Hello Mount A Commerce alumni and friends!

I am pleased to introduce our winter 2009 newsletter. It contains information on the activities of our faculty and students over the past few months. Most notable is the announcement of a major gift from Ron Joyce which transforms the Commerce Department into the Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies. In the history of the Commerce Department, there has not been a development that has impacted us in such a major way. It funds important facets of our program including new teaching positions, prominent visiting scholars, the attendance of students and faculty at academic conferences, and course related field trips. The evidence of this gift is already being felt.

Naturally, this event added to the excitement of the fall term, but it was a particular pleasure to have Steve Salterio (B.Comm. '82) as the first Ron Joyce Visiting Fellow. His energy was boundless, his opinions frank, and his advice proved invaluable in this time of change. Please read the newsletter for more details on these and other events.

Paul Berry
Head, Department of Commerce
Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies

 

Contents

 

• Commerce Department receives $5-million gift from Ron Joyce
  
  
• CMA Canada Accreditation for Commerce
  
  
• Award for Best Overall Research Performance
  
  
• Commerce student receives Futures Fund Scholarship for Outstanding Leadership
  
  
• Steve Salterio is first Ron Joyce Visiting Faculty Fellow
  
  
• How the media constructs media celebrities
  
  
• Athletic Achievements

Ron Joyce, one of Canada's most successful entrepreneurs, has donated $5,000,000 to the Commerce Department to establish the Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies.

At a time of global economic uncertainty Ron Joyce says this is an investment with promising returns. “When I was the owner of the Tim Hortons chain, I held myself and my employees to the highest standards. In the same way, Mount Allison University provides its students with a superior education, and I’m delighted to support an institution that shares the values that have shaped my successes — innovation, opportunity, experience, and the pursuit of excellence.”

The funds will attract the country’s top entrepreneurs and educators — creating new teaching positions, visiting scholars, and executive-in-residence opportunities on campus. It will also be used for student conference travel, field trips, guest speaker series, case competitions, international exchanges, summer internships, and research opportunities.

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CMA (Certified Management Accountants) Canada had given the Bachelor of Commerce program at Mount Allison accreditation — the first university in New Brunswick to receive this distinction.

“The success of Mount Allison’s Bachelor of Commerce program in meeting the demanding accreditation requirements set out by CMA Canada is a testament to the Department of Commerce,” said Steve Vieweg, CMA, FCMA, President and CEO of CMA Canada. “The program offers innovative approaches to course design and delivery, supported by outstanding faculty resources, effective evaluation of student performance, and a commitment to continuing quality education.”

“To achieve this, the University is offering programs and research that will equip their students with the knowledge and skills required to meet the needs of employers, while enabling them to have successful careers,” said Vieweg.

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The Commerce Department received the “Best Overall Research Performance” award at the 38th annual Atlantic Schools of Business (ASB) Conference at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Commerce Department head Paul Berry who accepted the department’s award noted, “This demonstrates our commitment to research as well as collaborative efforts with schools in the region.” Commerce professors Dr. Nauman Farooqi, Dr. Gina Grandy, and Dr. Judith Holton, presented their work at the conference.

Commerce students also came out as winners. Andrew Couturier, Ben Goldberg, Moritz Philipp Günther, Iain MacLeod, and Trevor Steeves won the “Best Case” award for a case written with Dr. Gina Grandy about Mount Allison University’s student pub.

Commerce student Majd Chami received a Futures Fund Scholarship for Outstanding Leadership from Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year program in an Awards Gala in Calgary this past November. This $5,000 award is given to top business students from across Canada who have excelled academically while setting an example through their leadership and extracurricular activities.

“Majd is an outstanding student who has shown leadership in varied and interesting areas. He is highly deserving of this award,” said Paul Berry, head of the Commerce Department.

Majd (pictured second from the left) went to Kenya last summer to work as a volunteer on a project for the Kiburanga Women’s Group. This group empowers women by supporting their businesses that in turn helps the women’s family financially. Majd has also been a teaching assistant for a commerce course in management accounting as well as working as a campus police officer. He teaches swimming, lifeguards, and was head official at a recent intramural soccer tournament.

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Steve Salterio, ’82 was the Ron Joyce Visiting Faculty Fellow and Lecturer for the Commerce Department this fall. Steve is a Professor of Business and the PricewaterhouseCoopers/Tom O'Neill Faculty Fellow in accounting at Queen’s University as well as being the director of the CA-Queen’s Centre for Governance. His award winning research includes work in auditor-client management negotiations, corporate governance-audit interface, and managerial performance measurement.

Steve taught an auditing course for fourth-year students and was a lively and knowledgeable colleague for faculty members. He also gave a talk to other departments in the Social Sciences entitled "Massaging the Numbers: the role of Auditors, CFOs and Boards."

The larger-than-life superhero depiction of GE’s Jack Welch, the evil demise of Enron at the hands of CEO Jeffrey Skilling, and the unending adventures of the rebel billionaire and business person Sir Richard Branson, catch the headlines of business news globally. Ever wondered why some CEOs are more famous or infamous than others? In his honours research under Dr. Gina Grandy’s supervision, Commerce student Moritz Günther examined the themes, terms, and phrases journalists have employed to construct present day infamous top executive celebrities in the printed media.

Moritz said “journalists often try to explain corporate performance to large audiences without having to delve into the complex interrelations of various factors of today’s business world. This leads them to over attribute an organization’s performance to its top executive, thus popularizing these individuals in positive or negative ways. It is surprising that so little research has addressed this phenomenon and that there seems to be no published research at all on infamous top executives.”

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Commerce athletes are excelling in the play, at the books, and in giving for a good cause.

Football Mounties' quarterback Kelly Hughes is the 2008 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Most Valuable Player, and was a nominee for the Hec Crighton Trophy which honours the top university football player in Canada. Kelly, from Brampton, ON, currently holds every Mounties’ single-game, single- and career-passing record. He is the tenth QB in conference history to eclipse the 5,000-yard mark in a career. Kelly, pictured below, was also the first Mountie to get his head shaved at Mount Allison's Relay for Life, an event that supports cancer research. Thirty Football Mounties had their heads shaved at the event.

Teammate, free safety Callan Exeter was named Canadian Interuniversity Sport football first-team All-Canadian. In his second year with the team, Callan, from Ajax, ON, shattered the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference record for tackles in a season and for a single game (16). Finishing with 77.5 tackles he placed first in the AUS and first in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national rankings.

Receiver Adam Molnar, from Beamsville, ON, was named an AUS all-star in his second season with the Mounties. He finished third in the AUS in receptions.

Another Football Mountie, defensive tackle Scott Sheffer of Bedford, NS, was again a first-team All-Canadian candidate and an AUS all-star. He was an AUS 2007 all-star.

Soccer Mountie Ian Kelly won his second consecutive AUS all-star award and was honoured with a first-team selection this year. His feisty play led a much-improved Mountie squad to several wins over conference opponents this season. This first-team all-star striker is from Summerside, PEI.

After some exciting play in September, midfielder Lauren Ledwell of the Soccer Mounties was awarded Athlete of the Month. During that time, Lauren was the Mounties’ Player of the Game three times. Lauren, from Charlottetown, has been an Academic All-Canadian from 2007 to 2009.

Hockey Mounties' forward Jenna Briggs was Mount Allison’s Athlete of the Month for her outstanding play in six games in November. Jenna, from Dartmouth, NS, was Rookie of the Year in her first season and qualified for an Alumni Athletic-Academic Achievement Award this year.

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