Oil and gas is always going to be here (Alberta),” de Borja says. “But the construction indus-try is one I wanted to ramp up to be equal so there are opportunities for students in both industries.”

De Borja is quite certain that if at least two industries are consistently vying for his students, MacEwan University Supply Chain Co-op grads will have job security even if oil prices drop. Buildings, roads and industrial sites will still require construction.

Many large companies within the province are on the hunt for supply chain staff as long-term solutions and have contacted de Borja directly to fi nd out how to include MacEwan University as part of their recruitment plan.

“In the past year, we’ve seen a really big boom in construction companies taking our

students,” de Borja says. “These construction companies are hungry for this talent that we are developing at MacEwan.”

Scott Sharun, Assistant Manager, Procure-ment of PCL Industrial Management is a strong supporter of the Supply Chain Co-op program. His department has experience with two MacEwan University Supply Chain

Co-op students so far and another PCL department had two co-op students, and two graduates. He’s encouraged by the skills, eagerness and desire to get things done that these students bring forth during their place-ments. “Going out and acquiring ready-made talent is very expensive and very hard,” Sha-run says. “I see great potential coming out of that group – long-term and short-term.”

Craig Gordon-Fulk, 21, is a MacEwan University Supply Chain Management major in his fourth year of the co-op program. He took a gamble by not immediately accepting

a co-op offer with one company because he wanted to hold out for a four-month buyer position with PCL, which he got.

“Right within the fi rst week they had me buying materials, like consumables, ham-mers and odd-end tools that people needed on our sites and facilities,” Gordon-Fulk says. He was surprised by the freedom he

was given to make decisions; it wasn’t as he envisioned a co-op to be. At PCL, he was supervised but was given the opportunity to work things out on his own and ask ques-tions to senior buyers when needed.

“We try to train them to become a junior buyer and actually give them a real taste of what they’re going to be doing here if they decided to stay,” Sharun says.

Gordon-Fulk’s employer asked him to return, and he’ll start an eight-month co-op this May.

“In the past year, we’ve seen a really big boom in construction companies taking our students. These construction companies are hungry for this talent that we are developing at MacEwan,” says Enrico de Borja, MacEwan University’s Co-op Education Advisor for the Supply Chain Management major.

THE PARTNERSHIP

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PCL PARTNERS: (Left to right) Dave Hall, Manager, Materials Management, Jamie Nelson, Supervisor Materials Management and Enrico de Borja, MacEwan University’s Co-op Education Advisor for the Supply Chain Management major



Ganotec West ULC’s headquarters are located between Edmonton and Spruce Grove, in Acheson, Alberta. Ganotec builds industrial facilities such as power plants, refi neries and oil sands projects, and is in its third year of partnership with MacEwan University. The company’s District Busi-ness Manager Sergey Rozhdestvensky says Ganotec provides students with an oppor-tunity to learn about a very large, sophisti-cated and multi-disciplined industry. His organization’s talent search involves being visible in the community and hiring local Alberta talent.

“We treat (co-op students) as full-time employees, like a new hire,” Rozhdestvensky says, adding that the co-op program gives Ganotec the opportunity to screen future full-time employees.

He says Ganotec has had a positive experi-ence with all three of its MacEwan University Co-op students. Stefan Luca, 25, was one of them.

“The co-op has helped me fi gure out and defi ne my career path and fi nd out more of what I want from my professional life,” Luca says.

Luca was required to return to MacEwan for his fi nal semester of school, so Ganotec, not wanting to lose the talent it had invested in for eight months, offered Luca a part-time position. He was able to co-ordinate

his remaining university classes around the three days a week he works at Ganotec. After his graduation in December 2012, he hopes to specialize in procurement and material co-ordinating.

In addition to fi nding willing employers to take co-op students who offer challeng-ing supply chain work, it is also de Borja’s responsibility to ensure both sides give and get what is expected. Before students go into any co-op placements, they have to complete a pre-employment seminar that de Borja instructs. Within the 15-hour seminar, the emphasis is on fi nding a career. Topics covered include: resume and cover letter writing, interview skills, professionalism and networking.

Says de Borja, “Students are getting multiple offers from multiple organiza-tions. That has to go through a 23-year-old’s head – ‘Hey, I’m getting all these job offers. I’m good, right?’ ” His response to that is, if you can substantiate why you deserve a certain starting salary, then go for it. “You’re a Supply Chain grad, you’d better be good at negotiating,” Negotiations should be expected by employers, as a robust exchange between them and potential employees. De Borja does warn students, though, to have balance, as humility goes a long way.

“The companies that are doing well are more receptive to taking on students and

taking a chance,” de Borja says. “Recruit-ment is strategy. You have millions of dollars of project work but you don’t have the staff to do it. The companies that are already looking have planned well ahead of the pack.”

He says employers should know that stu-dents talk and the companies that are secure and unafraid of what is said about them will benefi t the most from this free advertising. Students don’t hold back on the informa-tion they share with peers regarding salary, positions, tasks, million-dollar projects they worked on, and so on.

Edmonton, Calgary and Fort McMur-ray are the three main cities drawing co-op students from MacEwan University’s Supply Chain program. De Borja’s main focus, when he took the university co-op advisor position two years ago, was to have more jobs than students. His continual network-ing is part of how he’s made that plan come to life. The positive experiences employers say they’ve already had with students is the other half that has companies coming back for more and new organizations getting in line to be a part of this successful recruit-ment strategy for well-trained, junior-staff members.

Supply chains are becoming better under-stood and Alberta is the place to be to take part in such a multi-disciplined sector.

GANOTEC PARTNERS: Sasha Kostic (left) with MacEwan University Co-op student, Stefan Luca


MUTUAL BENEFITSThe successful relationship between Intact Insurance and MacEwan University’s Insurance and Risk Management program proves the importance of clear communication

THE PARTNERSHIP

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WIN-WIN SCENARIO: Personal Lines Manager Connie Stonehouse (right) helped Jordan Froese test-drive her new career at Intact Insurance

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Anyone looking for a model of a healthy post secondary industry partnership need to look no further than the MacEwan University School of Business’s Insurance and Risk Management program’s relationship with Intact

Insurance. The partnership is relatively straightforward in that it serves the needs of both parties without fuss or compromise. Simply put, Intact needs qualified insurance professionals to staff its oper-ation. In turn, the MacEwan program needs industry support to at-tract and retain students. Through clear communication, each party fulfills the needs of the other in a mutually beneficial and highly successful partnership.

MacEwan University offers a 13-month diploma program in Insur-ance and Risk Management that prepares students to move on directly to insurance industry careers. The program has an incredibly high suc-cess rate, with nearly 100 per cent of graduates going on to jobs in their chosen field. Since the program is so industry specific, the faculty has forged very close relationships with a number of insurance companies, both to help place students upon graduation and also to develop a program that best meets the needs of the industry.

Teresa Costouros is the Faculty and Industry Liaison for the Insur-ance and Risk Management Program, and she has taken considerable care to foster relationships with key players in the insurance industry. Through her own network of industry connections, she has developed a particularly close relationship with Intact Insurance, which routinely hires on MacEwan students, including six from the most recent gradu-ating class. Costouros initially felt the need to reach out to Intact when she realized that some of her students were struggling financially.

“Intact Insurance have been very supportive in terms of sponsor-ing scholarships, specifically for our students,” Costouros says. “They currently have three $1,000 scholarships that only students from the insurance diploma program are eligible for.”

What began as a means of financing students has grown into a part-nership that has numerous benefits for the University, the company, and students alike. In addition to those three $1,000 scholarships, high-level managers from Intact attend the program’s annual mixer event, which gives students a chance to mingle with potential employ-ers and learn more about opportunities within the industry. Intact also hosts a recruitment event in which students are invited to the Intact offices to get a feel for the workplace environment and ask questions about the company. Intact also assists with proctoring CIP exams, is represented on the program’s advisory council, and frequently partici-pates with guest speakers in-class.

“It’s a win for us, in terms of the success of our students getting jobs and the many resources we have out there to help us in the delivery of our curriculum,” Costouros says. “It helps us keep our program strong and viable.”

Jordan Froese has benefited directly from the partnership between Intact and MacEwan. Froese graduated from the certificate program in Insurance and Risk Management in 2011, which included a work program with Intact. While taking her classes, Froese worked half days at Intact, and the company took care of her tuition. Froese got a chance to practically apply the theoretical knowledge she picked up in class and also had the security of a full-time job waiting for her once she completed her certification.

Froese says that the work program allowed her to gain first-hand knowledge about the insurance industry while she was still in school and also gave her a chance to test-drive her new career in the workplace environment. She says that Intact was, and remains, supportive every step of the way. A little over a year after graduating, she’s already begun to work up the ranks of the company.

“This is actually somewhere where I can find myself a fit,” Froese says.

“I have been lucky enough to move up and our managers are always wanting to know what I want to do, because I put that ef-fort into school they know I want to be here. That’s the culture here – if you want something they will help you get there.”

All of these initiatives are clearly beneficial to the Uni-versity and the students, but the rewards for Intact are also significant. First off, the com-pany gets an upper hand over their competition by hiring the promising graduates they meet through the program’s mixer as well as the company’s in-office recruiting event.

Keith Jerke, Intact’s Regional Vice President in Northern Alberta, says that the partnership goes beyond the opportunity to woo MacEwan’s top insurance students. By working closely with Costouros and the program’s advisory council, he and his colleagues are able to help MacEwan build a program that meets the changing needs of the insurance industry.

“Through the advisory council and the scholarships we’re helping them get people hired,” Jerke says. “But we’re also providing them with feedback on what it is we’re looking for in new hires.”

Both Jerke and Costouros acknowledge that without these partner-ships, the Insurance and Risk Management program would be less suc-cessful. From Costouros’ point of view, if the program was not able to offer scholarships and other support to students, many students would apply for jobs in insurance without going through a specified program for insurance professionals. The partnership also gives Costouros the ability to attract high quality students who know that they are likely to graduate from the program with gainful employment. On the other side, while Intact routinely hires new employees who do not necessar-ily have insurance-specific diplomas, the MacEwan program gives the company a chance to take on new hires who already know the ins and outs of the insurance industry.

“It really helps the industry if they have well-educated insurance students,” Costouros says. “Insurance specifically, because they can hit the ground running even if they don’t have hands-on experience, since they’ve got a good theoretical knowledge of insurance.”

“Coming out of the insurance program, these students have made the decision that they want to get into the insurance industry,” Jerke says. “When you hire university graduates who might have a Bachelor of Arts degree, they’re looking for work, but sometimes they aren’t as committed to a career in insurance. With the MacEwan grads, we have a higher retention rate.”

Costouros encourages companies who want to get involved in simi-lar partnerships with any of the MacEwan University School of Business career programs to get in touch with the appropriate faculty liaisons. She says that the first step is to create an open line of communication. If both parties are able to clearly articulate what they want out of the partnership, the relationship can be mutually beneficial and hassle-free.

“I feel very blessed to have an industry that is so behind the pro-gram,” Costouros says. “Anytime I’ve asked for anything the insurance industry has been very supportive and willing, and Intact being at the front of that line. It’s definitely a two-way street and I’m very grateful for everything that they do.”

FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS: Teresa Costouros, Faculty and Industry Liaison for the Insurance and Risk Management Program



WORK TERM WINNERSTHE

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Cooperation between West Fraser Co. and MacEwan University has been a bonus to all involved

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hile MacEwan University students have completed work terms as far away as Houston, 20-year-old

Natashia Harland choose a practicum closer to home.Harland, who was enrolled in MacEwan University’s Accounting and

Strategic Measurement diploma, completed her fi rst work term at Hin-ton Pulp, a mill in her hometown operated by West Fraser Timber Co.

“I wanted to go back to Hinton and I liked that I could work for an industry rather than an accounting practice,” Harland says of her co-op choice.

“I know a lot of the other employees there because I lived in Hinton for so long, so it’s great being back in the community and everyone’s very welcoming.”

Harland liked it so much, in fact, that she returned for a second work term. And now that she’s graduated from the diploma pro-gram and transferred into MacEwan University’s Bachelor of Applied Business Administration–Accounting degree, Harland will complete her year-long practicum at Hinton Pulp, starting in May 2013.

Harland is excited to return, and her employer is happy to have her back.

“It’s been great having her,” says Eva Purcell, an accounting supervisor at West Fraser.

“Individuals like Natashia bring huge value to our organization and their contributions are signifi cant. They come with this knowledge of current technologies that they learn in school today, and that effi ciency helps us with our everyday business.”

Purcell says the pulp mill’s partnership with students started when parents working at the mill asked if there was room for their offspring. It’s since evolved and the application process is open to everybody, not just families.

“It’s great because the students are enthusiastic and they learn quickly. From my experience in the accounting department, ev-erybody is happy to train these students because they’re so eager,” Purcell says.

The company is an especially good fi t for students who are origi-nally from Hinton. “It’s really good for us to get young people that are from Hinton,” Purcell says. “It’s a lucky thing – the students are back with their families and then we also have them working for us. We’re always hoping that there’s going to be a future for them here.”

For Harland, staying with the same employer for multiple work terms has allowed her to advance her career, all while she is still in school. “I was doing accounts payable the fi rst year and then I moved

WORK TERM WINNERS

“Individuals like Natashia bring huge value to our organization and their contributions are signifi cant. They come with this knowledge of current technologies that they learn in school today, and that effi ciency helps us with our everyday business,” says Eva Purcell, an accounting supervisor at West Fraser Timber Co.’s Hinton Pulp.

W on to doing fi nancial statements,” she says.She’s looking forward to taking on even more responsibilities when

she returns to Hinton Pulp in May. “I’ll be doing a little of everything, more of the controller duties but a lot of accounts payable as well. Just anything that anybody needs help with, and special projects as well,” Harland says.

“Every time she comes back I try and give her more depth,” says Purcell, Harland’s supervisor. “The next time she comes back in May, we’ll be giving her more of a senior level role. She’s evolved and it’s great.”

Once her fi nal work term is done and she has graduated with her degree, Harland plans to work toward her Certifi ed Management Accountant designation. “After that I would like to still work in

industry, hopefully in a smaller town,” she says.

Harland’s career path of accountant started rather simply. “I like math and I liked it in high school,” she says. “I thought this would be a good thing to go for.” Her mom, a payroll clerk, encouraged her to pursue studies in the fi eld after high school, and she hasn’t looked back since.

“I like the math part of the job and I also like working with different people and talking to vendors,” she says.

In between her work terms she has enjoyed her time in the classroom, at MacEwan University’s South Campus.

“I had smaller classes and got to interact with the professors. The whole class was pretty close so that was nice,” Harland says.

Ena Chaisson, University Advisor in the School of Business, helps MacEwan University students market themselves to potential employ-ers prior to work term placements, including support with resumes and practicing for interviews.

In Harland’s case, Chaisson sees her multiple work terms with West Fraser as a win-win for all involved.

“The smaller centres benefi t by being connected to large post-sec-ondary institutions, which do industry-quality training. Students arrive skilled and ready to go, and they bring that training to smaller centres that may not have on-site training like that,” Chaisson says.

Students completing work terms benefi t in many ways, too. “It veri-fi es that this is indeed the career for them,” Chaisson says.

Plus, accounting students accelerate their income potential with each work-term they complete. “There’s the immediate effect of having real-time, real-world experience, and there’s also the practical benefi t of being able to accelerate their income potential because they have real-world experience,” Chaisson says.




By Caroline Barlott

Hosting international students is just one piece of an extensive partnership between the

Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research and MacEwan University

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As the airplane began its descent intothe Edmonton International Airport, seven graduate students from India

looked down and were surprised by the lack of buildings surrounding the city. “India has more post secondary students than Canada has in its entire population,” says Kimberley Howard, project manager for the study tour that brought Indian graduate students from the world-renowned Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research to Edmonton to learn about another business culture, and culture in general. “It’s no wonder they were surprised by the difference in population.”

If the students’ fi rst impression of the city was one of emptiness and isolation, it quickly changed upon spending nine days learning more about business in Edmonton through a program this September that combined academic lectures, visits to businesses and a tour going through Calgary, Drumheller and Banff. They had a chance to see the dynamic work being done with waste management and learned about the oil industry in the province. “Going to the waste management plant, they thought it was a world-class centre. Obviously, with a population of over a billion, dealing with waste is a huge issue, and they were im-pressed with [the plant],” Howard says. They also toured the Rocky Mountains and West Edmonton Mall. The students received credit toward a post-graduate diploma in manage-ment, “which is the Indian equivalent of an MBA,” Howard says.

“The partnership between MacEwan and Welingkar is unlike any partnership I’ve seen in another university,” says Makarand Gulawani, Assistant Professor at MacEwan University. “It’s because of the amount of resources involved and the number of people willing to help these students learn about international business.”

Gulawani has taught international business at MacEwan University for six years, but prior to his post in Edmonton he was teaching and doing administration work for the Welingkar Institute. The school has two campuses, one in Mumbai and one in Bengaluru. When MacEwan University wanted to start forming international partnerships with trading coun-tries and top schools, Gulawani knew Weling-kar would be an excellent choice. Welingkar is known for its innovative ideas, including recently winning a Mumbai University New Initiative Joint Action Now award for the concept of holding campus blood donation camps, where students donate blood during school hours. “We are both very innovative and we complement one another,” Gulawani says.

The partnership started in 2008, when undergraduate business students went on the fi rst study tour to India. They had the oppor-tunity to meet with business leaders and learn about another culture. Then, in 2011, they returned to Welingkar, and signed an updated memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the institute, showing the commitment on both sides to ensure that students gain increased international knowledge through future collaborations.

“The MOU and the partnership is very im-portant to us, we feel there is a lot of potential for collaborating with MacEwan University and the partnership brings out the best of students at both institutes,” says Chandana Pai, General Manager, Strategic Alliances and Business Development at Welingkar.

Pai travelled with students to Edmonton and says those students, including Mekin Shah, were very excited to bring back the

knowledge they gained at MacEwan to Welingkar.

“When we arrived in Canada, we were initially surprised at not fi nding very many people. But after we interacted with so many people – the professors, the business people – everyone was friendly and took good care of us,” Shah says.

He said it was clear in his travels and stud-ies that Canada is a county that places high importance on the environment.

“At the waste management plant it was in-teresting to see how they recycle paper, plastic, and especially electronic waste because that’s something that’s generated all over the world. Coming from India where the pollution rate is so high, it could be great if we could incorpo-rate a system like this here and create a cleaner environment for the citizens, and create energy out of it. Maybe we could have the Edmonton Waste Management System share the technol-ogy and expertise and help us set up such a plant over here,” he says.

“We’re considering the study tour the fi rst in a chain of lots of great things we can do. Wel-ingkar believes in developing global managers, and MacEwan University is a great partner when it comes to that,” Pai says.

MacEwan University students are planning to go to India again in May, with a new model for the program involving business mentors being paired with students. Gulawani is very excited about the trip, and is impressed by the number of people involved who are will-ing to help the students understand another culture. They will have the chance to visit their mentor’s business partners and receive one-on-one advice.

The partnership is multi-layered, with future opportunities in the works. When the Indian students were in Edmonton, they met with members of Enactus to discuss the possibil-ity of working together in the future. Enactus is a student group that brings together future business leaders to create a better, more sus-tainable world. A chapter of the international non-profi t organization (formerly known as Students in Free Enterprise, or SIFE) has been active since 2011.

The benefi ts of this partnership are far reach-ing, both for the students, and the universities. For students, it’s an opportunity not available in the classroom, says Howard. “There’s noth-ing that can prepare you for going to India. You have to go to see it, smell it, experience it.”

International business students will one day be doing business with other cultures, especially in our economy, where everything is interconnected, Howard says. “Even those who never leave Alberta, they’re going to be working with people from different cultures, backgrounds and different fi rst languages. They may be importing, exporting to India. They need to know how to operate in a global world,” she says.

The study tour program offers a chance to see how business is conducted in a different country, while experiencing another culture.

Feedback from students has been so positive that all of the Indian students Howard spoke with said they want to return. Gulawani heard similar comments, “Students said: ‘We are sure that with this kind of experience and opportu-nity we got, our friends will feel jealous.’”

But it’s little wonder. “You can’t simulate the experience of going abroad in a classroom,” says Howard.

“The partnership between MacEwan and Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research is unlike any partnership I’ve seen in another university,” says Makarand Gulawani, Assistant Professor at MacEwan University.

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TEAM MACEWAN: (From left to right) Dan Philpott, Dexter Hamilton, Ian Abuan and Taylor Scinski


any of the people involved in running Edmonton’s new golf course, The Quarry Golf Club, are MacEwan University graduates, most from the University’s

Professional Golf Management Program. Built on an old sand and gravel pit, the course is located in

north Edmonton along the North Saskatchewan river, at 945-167 Avenue. Using materials already on-site – 45 acres of lakes, plenty of topsoil, and piles of covered gravel to separate the holes – the course was built without having to import any materials.

The Quarry Golf Club employs many MacEwan University graduates, including Taylor Scinski, Head Professional and a 2009 graduate of MacEwan’s Professional Golf Management program. Golf pros and MacEwan graduates also include Tyler Komick, who graduated in 2010, Dan Philpott, who graduated in 2008, and Ian Abuan who graduated from Golf Operations Management in 2009 and then completed the Bachelor of Commerce transfer program in 2011.

These graduates are greatly responsible for a very successful first year. “Starting up a new golf course has been a fantastic experience,” Scinski says. “There are obviously many hurdles to overcome when starting up a new golf course, as with any busi-ness. But there have been no hurdles too large to overcome, which has been great. Overall, it has been excellent.” He says the first season went very well and the public seemed to really like the course.

All four of these professional golfers believe their success and their education goes hand in hand. “I believe my time at MacEwan has benefited The Quarry by giving me the appropri-ate business skills required to understand how to effectively address a start-up company,” Scinski says.

Komick agrees, saying: “MacEwan gave me the things I need to know to make myself successful in the golf industry.”

The 27-hole course was designed by architect Les Furber, known for his designs across Canada, as well as the United States, Germany, the Czech Republic, Cuba, and Switzerland. He and his team have designed over 150 golf courses around the world. And Les Furber, with all his experience, believes that

M

By Kelley Stark


Edmonton’s new Quarry Golf Club is run by graduates from MacEwan University’s Professional Golf Management program


The Quarry is good enough to host a large tournament in the future.

The design of the course is very impres-sive. There are holes that go downhill then climb back up, a hole where you can see three-quarters of the entire course, a hole that has a waterfall running on both sides of the green, and one hole even has two greens, giving the player a choice of targets.

The 2012 season saw the opening of the fi rst 18 holes – the Granite and Slate nines. The Ironstone nine will be opening for the

2013 season. The nines range in yardage from 5,100 yards to 7,600 yards and have at least fi ve tee decks on every hole, catering to every handicap of golfer.

The golf course also features a practice area with two putting greens, a chipping green, a fairway bunker, and three levels of grass tees on the driving range.

The Professional Golf Management pro-gram is the fi rst of its kind to be endorsed by the Canadian Professional Golf Associa-tion (CPGA). The course focuses on general management, organizational behaviour, marketing, sales techniques, accounting, fi nance, human resources management, and business computer applications.

Professional Golf Management also of-fers industry-specifi c courses focusing on pro-shop operations, sales, golf equipment, backshop and practice facility operations, golf car fl eet operations, programs and leagues, rules of golf, food and beverage operations, and golf course maintenance.

The program runs from late-Septem-ber until March – structured around the golf season. It is a two year program and prepares students for careers as assistant professionals and teaching professionals (until they complete requirements for Class “A” membership with the CPGA). Students can also work in club management, club-house operations, course maintenance, golf equipment sales, golf retail management, and tournament and event management.

Part of the two-year program consists of a

practicum during the golf season. The Quar-ry will be posting jobs at MacEwan Univer-sity for any Golf Management students who wish to do their summer practicum there.

After fi nishing the two-year Professional Golf Management diploma, students can en-roll in the one-year post-diploma certifi cate as they aspire to become a head golf profes-sional, teaching professional, or director of golf. The post-diploma certifi cate in profes-sional golf management completes the three year business education required by the CPGA, and teaches students about setting up a golf operation, golf course design, golf club repair, golf club fi tting, and courses that help students develop their personal games.

Scinski appreciates that the program is there. “I do not feel as though there is one specifi c skill that I have learned at MacEwan that helps me most with being a Head Professional. I do, however, feel that the overall education I received from MacEwan has helped me greatly during

SWINGING FOR SUCCESS

“The overall education I received from MacEwan has helped me greatly during my time with The Quarry,” said Taylor Scinski, Head Professional at The Quarry Golf Club and graduate of MacEwan University’s Professional Golf Management program.

my time with The Quarry,” he says.Additionally, Abuan values the manage-

ment skills taught in the program. “How to manage and motivate employees of dif-ferent generation, being able to do so helps the operation run smoothly,” he says.

The Quarry Golf Club is now closed for the season, but will be opening again in mid-April of 2013. Scinski is looking forward to the new year and some changes that will be taking place. “The 2013 season will be an exciting one for us at The Quarry. Our clubhouse is currently under construc-tion and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2013, which will allow us to have a full food and beverage operation as well as give us the ability to host large corporate tour-naments and functions,” he said. This is in addition to the new Ironside nine sched-uled to open in the new year, making The Quarry a 27-hole golf course.

Things you should know before golfi ng at The Quarry Golf Club

• Season and corporate passes are available now for the 2013 season.• The Quarry is a ride-only facility. All prices include power cart rental.• Tee times can be booked five days in advance.• Tournaments and events can be booked up to a year in advance.• There is a dress code.• The Quarry is a soft spike only facility. • Group and private lessons are available. • Rental clubs (both left and right) are available in the pro shop. Rental clubs consist of brand new Titleist 910 D2 driver, 910F Fairway woods, AP1 irons, Vokey wedges, and a Scotty Cameron putter.


ABOVE PAR: The Les Furber-designed course features challenging play and impressive views


MacEwan University students show youth the magic behind money management

FINANCIALWIZARDS

RESEARCHMATTERS


By Caroline Barlott


andling your fi nances seems fairly straight-forward: You need to spend less than you make, always ensuring a little extra stays in your bank account. You should make a

budget, save money, and invest. Easier said than done. You’re not born knowing how to manage money,

says Fernando Angulo, Assistant Professor with the MacEwan University School of Business. It’s a skill you develop, and without the proper help, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and ill-informed. It can be intimidat-ing, too; a whole other language exists in the world of fi nance, with terms like negative equity.

According to Angulo, who headed a fi nancial literacy project for MacEwan University’s winter 2012 marketing research class, having enough money without living pay cheque to pay cheque or without accruing debt is a big mystery for many people.

“Nowadays, you can get $3,000 in fi ve minutes. People can get easy money through credit cards and some people, especially young people, start to think life’s easy,” Angulo says. It’s not until the bills start pil-ing up that the fi ne print of those credit cards reveals itself in the form of huge amounts of interest that ac-cumulates very quickly.

But the Chartered Accountants Education Foundation of Alberta (CAEF), the Alberta chartered accountant profession’s non-profi t organization, wants to change the way people think about money. And it’s doing that through scholarships, awards and special projects that aim to teach young people the things they need to know about money management before bad habits start to form. In 2010, the CAEF began its Paying It Forward fundraising campaign, with funds going towards fi nancial literacy tools for junior and senior high- school students.

One of these fi nancial literacy tools is the Money Project, a website collaboration between CAEF and Angulo’s marketing research class that went live in November. The website aims to be a “one-stop-shop

for fi nancial resources for young people,” says Katie Starratt, who manages the Money Project for the CAEF. But the partnership won’t just help the youth who read the website – it’s been benefi cial to the MacEwan University students and the CAEF as well.

Angulo’s market research class had a chance to put their textbook learning into practice by conducting focus group discussions and surveys at Centre High and Spruce Grove Composite High. They learned about the problems youth had with fi nances, the holes in their knowledge and the best way for them to gain that knowledge. That information was then given to the CAEF, used to determine what to put in the Money Project website and the best way to present it.

Two of the MacEwan students, Ann Cho and Kristen Bond, say they spent about 80 per cent of their time during that semester on the project, but that’s because they were so passionate about it. In fact the project made such an impact that they both changed their majors from management to marketing because they realized how much they enjoyed the various interac-tions and the process of gathering information. “We were actually contributing something that would be put to practical use and it motivated us to work hard,” Cho says.

Cho says sometimes the project felt like a “real” job, which is exactly the experience Angulo wanted to create for his students. “They don’t just remember the terms they were taught, like quantitative research,” says Angulo, “They remember how to do it. I wanted them to have a real-life experience.”

“This class challenged me to step out of my comfort zone by leading a discussion with a group of high- school students, and it gave me so much insight into the world of marketing research,” says student Kristen Bond. “It was an assignment that didn’t feel like an assignment, because we had actually started to connect with the project on a different level. [We] wanted these high school students to succeed in their fi nances and

RESEARCHMATTERS

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THE STUDENT TEAM:Vivek AgnihotriMohammed AtiqAnn ChoKristen BondKristen ChmuraGe QingruiPeter LeeHarkaran MinhasPrasann PatelWilson Wong



reach their fi nancial goals.”Starratt says the information gathered by students

was incredibly useful. “Being a non-profi t organization, it was amazing to work with the students to have extra research that we could use for the website,” she says. And it wasn’t just a regurgitation of what had been expected from the CAEF. The organization had a general idea of the types of information the students would need. But when it came to the presentation of the material, they were off the mark. They had expected the young people, a generation accustomed to the constant buzz of video games, smart phones and MTV, to be most interested in fun ways of learning about fi nances, maybe in the form of games or cartoons.

But many of the students were already earning their own money, buying their own cars and saving for uni-versity. They wanted to learn the math behind interest rates and the specifi cs of how to make a budget balance; they wanted practical information without the kitsch.

MacEwan University student Prasann Patel, an accounting major, also worked on the project. He conducted many of the interviews with high school students, where he learned about their spending habits and what they really wanted to know.

“A lot of times, the high-school students would be going out four or fi ve times a week, and a lot of the times, they don’t think about how big an impact those days out can have,” says Patel. “A lot of times managing money means a lifestyle change.”

Patel says when he asked the students how far ahead they plan their fi nances, many thought no further than a couple of weeks, maybe a month. He says the students were especially appreciative to have a one-on-one inter-action where they could gain insight about what would be coming next for them, including heading off to university and fi guring out how they could plan for that fi nancially. It was obvious from the start that not only did the youth need the website, they wanted it – a place where they could get fi nancial information that would

be relevant to their lives.Cho says that many students expressed they had, in

fact, been taught how to save money, and the amounts necessary to save for big purchases. But they also said the information was impractical, because once the large sum was fi nally saved, the market would have changed, making the purchase (of a car, a house, etc) impossible.

So, the CAEF took the information collected by MacEwan University students, along with some of their own research and made a website –themoneyproject.ca – providing original content, while connecting readers with fi nancial information that already exists. The site covers fi nancial topics such as

daily budgeting tips, advice from professionals and the correlation between an individual’s thoughts about money and his or her fi nancial situation. And, as per the request of youth, many of the elements are interac-tive, including a survey that’s like a fi nancial personal-ity test, with the end result being a personal money motto, showing how the person views money.

Both Angulo and Starratt are happy with the partner-ship and the benefi ts experienced by both MacEwan University students and the CAEF. And in the coming years, they’re excited to watch as more and more young people gain knowledge from the website. “We saw in our research there’s a trend among Canadians to have problems with debt. We thought by targeting a young audience, we could start to build posi-tive habits so they could have a strong foundation going forward,” says Starratt.

Fernando Angulo’s market research class had a chance to put their textbook learning into practice when they conducted focus group discussions and surveys at local high schools.


Fernando Angulo


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RESEARCHMATTERS

TBy Cailynn Klingbeilwo MacEwan University faculty are working to develop a broader comprehensive performance model for companies, one that examines firm performance beyond the typical

dimensions of financial statements. “We’re trying to develop a model that is more comprehensive in

looking at other dimensions of firm performance,” says Dr. Eloisa Perez, a faculty member of MacEwan University School of Business. “When we think about performance we immediately think about financial performance, but there are other dimensions of it and that’s what we are exploring. We are trying to develop this compre-hensive performance measure that would include social, economic and environmental constructs.”


Two researchers build a new performance model for business that considers social, sustainable, economic and environmental factors

BEYOND THE


RESEARCHMATTERS

Perez is working with her colleague, Dr. Evandro Bocatto, also a MacEwan University School of Business faculty.

“Once we have a model, then we can develop a framework for small businesses,” Bocatto says. Right now, Bocatto and Perez are researching big companies, looking at constructs correlated to performance and innovation.

“We’re looking at the data in terms of the environment, the society and corporate governance; the thesis is that if companies are incorporating new beliefs into the way they operate, as a result they will create in-novative products, services and processes. Innovation enchants customers hence im-pacting performance. We’re starting with big companies because we have a huge number of observations in our database and then applying it to small and medium-sized busi-nesses,” Bocatto says.

They believe the study will yield a valu-able map of what companies do now and how they can create sustainable value while making meaningful contributions to their communities.

The two researchers admit that measuring

“We are trying to develop this comprehensive performance measure that would include social, economic and

environmental constructs,” says Dr. Eloisa Perez, a faculty member of MacEwan University School of Business.

these alternative pieces of firm performance is challenging. Identifying what social re-turn and innovation look like and determin-ing the measures that accurately capture it is not as simple as examining a company’s financial records.

“We’re looking at customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, how the company is viewed in the community in terms of environmental issues, if they protect the environment, if they have a sustainable strategy for the long term,” says Perez, listing just a few of the many factors being explored. “We’ve also included the contribution to so-ciety in terms of taxes paid and job creation.”

In looking at all those factors, Perez and Bocatto want to find out where innovation fits – is a company that values sustainability and acts on its environmental impact more innovative than a company focused just on

its financial performance? “Our hypothesis is that if you are a more holistic company, you would be more innovative,” Perez says.

For the scope of their research, innova-tion is connected to sustainability. “It’s not just looking at innovation that brought us to where we are right now, but innovation that really looks forward, into the future, and says, ‘what’s going to be sustainable 50 years from today?’”

Perez and Bocatto speak about the fact that the world in which companies con-duct business has changed; we’re all more connected today and there are very few boundaries. This has many implications for business, whose role as a global citizen means being responsible and sustainable at all levels of operation.

“A company could be a very good com-pany locally, but if they hire a supplier in China that uses underage workers, that’s not being a global citizen,” Perez says.

The pair is using a database called Sustain-alytics, which includes profiles of Canadian companies listed on the TSX, with environ-mental, social and governance analyses.

“That’s where we’re at right now, collect-

ing data on companies based in Canada and in Alberta,” Perez says. While the study initially intended to focus on small- to mid-size companies in the Edmonton region, the researchers have opened up their sample size but expect the results they receive will be beneficial to businesses of all sizes.

“Very little research is being done in terms of sustainability in a deeper sense, including these many variables. Statistically there are some challenges because there are so many variables, so that’s why we want to start with the bigger companies that we have data available for and see if it works. Then we can apply our findings to small- and mid-size enterprises,” Perez says.

The database includes information on many Alberta companies, primarily in the oil and gas, mining and manufacturing sectors.

A fourth-year MacEwan student is helping Perez and Bocatto collect the data, including examining employee and customer satisfac-tion with each company. “There is another element, executive pay, and she’s collecting data on that as well. We believe such pay makes a difference in the position toward sustainability; that there’s a link between executive pay and sustainability. Sustain-ability involves a long-term objective, and executive pay is generally tied to short-term objectives,” Perez explains.

Perez and Bocatto expect to finish the project by June. “We’re still collecting data and working the statistics, but we will have some results very soon,” Perez says.


Evandro Bocatto Eloisa Perez


Chinese investment in Alberta’s oil sands

hinese direct investment in Canada was $10.9 billion in 2011. MacEwan University School of Business Institute of Asia Pacific Studies (IAPS), with funding from the

Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN), held a very informa-tive conference discussing Chinese investment in Alberta’s oil sands on October 25.

The conference was hosted by Dr. William Wei, Chair of the Asia Pacifi c Management program at MacEwan University. Three speakers presented their diverse points of view: Dr. Lianyong Feng, professor, School of Business Administration at the University of Petroleum, Beijing, Dr. Wilton Littlechild QC, and Neil Reddekop, lawyer with Ackroyd, LLP.

Through a translator, Dr. Feng addressed and countered Canadian concerns that state-owned Chinese enterprise investing in Canadian resource industries could cause problems down the road, as the Chi-nese government could be ideologically opposed to Canadian interests while not allowing reciprocal investments in China.

Feng’s comments emphasized that due to new energy independence policies, rapid development of unconventional gas and an emerging new energy revolution on the horizon, the United States as a primary petroleum marketplace might not be in Canada’s best interests long-term.

Canada’s crude oil is traded at a lower rate than the international standard due to its density. With Canada’s current energy plan, Feng suggests an increase in exports to China would be benefi cial. “In the future it is estimated that US imports will be decreasing.”

Despite the positive economic benefi ts of exporting Canadian petroleum products worldwide, there are local and First Nation

concerns about the environment. In his conference presentation, Dr. Littlechild points out that First Nation’s rights to sovereignty over natural resources are supposed to be upheld by treaties such as the Constitution Act of 1930. However, recognition of First Nations’ rights has been ambiguous at best.

“Treaty rights are abrogated on a daily basis,” says Littlechild.Neil Reddekop concurs with this message. He also feels that the busi-

ness and operational practices threaten the environment and integrity of the oil sands and its surrounding communities.

“A majority of Alberta First Nations that have commented on the pipeline have not said, ‘no pipeline at any cost’. Rather, they have said, ‘the conditions for our acquiescence in the pipeline have not been met,’” Reddekop says.

Reddekop and Littlechild agree that by fi nding a balance between business and environment, many social concerns would be addressed.They both see positives in a proposed organization put forward by Dr. Feng: a multilateral energy collaboration that would see Chinese integration into the Canadian market and bridge the relationship between governments, enterprise and community. The Sino-Canada Energy Cooperation Regulatory Association (Sino-ECRA) would ensure transparency on energy use, and provide benefi ts to both the corporate sector and First Nations’ communities.

The result of the conference is another step forward in broadening understanding through discussion between Asia and Alberta. Devel-oping these relationships is a key element of the work at MacEwan University School of Business IAPS and more discussion forums like this one are sure to be held in the future.

C

OPPORTUNITIESAND CHALLENGES

By Doug Yearwood

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES: Lianyong Feng, Neil Reddekopp, Dr. Wilton Littlechild speak about Sino-Canadian resource relationships

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES: Joe So, Gov’t of Alberta and Chiu Lau, Lee Garden


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FACULTYPROFILES

The FacilitatorBuilding relationships, mentoring and negotiation: All in a day’s work

Gordon LucykCo-Chair Student Services, Coordinator, Intl. Business

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You could say that Gordon Lucyk has a talent for making connections. As the Co-Chair of Student Services at MacEwan University School of Business, he’s the one students go to when they’ve got an academic issue, whether it’s the desire to take more courses than normal, do something out of the ordinary, or appeal a grade.

On top of that, Lucyk acts as the primary faculty contact for Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME), a program he was instrumental in bringing to MacEwan University, as well as the main faculty advisor for Enactus (formerly known as Students in Free Enterprise, or SIFE). Finally, he’s a Course Lead and instructor for Business 450, an innovative offering that sees students apply strategy in a simulation before making presentations to panels of academics, administration and business leaders from the outside community. Last year, he and fellow Course Lead Victor Bilodeau were recognized for their work in Business 450 with a MacEwan Day Innovation Award.

But Lucyk’s multi-faceted role at MacEwan University developed with time. He came to the school in 2004 as an instructor due to his international negotiating experience, but his varied resume – including a MBA and MA from the Wharton School in 1991, years spent marketing a commodity to the Asian market, and experience working in fi nance in France – led him to eventually do much more.

His current position, which he stepped into in mid-2011, allows Lucyk to get really involved when a student is looking to go above and beyond. One of his favourite aspects of his job has been connecting students with conferences and helping them to prepare

case-study presentations. “It’s been great to give students the oppor-tunity to show their abilities,” he says.

And some of the students he’s worked with have been extremely successful: one case study was picked up for publication by a text-book, while another was published in the conference proceedings. This year, Lucyk plans to research more conferences and connect even more students with these opportunities.

More than anything, he loves to see students engaged in their education. That explains Lucyk’s obvious pride when he talks about Enactus, an organization he’s seen go from about 15 active members to a list of 180 in the span of a year. “When I look at the youth of today, I think they want to have more than just a job. They want to do something that makes a difference in the communities they work in,” he says.

According to Lucyk, Enactus can help students do that. The ex-perience a student gets, not only in contributing to the community but in the connections they make, can have a huge impact on their future. “It’s a way of differentiating themselves from their peers,” he says. “It has a positive benefi t for their careers, but it also allows them to give back.”

It’s understandable, then, that Lucyk doesn’t mind putting in extra time for Enactus: from early meetings to weekend retreats and even to late-night social events, Lucyk is enthusiastic about being a part of it all. “I really enjoy the energy and ideas students bring, and will meet with them anytime, anywhere. Though it’s important to know when it’s time to go and let the students be students,” he says with a laugh.

By Robin Schroffel


The Game-ChangerReal-world experience plus formal education equal a fresh take on Business 201

Leo WongAssistant Professor

When Leo Wong was an undergrad marketing major at the University of Alberta, he joined a few student clubs, but found himself searching for more opportunities to get involved. He didn’t fi nd them, so the avid volunteer created his own. Soon after graduating, Wong started his own non-profi t organization, Youth One, which acted as a social network, publishing platform, and volunteerism hub for youth, which he ran for two years before returning to school for a PhD in marketing. In August 2011, he found himself joining the MacEwan University School of Business as an assistant professor teaching a variety of courses.

Wong brings a rare combination of real-world experience in non-profi t management and a formal marketing education to his students, and this year, the results are showing in the revamped Business 201 program. Normally the fi rst business course students take, it was once a dry overview of the many facets of business education. Historically, “not a lot of students enjoyed the course,” admits Wong. But last year, along with fi ve students, he submit-ted a video to a competition jointly hosted by the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) offi ce and a school in Denmark on how he would change Business 201. The video placed second and earned Wong and a student a trip to Denmark.

Now, Wong is the Business 201 course lead, and using his back-ground in sustainability as a starting point, he’s put his recom-mendations into action. “There’s a lot more discussion now. The course now is very much about sustainability,” he says.

But by far the biggest innovation to Business 201 is the course’s

community service assignment, which requires students to put into practice the basic principles they’ve learned. Each class puts together its own food bank drive, organizing itself into various roles, developing job descriptions and ways of reporting to each other, and producing tangible results in the amount of food collected. In a way, it’s like role-playing, but in the real world. “It’s very much an experiential way of learning and it has a social benefi t in terms of helping the student food bank here at MacEwan,” Wong explains.

The food bank drive doubles as an Enactus project. Enactus is another area at MacEwan University that Wong, as the group’s fac-ulty advisor, has become deeply involved in. Along with the food bank drive, Wong advises on the group’s work with St. Michael’s Health Group and its product, Baba’s Own perogies (learn more about this initiative on page 11). This year, he’ll be looking at ways Enactus can help the social enterprise to raise funds for a freezer truck and develop a competitive business strategy.

Wong is passionate about the partnerships he’s forged through Enactus and PRME, and believes these types of projects are critical for creating a full educational experience. Through these, stu-dents are able to grow both personally and professionally, and he feels this gives MacEwan University students a competitive edge. “Everyone gets a degree, but that’s really the minimum that a stu-dent should get out of coming here,” he says. “These opportunities are ways to engage people so that we think about issues and we can become more responsible leaders. That’s why I get involved.”

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By Robin Schroffel


GRAD PROFILES

The ConnectorMacEwan University student builds community through campus club he founded

Rob McCuaig Management Studies (2011) Bachelor of Commerce(in progress)

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When Rob McCuaig fi rst started his studies at MacEwan University in 2008, he noticed a lack of community spirit and student engagement on the college’s south campus. Unsatisfi ed, he decided to do something about it; he started the Business Academic Recreation Social Club (BARS) and began to build con-nections with his fellow students.

“I realized that the more you get involved with the school, the more you get out of your education,” McCuaig says. “It’s really simple to go to school, attend classes and then just leave right away. You didn’t get that strong university feel. But if you do that you’re not fully taking advantage of all the resources that MacEwan puts into students.”

A few dodgeball tournaments and social functions later, the BARS club had grown in popularity far beyond McCuaig’s expectations. And before long the South Edmonton Business Association (SEBA) expressed an interest in building a partner-ship with the fledgling social club. Recently, the two organiza-tions have been working together to host events where students can meet and learn from business professionals.

In addition to facilitating professional development, McCuaig says that the BARS club fosters a strong sense of community, allowing students to cultivate common interests and learn from each other’s life experiences outside of the classroom.

Today, McCuaig, who received his diploma in Management

Studies in 2011 and is now pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce at MacEwan and sits on the board of SEBA, remains steadfast in his belief that post-secondary education should be more than just going to lectures and studying from a text book.

“You start to lose out on the whole university experience if you just focus on academics alone. I learn in so many different ways, and learning from the textbook alone is only one avenue,” McCuaig explains. “At the end of the day, if I can gain experiences from many different places and learn little amounts of informa-tion from a lot of different people then I’ll be better off for it.”

The goal of learning from different people has even motivated McCuaig to travel through a study abroad program offered by MacEwan. In January, McCuaig will fly to Sweden, where he will complete his final semester of school.

Studying abroad is an experience McCuaig has been eagerly anticipating: “It’ll be a great learning experience,” McCuaig says. “Last year I met quite a few MacEwan exchange students from Europe and they said the exchange was one of the best experi-ences that they’d ever done. The amount of personal growth that you get out of an exchange is just not something that I want to miss out on. Taking yourself out of your own culture, I think it will really broaden my perspective on things. It’ll allow me to come back to Edmonton and start a career with fresh eyes and new ideas.”

By Matt Hirji


The EntrepreneurFood truck owner gained work ethic and motivation at MacEwan University

Ariel Del Rosario Asia Pacifi c ManagementDiploma (2003)

Five years ago, in the spring of 2006, Ariel Del Rosario was given an assignment to create a business plan in one of his MBA classes at the University of Alberta. For some students the task was merely another hurdle to jump over. For Del Rosario, it was an opportunity to set a dream of owning a successful business into motion.

One year later, what emerged from the assignment was one of the first food trucks to open in Edmonton. In fact, when his kitchen-in-a-truck parked itself downtown to serve Filipino barbeque food under the moniker Filistix, many potential customers were cautious of the novel food option. Del Rosario and his business partner, however, remained optimistic that his business would become successful in time.

“In every other culture, there was some sort of street food culture that existed,” Del Rosario explains. “I realize that in [Edmonton] it’s a seasonal business, and you can only operate in May through October. But there’s all this street food culture elsewhere. So we said ‘Why don’t we bring it to Edmonton, and see what happens?’ We saw it as an opportunity to make a bit of money, but also as an opportunity to introduce a little bit of street food culture to the downtown core.”

Del Rosario is the first to admit that none of this would have been possible without the help of MacEwan University. That’s where Del Rosario first learned foundational knowledge in

business, while also honing his entrepreneurial spirit.Frustrated in the workforce after graduating high school,

Del Rosario realized that he needed to pursue a post-secondary education if was going to achieve his goal of being a successful businessperson. So, in 2001, the Edmonton native decided to enroll in the Asia Pacific Management diploma program at MacEwan University. As it turns out, it was a pivotal decision that paved the way for a thriving career as an entrepreneur.

“I owe a lot of my success to [MacEwan University] because they pushed me. Without that I don’t think that I’d be where I am today. I knew that I had it in me; I’d always had this drive to be an entrepreneur. But studying at MacEwan University instilled a strong work ethic in me and really motivated me to succeed,” Del Rosario says.

After graduating from MacEwan University, Del Rosario went on to pursue an MBA at the University of Alberta. It was there that he further developed his skills as an entrepreneur and started his company.

“I’d never thought about it that way, but it’s definitely been a long journey,” Del Rosario says. “Originally, we wanted to provide healthy alternatives in terms of healthy food options in Edmonton’s food trucks. We wanted to change the way people thought about food trucks. Now, we want to see how far we can expand in the next few years.”

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By Matt Hirji


Springboard

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Dynamic classes and course material set the stage for a vibrant career

Daunted at fi rst, I embraced the challenge in capturing Rachel’s voice by turning her passion into words that would inspire the crowd. Stories of pain and loss came to light from families who had lost loved ones from often preventable deaths in the workplace. Slowly but surely, the speech took shape.

My efforts paid off as my speech was one of three chosen by our instructor, Elaine Calder, to present to Rachel. I was even more thrilled to learn that Rachel had chosen my speech to address the crowd. It was fortunate I wasn’t the one speaking as I was rendered speechless!

While I may have succeeded with this particular assignment, I didn’t do it alone. I received immeasurable support from my instructors and gained valuable knowledge from the course work. I can safely say this program has opened doors and provided ample opportunity for me to pursue a successful career in communications.

Today, I am working with the Alberta government within a dynamic and busy communications team. With each passing day, I gain a broad range of valuable communications experience including strategic plan-ning, developing a wide variety of information materials for internal and external audiences, nurturing client relationships in the production of collateral materials, creative storytelling, collaboration on numerous initiatives and more.

By Adrienne Hill, Public Relations (2012)

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up for two evening courses as part of the Public Relations program at MacEwan Univer-sity. After successfully completing both courses with knowledgeable and helpful instructors, I was left with no doubt as to my next steps. I promptly signed up for the popular full-time program.

September 2011 marked the beginning of a busy fi rst semester. I learned the fundamentals of what it takes to communicate effectively in a dynamic and intriguing fi eld. The small classroom sizes contributed to increased comfort, confi dence and connection with fellow staff and students; we were in this together, learning from one another.

Our hands-on, practical learning environment helped us develop valuable critical thinking skills through in-depth exploration of timely news events. Lively discussions allowed budding professional com-municators to do what we do best, communicate!

Another valuable component of the program involved extensive writing assignments. Late into the second semester, we were assigned to write our fi rst speech for Rachel Notley, member of the legislative assembly of Alberta for the NDP. She was set to speak at Grant Notley Park at an event honouring workers injured or killed on the job. This park was named in honour of her own father who died tragically in a plane crash in 1984 while serving his constituents.

RENDERED SPEECHLESS


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