Latest News
- Category: Latest News
Every few years, new program directors are appointed to each graduate and executive-level program at Telfer. The selection committee recommended a program director to take on the Master of Science (MSc) programs, formerly two separate directors. Dean Stéphane Brutus announced Professor Lavagnon Ika as the newest MSc Program Director for both the Health Systems and Management programs at Telfer. He will serve a mandate of three years from July 1st, 2022, to June 30th, 2025.
Meet the New MSc Programs’ Director
Lavagnon Ika is a Full Professor of Project Management at the Telfer School, a former Program Director for the MSc in Management, Faculty Leader for the University of Ottawa’s partnerships with African Universities, and the Founding Director of the Major Projects Observatory at Telfer. Professor Ika also holds a joint affiliation with the uOttawa School of International Development and Global Studies. Prior to joining the Telfer School, he earned an MSc and PhD in Project Management from the Université du Québec, where he also held his first positions as a course lecturer and a professor for 11 years.
History of the Telfer Master of Science Programs
In 2008, the Telfer School launched two MSc programs in Management and in Health Systems. Over the past couple of years, the MSc in Management has improved and developed considerably with newer concentrations like Innovation Management and the introduction of a program, the research project MSc in Management. The research-based program helps students develop applied research skills to a relevant business topic, preparing them for an exciting career in their field or industry of choice. The project-based program is only one year, so it is a fast way for students to position themselves as experts immediately after their undergraduate degree. Furthermore, students can also register for this program with a CO-OP option, providing them with real-world workplace experience in their field of study.
Students can also now apply directly to the Bachelor of Commerce + MSc in Management (Research Project) program prior to beginning their undergraduate studies. This allows them to transition from their BCom to MSc program with ease and no disruption, and to complete both an undergraduate and graduate program within 5 years at the Telfer School.
The Future of the MSc at Telfer
Professor Lavagnon Ika expressed his excitement for his new position at the School and working with various stakeholders including professors, staff, and students who are involved in these programs. He was highly involved previously as part of the initial ideation of the project-based MSc in Management program. Professor Ika shared some of the objectives he hopes to focus on over the next three years: “actively promoting the program inside and outside Telfer, establishing more connections with industry partners, working with the Research Office to facilitate Mitacs funding for professors and students, especially those in the project-based MSc, increase the quality of the student experience, and targeting and recruiting top students from abroad.” Professor Ika will surely provide a positive impact on these programs through his leadership.
Thank you to Professor Patrick and Professor Lapierre
Thank you to the former directors of the MSc program, Professor Jonathan Patrick and Professor Laurent Lapierre, for their positive impact on each program’s growth and success over the years. Under the guidance of Professor Patrick, the Health Systems program flourished, despite the difficult role of managing the program during the pandemic.
Additionally, Professor Lapierre was able to make great strides for the Management program as well. Professor Lapierre has the distinction of launching three new concentrations, Finance, Accounting and Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources, as well as a research-project edition of the program.
Dean Brutus shared his gratitude towards each program director in an email announcement to all staff and faculty at Telfer: “As a result of the hard work of our two colleagues, our MSc programs are now more popular than ever. I would like to thank both Professors Patrick and Lapierre for their outstanding contributions to the MSc Programs in Heath Systems and Management.” Big thank you to both former directors for their hard work and dedication to these leading graduate programs.
- Category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The balance between launching an Ottawa startup and being a student can be both a time-consuming and rewarding feat. University of Ottawa alumnus, Karim Alibhai, and Telfer alumna, Alina Jahani, know all about the student entrepreneurship lifestyle.
The BSc and BCom Management Information Systems duo launched their recruitment startup, HireFast, while completing their undergraduate degrees and are now closing a six-figure exit deal with a large American company.
The Beginnings of HireFast
Karim, the engineer of the partnership, remembers exactly how the HireFast journey began: “I was on a bus in Ottawa and my friend was telling me how he was interviewing for software engineering positions and how [employers] make them solve different problems in interviews. They were testing software engineers on algorithms, even though that’s not really what they’d be doing at their jobs.”
He then got the idea to start HireFast, an assessment tool for software engineer employers that would more accurately test applicant skills. He brought on Alina to help with project management and business development, and the partnership began. Now, the business uses pre-existing insights and data to help improve hiring times, quality of applicants, and quality of jobs.
The Life of Student Entrepreneurs
After Karim and Alina established their business idea, their first step was contacting Telfer entrepreneurship professor, Stephen Daze. Professor Daze teaches third and fourth-year classes for entrepreneurs and is noted to be one of Hire Fast’s key resources.
“He was a pivotal piece to our company. He was phenomenal and was not afraid to rip us apart and tell us when we were [not doing the right thing],” Karim explained.
After pivoting, the business grew and Alina and Karim began noticing the struggles of balancing their full-time work on a business and studies for each of their degrees. The two biggest challenges they faced as young, busy entrepreneurial students were related to time management and financing.
“Time management was tough. It was really hard to balance time, so as a result, we got lower marks [in courses] than what we were used to. Also, you are very cash-constrained, so we were trying to save money on small things that other people in the market could afford”, shared Karim
However, the benefits of being students while starting a business was their access to student competitions and opportunities like Startup Garage that the university has to offer.
uOttawa Entrepreneurship Programs and Business Accelerators
HireFast joined the Startup Garage program at the University of Ottawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub as part of the 2019 cohort. The pair originally applied to join because the program allows students to take an eight-month break from their studies and focus on their businesses full-time.
“We ended up getting more than just that, the best probably being a community of like-minded people, which was very powerful,” Karim explained. “Sometimes when you are failing it can be very overwhelming, but having other people in those same situations to guide you really helps.”
Another benefit to the program, Karim noted, was the access to experts in fields that they needed help in: “We were able to connect with Nolan Beanlands, who used to run the Startup Garage. He was extremely helpful.”
Alongside accelerator programs like Startup Garage, Karim and Alina noted that the business also felt supported financially by the university and its programs and competitions.
Business Startup Advice
Looking back, Karim had a few pieces of advice for current students who want to bring their business idea to life: “Try to stand on the shoulders of experts, alumni, and anyone you can. That was one of the key factors to our success. To talk to amazing people like Stephen Daze and Nolan Beanlands. We are still in touch with them and a lot of the time I had tunnel vision and getting advice from them was super useful.”
As for the Telfer alumna, Alina, she says that the main goal student entrepreneurs should keep in mind is to not give up: “Whatever the challenge is in your business, the last thing you want to do is lock yourself in a room and try to figure it out yourself. Lean on your beta users, customers, industry experts to find the answers you need. Launch small but powerful experiments to get your hypothesis validated and iterate from there.”
The Six-Figure Acquisition
HireFast was recently acquired by a consulting recruitment business in New York, U.S.
Karim shared how they were able to find the perfect match to make an exit deal:“We wanted someone with the right fit. So, we found a company in NY and they were already running a consulting recruiting business and they wanted to go into the software side. HireFast was basically their trampoline to the software side of recruiting.”
The New York-based business plans on launching the software in 2022.
As for the business and engineer duo, they are now both pursuing careers at two different startups. Karim is working in the dental startup space in New York, while Alina is pursuing project management as a Product Analyst in the retirement world.
Although living the life of a student entrepreneur can be hard work, the University of Ottawa and Telfer School of Management works hard to support students who are chasing their dreams.
Learn more about the Startup Garage program and other entrepreneurship opportunities at the university.
Photo credit: Mélanie Provencher, photographer
- Category: Telferimpact
Place à la jeunesse is an outstanding experiential learning opportunity for Franco-Ontarian high school students organized by the Telfer School of Management each year.
It is a program for young students with an interest in business that consists of an in-class component focused on key business topics followed by, as central component, a case competition. The Jeux du Commerce inspired competition has been bringing together Franco-Ontarian youth since its first edition in 2004. The competition hosts over 90 students from French-language high schools across Ontario, aged 15 and 19.
The program also serves as an opportunity to promote the pursuit of post-secondary education in French and at the same time enriches the students' business knowledge through an immersive and extraordinary hands-on experience.
The students learn a lot in class, but the opportunity to practise theoretical skills in an environment that encourages creativity, innovation and critical thinking is the main value-add in their academic development.
Participating students are also given the opportunity to compete for scholarships they can earn for their future studies at the University of Ottawa.
The Competition
The Place à la jeunesse (PALJ) competition creates an environment that encourages participants to grow and share their ideas, contextualize real issues, and solve them.
Traditionally, the competition is divided into the following academic sections:
- Marketing
- Accounting
- Entrepreneurship
- Debate
Students are given three hours to analyze a case study, find the primary and secondary problems, come up with solutions, prepare their answers and present them to a panel of judges.
Their presentations are evaluated by judges from the community, the Telfer School, and/ other local professionals. Judges provide critical feedback to each team so that members can improve and develop their skills beyond the competition.
“It feels good to see our students engaged, full of energy and finally having experiences,” says Shelley Ryan, a business teacher at E.J. Lajeunesse High School, who saw her students take part in the 2021 edition.
Linked with Experiential Learning Goals at Telfer
At the Telfer School of Management experiential learning is an important component of any student’s journey. Experiential learning is deeply integrated in our programs through our active learning courses, learning lab and co-op program amongst other opportunities. Students benefit greatly from these learning experiences and can use them to develop and explore new subjects, valuable at any learning level.
For Franco-Ontarian students, Place à la jeunesse is a great early experiential learning opportunity to participate in that offers a taste of what to expect during their university studies. It also has the advantage of being offered in Canada’s capital, the heart of bilingual Ontario. It’s one of the few experiential learning opportunities of its kind.
Moreover, an Ontario government curriculum document on experiential learning states that this approach allows students to develop transferable skills such as oral expression, critical thinking and the ability to summarize large amounts of information.
During the Place à la jeunesse competition, students can display their theoretical knowledge and apply it to real situations as well as gain peer recognition and possible scholarships.
How to Get Involved
If you or someone you know attends a French-language high school in Ontario, this unforgettable experiential learning experience is a chance to prepare for university life and develop a network of contacts with students and community members throughout French Ontario.
Participating students can win university scholarships. This fall, winners of each section received University of Ottawa scholarships worth a total of $58,500.
If you are interested in getting involved with the organizing committee, there are opportunities for this too. “We’re always looking for people who passionately care about education, entrepreneurship and French to help us organize the event,” says Catherine Gingras, Telfer BCom student and chair of the organizing committee for the 2021 edition.
Learn more about Place à la jeunesse and get involved in the next edition.
- Category: Telferimpact
Moving in a big city can often seem logical upon choosing to pursue post-secondary education, but it remains a big decision especially when if we grew up in a small town. Studying in Ottawa often comes with many opportunities, notably given its political and economic opportunities amidst a vibrant culture fuelled by its own people coming from around the world. However, Ottawa’s portrait would be quite different without its large French community.
In the spirit of this day of celebration for Franco-Ontarians, we met with two students, Émilie Lebel and Alex Dalcourt, born and raised in French communities in Northern Ontario. Their experiences at the Telfer School of Management will shed light on why they chose Telfer for their post-secondary education and haven’t had any second thoughts about this decision since.
French at the centre of the decision-making process
Raised in a bilingual household in the predominantly francophone community of Hearst, Ontario, Alex attended French school all his life and had access to services and activities in French without even having to think about it. “The presence of a French community at uOttawa was crucial in my decision to attend my post-secondary studies here, in Ottawa,” shares Alex. After living on Vancouver Island for a year he came to realize how ‘lucky’ he had been to be able to speak and live in French: “When it came time to apply to universities, it didn’t feel right to apply anywhere other than uOttawa,” added the Commerce / Juris Doctor student who is in his final year of his program.
Émilie had a similar academic path throughout elementary and high school where French was predominant: “Kapuskasing, ON is a small town where most of the population is bilingual, but in the community, French was always the main language spoken,” shares the fourth-year marketing student who is also enrolled in the French co-op program.
It was, thus, an easy decision for her to pursue her post-secondary studies in French, but she also wanted to stay in Ontario to be as close as possible to her family: “The ability to complete my program in French and participate in activities in my mother tongue at Telfer made choosing a university easy,” recalled Émilie. She added: “Not only is Telfer a great school that provides me with professional opportunities beyond the classroom, but it’s also a place where I can freely express myself in the language that I feel most comfortable in.”
Living in a Francophone Environment
In addition to studying, universities are also place of growth, both on a personal and intrapersonal level.
Therefore, it was important for Émilie to be able to express herself in French both in-class and upon participating in extra-curricular activities; the Telfer community has always offered her that chance: “I have almost never participated in an activity where there wasn’t other francophone students,” she explains. “Throughout my studies, I have never been in a situation where I couldn’t express myself in my language. I have participated in many case competitions, including the Telfer Internal Case Competition, Pitch Your Brand with the Telfer Marketing Association, Happening Marketing and Jeux du Commerce, and I have always been able to do oral presentation and pitch in French.” Émilie also had the chance to increase French presence within the CASCO team along with other francophone students, improving communication with the community as a result.
Alex also values the ability to rely on his own French heritage and culture throughout his student experience at Telfer. He met like-minded peers in the process: “I have found a community with whom I can communicate in French freely,” he explains. For example, Alex was a volunteer, a member, then the co-president, of the Place à la jeunesse executive committee over the course of three years. “This French academic case competition is a perfect example of how I am able to work with colleagues, the faculty, and people and organizations outside of the University, all in French, toward a common goal,” he reflects.
Thriving in French
Moving out of one’s hometown for the big city always comes with difficult reasoning and challenges, but both Émilie and Alex agree on one thing: you’ll never be alone in this adventure.
“Don’t be afraid to speak your language!” exclaimed Émilie. “You’ll be surprised at how large the francophone community is, and how open and supportive non-French-speaking students are. You will never not be able to express yourself in French, in clubs, and activities at Telfer,” she concluded.
Alex wanted to leave a word of advice to students coming from remote French communities: “Cherish your language to use it to your benefit, be it to take part in different opportunities or to meet new people. You already know how precious your language and culture are. You now get to thrive in both your personal and professional lives in Ottawa and around the world.”
- Category: Community Engagement
The MBA Student Association (MBASA) at Telfer School of Management came up with an event that is the first of its kind – a small and medium-sized (SME) Consult-a-thon focusing on providing fast-paced, strategic solutions to businesses in the local community.
Over the course of the weekend from July 17th to 18th, 46 participants including students, business representatives, Telfer faculty and experts, put in a total of more than 170 hours of case-cracking to help these businesses prosper and give back to the community. “It truly represents what the Telfer School of Management is all about - bringing together the creative energy and expertise of students, local businesses leaders, and industry experts to focus on a business challenge faced by local organizations,” said Professor Catherine Elliott, Director of the Telfer MBA program.
Revisiting Case Competitions Framework
The event has completely redesigned the usual case competition framework, with an emphasis on collaboration, community value, and social good. “When we came up with this framework, we believed the emphasis should be on quick solutions and community value rather than competitiveness.”, stated, Karthik Chivakula Venkata, one of the 6 organizing members of the event and a Telfer MBA student. He added: “We also believed that this would provide participants with a sneak peek at real-world business challenges as well as an opportunity to put their course learnings and talents to the test.”
Developing the Right Challenge
Due to the pervasive pandemic, today's SME enterprises confront some very genuine and severe issues that require innovative solutions. To be successful, both businesses and students require assistance and direction from local business community supporters.
With many local businesses showing interest in being part of the Consult-a-thon, the MBASA organizing team had to interact with each of the business owners to understand the cases better. Following a thorough brief, the team collaborated closely with the business owners and members of the MBASA’s executive team to co-create case documents that showed extensive, accurate, and up-to-date market information.
Intensive Case-Cracking
The Consult-a-thon included 4 teams composed of 4 students that would come to know of the businesses and the cases only during the event. The team then had to work on the cases provided by each participating business at different time during the event.
The most anticipated part of each business case was the case cracking. Each team had 4 hours to tackle the business document. In the first hour, the teams got to discuss their questions and ideas with the business owners and consulting experts for a proper understanding of the situation and problem statement. By the end of the allotted time, the teams had to share their final ideas and solutions to the business owners and expert panelists.
At the end their presentations, the panelists will provide feedback on the teams' presentations and insights on how to implement their ideas better.
For its first edition, the Telfer MBA students had the chance to work with dynamic local start-ups such as:
- Shyne Eyewear, a small Ottawa social enterprise run by Enactus uOttawa which manufactures and sells sunglasses and blue-light glasses created from 100% recycled materials;
- Ekidna Sensing, a biotech startup located in Ottawa that builds technology solutions for the legal Cannabis industry;
- Empower'em is a grassroots social enterprise focused on providing a community and support to women of colour in order to help them develop their leadership skills, build confidence and achieve their personal and professional goals.
All in for local businesses
Since it was not a traditional case competition, the panellists evaluated the ideas qualitatively, not quantitatively. The rubric focused on the clarity of identification and articulation of challenges, level of thorough analysis, creativity and feasibility to provide feedback, and recommendations to the participants.
The real winners of the Consult-a-thon were – the local businesses, of course! Students gained valuable experience and received feedback on their ideas and presentation skills, but the businesses were the real winners, leaving the event with new insight and actionable solutions for their business challenges. Professor Elliott added: “It was a winning partnership for all, bringing innovative and practical solutions to these local businesses. Congratulations to the MBASA and the participating students! I was so impressed with the students’ initiative in launching this first-ever Telfer SME Consult-a-thon.”
A Successful Event
The event also got praises from the principal beneficiaries. “We needed a strategic direction and these presentations provided us with new creative ideas on how to tackle this problem. The recommendations the students provided were actionable and we are happy and excited about the entire event,” said Alexander Parsan, Project Manager at Shyne Eyewear, and Telfer BCom Accounting student.
Nicolas Boileau, CEO of Ekidna Sensing, also appreciated the outside expert view that the Telfer MBA students brought in. He looks forward to the next 6 months to one year to see where the company will move towards with the new ideas and strategy he collected over the weekend.
The committee is already planning the next edition of the event, which will take place in 2022 in a much bigger scale with even more local organizations. Any local businesses and students from all horizons with an interest in being part of this incredible initiative are invited to contact the MBA Student Association to discuss possible participation in next year’s competition via
- Category: Student Voices
Are you an international student still deciding on the university you would like to go to on exchange? Are you interested in the Telfer School of Management and would you like to know about what my experience as a French student was like? Well, you are in the right place!
In this blog post, I will cover all of the questions I was asked by fellow students at KEDGE Business School (my business school in France) who had to choose their partner university from among 15 options.
I’ve been through this myself, and I know how stressful it can be to choose where you’re going to spend the next few years of your degree, especially when it may be across the Atlantic in Canada at a recognized university.
LIFE AT SCHOOL
At Telfer, you have the winter, summer and fall semesters. I attended Telfer during the winter and fall. Each semester is about 3 months of courses which start in early January and end in early April. Your exams will start in mid-April and run until the end of April during this winter semester. You have a week off by mid-February that you can use as a study week for your midterms that start after this week. It is similar for the fall semester: courses start in early September and end in early December to allow time for exams starting in mid-December, until the last Friday before the holiday break. The fall study break happens in mid-October. Note that this means your summer break from school is 4 months long. Take advantage of this time to work at internships, apply for a student job, or just relax for 4 months by the pool!
All of the 5 courses are taught within 30 hours of the semester. If you take 5 classes each semester, you will be in classes for 15 hours per week, which gives you relatively short weeks of time spent in class. This allows you to spend the rest of the time on assignments, your studies, or even have a student job on the side. I think the personal work is fairly sizable.
The partnership between my school and Telfer includes having 60% of courses in French and 40% in English because Telfer wishes to keep a bilingual French-English environment, which is unique to Canadian culture. Rest assured that from my perspective, this had very little impact on my level of English, as I have improved it rather through my meetings with international students, and in my everyday life in general.
For courses, in the first two semesters, the 5 courses are mandatory and not selected by the student, and then for the last two semesters, you have 2 mandatory courses and 3 courses that you can choose yourself. Overall, I found the teachers interesting, passionate and responsive.
If you are afraid of not passing a course during midterm or end-of-session exams, don’t worry; you will not repeat a year. You will simply resume the course the following semester in order to rework it and obtain a passing grade.
MY HOUSING TIPS
For accommodation, you can stay in student residence on campus for the first term. That’s what I did, staying at Marchand residence, and I think that’s the best way to be at the centre of student life and to live with other international students. In Marchand, you can be in a single or shared room. The rooms are small and the bathrooms are to be shared, but you will have a real experience as a university exchange student in Canada. My English improved a lot during that term and I met amazing people.
For the following semesters, you’ll get to know the city better, so if you didn’t like the student residency experience, or want to change, you can rent a house with several other students (it’s always better to be with international students to improve your English). I recommend that you look on Kijiji to rent a house, or go to Facebook groups such as “Apartment Rentals Ottawa” or “Ottawa Housing, Rooms, Condos, Apartments, Sublets.”
Rent prices vary, but overall, for an apartment downtown, you will need about €600 or US$690. I was in a 5-room apartment in the “Golden Triangle” neighbourhood, which is a 15 to 20-minute walk from the University, and I paid €500. Life is on average similar to the cost of living in France for commuting. I never took public transport (even in winter at -20°C - you have to be brave!). In terms of neighbourhoods, I suggest you look around Golden Triangle, Sandy Hill, or Lower Town.
THE CITY OF OTTAWA AND ITS STUDENT LIFE
Ottawa may be the capital of Canada, but the city remains very quiet and family-friendly. Everything is concentrated downtown. You’ll find different museums, the Byward Market—which is a place with coffee shops, pubs/nightclubs, and small shops (and especially good beaver tails from Beavertails!). Very close to the university, there is a very large shopping centre, the Rideau Centre. Ottawa is above all known for the Rideau Canal, which freezes in winter and becomes the largest outdoor skating rink in the world. There is also Gatineau Park, on the other side of the river in Gatineau just north of the city, which is a beautiful place that I had the opportunity to discover with beautiful fall colours with lakes and walking paths. In addition, Montreal is only two hours away by bus or car. Finally, I urge you to visit Parc Omega in Montebello, Quebec, which is a nature reserve where you can see national animals such as bears, wolves, bison, foxes.
Life in Ottawa as a student will not be as hectic as that in Montreal or Toronto, and will allow you to be in good company (with over 40,000 students on campus, you can easily make new friends) and to take part in the university’s events to experience it fully.
The University of Ottawa offers multiple organized student outings (when possible), such as an extended weekend in New York, Chicago, or other locations.
Finally, there is no shortage of sports facilities on campus, and as a sports enthusiast, I was delighted to see two huge sports rooms, an Olympic swimming pool, a hockey field, an American football field (soccer), several gymnasiums, and more.
HOW TO COPE WITH THE CANADIAN COLD? (from a heat addict)
During winter, in Ottawa, it’s cold - very cold! Temperatures range from 0°C to -20°C (for the lucky ones, you can even experience winter storms and below 30°C temperatures). My best advice is to buy winter clothes when you arrive in Canada, especially winter coats and sweaters. I bought my winter coat at Aritzia (also look at SportChek or Canada Goose if you have a larger budget, which you can find at the Rideau Centre mall), the prices are lower than if you buy it in France, and more importantly, Canadian stores offer products that are much better suited for winter. For thermal shirts, pants, gloves, caps, etc., I recommend UNIQLO. For shoes, you’ll find a lot of shoes on the spot that do the job, but I personally chose the high ankle Timberland boots and I was very pleased with that.
YOU ARE IN NORTH AMERICA, TRAVEL!
Many ask me if I had the opportunity to travel while I was in Canada. I don’t think they checked my travel blog! I love to travel and living in Ottawa allows you to go to lots of cool places for a lot less than if you left from Europe. I won’t go into details, but in a year I had the opportunity to go to Montreal, Toronto, Niagara Falls, New York City (7 to 8 hours by bus from Montreal), Mexico (Tulum, Cancún), Miami, and Orlando. My adventure ended there, because of COVID-19 (well, it will be for another time!).
I sincerely hope that all this information will be useful to you if you are a future international exchange student in Canada, and that I have answered most of your questions.
If you would like more information, please contact me! My email is
- Category: Telfer Announcements
This Francophonie Month, Telfer is highlighting the inclusion of the French language and Francophone culture in our community.
The Telfer Student Services Centre (SSC) is at the heart of the student experience at the School. The role of the SSC is to guide students throughout their studies, from the time of admission to Telfer through to graduation. With the French community representing close to 30% of our student body and after receiving 2,500 applicants this year to the French BCom program only, French services is an important component of the Centre’s offer.
Since the beginning, in 1969, our School has provided bilingual services to our students. In addition to the availability of bilingualism, the Centre offers services and programs that are adapted to the both the local and international members of our French community through the Undergraduate Office, the International Exchange Program and Scholarship Program, and the Telfer Career Centre.
One of the main goals of the Centre is to make sure that students feel comfortable as soon as they start their journey at Telfer. The Peer Mentoring Program is doing just that.
Student Mentorship Programs
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Peer Mentorship Program
The main purpose of the peer mentoring program at Telfer is to facilitate the integration of first-year BCom students by ensuring that they are accompanied by a mentor, for domestic students, or by an international guide, for international students: “Each student is matched with a student mentor or guide, according to a series of priority criteria, the first being the language of correspondence,” explains Marilou Charbonneau, Student Experience & Event Assistant at the Telfer Career Centre. “In this way, we ensure that each French-speaking first-year student is matched with a French-speaking mentor or guide to ask questions and obtain a variety of resources in French,” she added.
In addition, French is one of the most important criteria in the annual selection process of guides and mentors. It is essential that most of the team members can support French-speaking students.
Fourth-year Accounting student, Priyesh Sarju, is one of the program’s international coaches. Coming from Île Maurice, Priyesh is a good representative of the French diversity at the School: “French is certainly one of my main assets as an International Coach at Telfer,” shares Priyesh. “That being said, many of the international students come from French-speaking countries around the world, so being able to interact effectively in French with them is essential to ensuring they have a successful student experience,” he added. Furthermore, as an international guide, Priyesh can not only help international students with their studies through revision sessions, but also moderate various Telfer events in French.
Camély Gendron is another student mentor in her fourth year at Telfer, completing the Commerce and Juris Doctor program. She shared her experience guiding members of the French community at the School: “When I think of my experience as a Francophone mentor, I immediately think of the word community,” she proudly said. “The students I work with are happy to be able to speak in French to someone who has been through a similar journey. It is also nice to see how united and supportive the Francophone mentors are on a daily basis!”
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Executive Mentorship Program
Another mentoring opportunity offered by the SSC is the Executive Mentoring Program. This program connects senior students, usually third- or fourth-year, with industry executives and entrepreneurs. The program establishes a relationship between a student and a professional so they can exchange ideas, provide informal guidance, and grow their network. This is a way for a student to learn in a one-on-one setting from a business professional.
Isabelle Décarie, Manager, Student Experience at the SSC explains how unique this experience can be for a French Telfer student: “Students can be matched to different successful French leaders in the community. For example, we have a student in the BCom/JD program that is matched with the President of the Réseau des gens d’affaires (RGA).” The experience is also quite unique for the mentors, as it is a wonderful opportunity to meet students interested in their field of work, have great conversations, and learn about the exciting new things happening at Telfer.
Reaching out to the French Community and Beyond
This year, Telfer received 2,500 student applications to its BCom French program. One of the key reasons of this success is the freedom of choice in the program. “We want students to know that they can study in the language of their choice whether it’s in French, in English or in both languages,” stated Émilie Desrosiers, Marketing and Liaison Coordinator of Telfer’s Undergraduate Programs. “We’re really proud of the fact that uOttawa is a bilingual institution,” she added.
The Telfer French community also counts in its rank English-speaking students who also speak French as a second language, or who are working on practicing their French through the various opportunities offered at Telfer. This includes the French Immersion Stream, which is eligible to the French Studies Bursary.
International students coming from French speaking countries can also benefit from the bilingualism environment offered at the University and in the city of Ottawa. “Our international student population likes the fact that they can study in French, experience life in a Canadian city, and that we have a generous scholarship for them”, explains Émilie. Another key factor that appeals to our international population and more broadly is the Co-op program. “Students can gain real work experience and receive a salary during their co-op placement”, she concluded.
There are several scholarship and bursary opportunities offered to French-speaking students, those who study in French Immersion, and International students alike:
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The Bernard and Valérie Marcil Scholarship is offered to BCom Accounting students who demonstrate financial need. The scholarship is named after Telfer graduate and co-founder of Marcil Lavallée, Bernard Marcil.
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The Legico-CHP Fleur de lys scholarship is available to a francophone Telfer student who is from Quebec with an excellent academic record, but who is unable to take on the cost of tuition fees. The scholarship is named after Legico-CHP, an organization that is an amalgamation of two who companies were major players in international and local construction projects.
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The Fleur de Lys Admission Scholarship Fund of the Telfer School of Management was created to provide financial aid to francophone students who wish to join the Telfer BCom program, but for whom the higher tuition fees pose a challenge. The scholarship was created through a generous donation by Mr. Ian Telfer, Telfer’s namesake, and it is designed to help students coming to Ontario and facing higher tuition fees.
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The Marcil Lavallée Accounting Scholarship is awarded to a Francophone student registered to the accounting program who has demonstrated community involvement. The fund was generously created by Ottawa accounting firm, Marcil Lavallée.
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The French Studies Bursary is a $1,000 admission bursary awarded to full-time students in the French Immersion Stream who are taking at least 2 courses (6 units) each term that are taught in French (including French-as-a-second-language courses). This bursary can be renewed for the three following years and reaching up to $4,000 in total.
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The Differential Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship is offered to an international Francophone and Francophile student who is enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s program as of September 2021. This significant contribution means that tuition fees paid by these international students will be nearly the same as those paid by Canadian students.
- Category: Telferimpact
The Telfer PhD in Management program opened its doors to welcome the first cohort of PhD candidates in the fall of 2016. Eight exceptional candidates among 28 applicants were admitted into the brand-new program. They committed themselves to tackling the journey that is PhD training, surely not fully aware of the erratic ride of challenges and victories ahead of them. Four years and one semester later, Vusal Babashov was the first student to successfully defend his thesis on January 18, 2021, and he is the first graduate from the Telfer PhD in Management program. Considering the hurdles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a remarkable achievement.
Choosing the right PhD program
Any student considering a PhD must first decide to dedicate the next 4 to 6 years of their life to PhD training. Choosing which field of study to join is also a major decision, as this will tie into their thesis topic, who their supervisors could be, and it could ultimately impact future career choices.
This is a big decision for all PhD candidates, but how does a student take the leap in applying to their field of choice?
Marwa Soliman joined the program in 2016. She felt that her decision to pursue a PhD at Telfer was obvious considering the diverse expertise of the school: “I worked in academia my whole life and pursuing a PhD in accounting was one of my dreams. Before joining Telfer, I lived for two years in upstate NY and during this time I was a frequent visitor to Ottawa. I started reading more about Telfer and the PhD program and I really liked what Telfer has to offer as a new PhD program. I contacted Dr. Walid Ben Amar and he was kind enough to provide all necessary information about the program. I enjoyed our conversation so much and I decided to join Telfer. Given the diverse expertise in the accounting and finance disciplines and the outstanding research output in the last few years, I felt I can prosper in this vibrant and encouraging research environment.”
Vusal Babashov did not give his program selection a second thought: “I chose Telfer's PhD program primarily based on the supervisors I was going to work with for the next 4 to 5 years. I did a fair bit of homework researching my supervisor. First, Professor Jonathan Patrick was quite visible and well regarded in the Healthcare Operations Research community. Second, he was actively engaged in research and publishing. Finally, after having an introductory meeting with him it was evident to me that we could work together. Professor Antoine Sauré joined the program shortly after I started my PhD. It was a natural fit for me to have him as my co-supervisor given our shared research interests. Also, he was just starting his tenure-track journey, and his engagement and motivation created more synergy and boost to my doctoral research commitment.”
Three Major Steps of PhD Training
After officially starting the program and completing four semesters of required course work, PhD students must complete the Comprehensive Examination, also known as the “PhD comps.” This consists of a two-part examination (written and oral) that is overseen by the Comprehensive Examination Committee . Passing these exams proves that they have acquired the relevant knowledge needed, and that they are ready to tackle a thesis project.
Before the end of their 3rd year in the program students must choose their thesis topic, prepare a thesis proposal and defend it orally. While most students at this stage are quite excited about starting their data collection, this is a big hurdle and a key rite of passage. Failure to successfully defend their proposal leads to withdrawal from the program – talk about stressful! We asked Andrea Ghazzawi how she felt about this challenge. “I knew what to expect, as I had defended my proposal for my Master as well. I absolutely love my research topic – social pediatrics – and had invested a lot of time into developing my research study with the support of my supervisor Dr. Craig Kuziemsky and the clinical director at the social pediatric centre Dr. Anne Marie Bureau. As such, I felt very prepared for my defense.”
We asked Marwa how she felt about this challenge. She adds that the support and guidance from her professors helped her achieve these milestones: “I was one of the first students in the first Telfer PhD cohort to join the program. It was both a challenge and an opportunity. Although, we did not have the history of previous students to guide us and provide some tips and tricks to manage our PhD journey, I was fortunate to always find the support and guidance from my professors in all the stages of my doctoral program including my comprehensive exam, choosing my dissertation topic and even during my proposal defense.”
After these steps, PhD candidates are well on their way to becoming independent researchers. This is after having spent countless hours of reading, planning, and designing the right research approach, making sure to ask the right research questions, and defining a methodology, a data collecting process, and analysis. Their major triumph is succeeding to publish their research, hoping to make an impact and help shape the future of their field. At this stage, PhD candidates are ready to write and defend their thesis and celebrate this immense achievement.
Support from Telfer
PhD training is an intense journey of academic and professional growth. The thesis supervisors play a major role in this process, but many other faculty members, support staff, and peers have a major influence on this training. For Marwa, Associate Professor Dr Qiu Chen has really made a lasting impression during her PhD: “I have enjoyed working with Dr. Qiu Chen. She is always supportive inside and outside of our seminar classes. I remember the first day of her class when she said that one of the great things about teaching PhD students is that you are working with your colleagues, not your students. I have recently asked her for a letter of support, and I was two days away from the deadline and she was very kind to provide her support and help. She came back asking for more information to provide her best recommendation letter even within this short period of time.”
Joining the student community
The Telfer Graduate Research Programs Student Association (TGRPSA) plays a major role in enhancing the PhD student experience at Telfer, sharing opinion or thoughts from the students, and ensuring their needs are met. Among the first PhD cohort, Alexander Chung was the first PhD student representative in the association and served as President until 2019. Alex offers a unique perspective about the Telfer PhD student experience: “Since the inception of the PhD program, the association has been instrumental in organizing activities to unite the students and promote our research. Two examples include “skills-sharing” activities and writing bootcamps. The skills-sharing activities allowed students to share their skills and hobbies with others while providing a social environment to help alleviate the stress of graduate studies, while the writing bootcamps were weekly sessions that provided a motivating environment for students to come together and write productively. Furthermore, we helped in organizing and delivering the thesis competition for graduate students.”
The Telfer PhD program now hosts five cohorts of ambitious PhD candidates, driven by a quest for knowledge and a desire to develop the research expertise and skills needed to conquer the world. Congratulations to them all for committing to the challenge. We wish all our students much success in their respective adventures and look forward to celebrating with each of them as they complete their candidacy.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
As part of the University of Ottawa, the Telfer School of Management prides itself in offering bilingual opportunities in countless ways within the world’s largest English and French university. Nine out of the eleven Bachelor of Commerce programs are offered in the French language, which means a student proficient in English and French can choose to study in English and in French, or in one of these two languages.
Other opportunities and incentives are offered for students to sharpen their skills in a second language. For English speakers who want to work on their French skills but still take most classes in English can take advantage of the French Immersion Stream. This stream allows students to take some of their regular content courses in French, while having the chance to benefit from a $1,000 scholarship for each year they participate in this stream if they fit the eligibility criteria. In their first two years, students have the option to take accompanying language courses to build a strong base in French. In their third and fourth years, students move on to more advanced classes related to oral and written communication.
This Francophonie Month, Telfer is highlighting four clubs and committees who value the inclusion of the French language and Francophone culture in the Telfer community.
Telfer Competitions Committee
Each year, Telfer undergraduate students compete at several case competitions where French speakers can speak in their mother tongue, including Jeux du commerce (JDC), Happening Marketing (HM), HR Symposium, and Omnium Financier (OF). The Telfer Competitions Committee (TCCT) recruits and organizes the teams from Telfer who will represent the School at these competitions. “The Telfer Competitions Committee allows students the possibility to use what they learned in class in a real-life consulting situation,” mentions TCCT President, Elias Azzi. TCCT participants can develop their analytical, problem solving, and communication skills in both French and English by solving real-world business problems in a case crack.
JDC is a large student competition offered to Canadians in their undergraduate studies located in Eastern Canada, usually attracting 1,300 participants from 13 different schools each year. The competition is predominantly conducted in French, although academic case cracks can be presented in each of the student groups’ language of choice. On the other hand, Happening Marketing is the largest marketing inter-university competition in Eastern Canada with 10 competing ten universities. HM consists of 6 academic cases, 1 quiz and 3 components: social, participation and sports. Lastly, Omnium Financier is the largest academic competition in finance and accounting in Eastern Canada. The event aims to promote careers in both fields, regroup students from different universities, and allow them to network with industry experts.
These competitions, overseen by Regroupement étudiant des facultés d’administration de l’Est du Canada (RÉFAEC), are fully bilingual, but mostly conducted in French due to the demographic of competing universities. “A proper operating proficiency in French allows students to better interact with sponsors and delegates from other universities”, states Elias. He also enjoys these competitions because of the opportunity to expand his network: “As a bilingual student, it's nice to participate in an event where French takes precedence. It's also nice to meet new people and to network in the language of your choice.”
Francophone club members largely contribute to the advancement of the Telfer Competitions Committee. “French executives bring so much to the table,”believes Elias. Some case competitions are hosted in French in different regions of Canada and Quebec. Therefore, the team must have representatives who can communicate with other committees in French. “We truly need a bilingual executive team to properly judge and serve every student on an even playing field,” says Elias. The French language also holds importance in the recruitment process for the competitions.
As a former student of the French Catholic School Board (CECCE), Elias chose to study mostly in French at Telfer. “It was close to home, but more importantly it was completely bilingual,” shares Elias. In 2020, he became president of the Telfer Competitions Committee and is proud to be a part of it: “TCCT is what I would think is the most bilingual club/committee Telfer has to offer as most of our competitions are held in Quebec. TCCT is fully inclusive and attracts unilingual and bilingual students to be part of its competitions and executive committee.”
Place à la jeunesse
Jeux du commerce also founded the Place à la jeunesse (PALJ) initiative in 2004. The francophone event consists of a university-level case competition only offered to Franco-Ontarian high school students. PALJ not only promotes the French language, but it allows students to get familiar with the business world and get the chance to win scholarships to study at the University of Ottawa. “We also believe that it is important to have the opportunity to study in one's mother tongue in post-secondary education,” mentions Émilie Desrosiers, faculty coordinator of Place à la jeunesse. The competition is the perfect opportunity to meet new people: “You can also make good connections and sharpen your networking skills with members of other schools, students from uOttawa, and our guest judges.”
The competition starts with a preliminary round in which over 90 Franco-Ontarian high school students resolve cases in 3 academic subjects: marketing, entrepreneurship and accounting. The principal committee then chooses 24 teams, 8 per academic subject, to go on to the final round. Similarly to JDC, the teams in each of the three academic categories receive the same case to crack. Despite the event being held entirely in French, teams can present in the language of their choice. A panel of academics and business experts evaluates each team’s work to determine a winner.
Place à la jeunesse is one of the few clubs on campus where French is predominant on the organizing committee. President of Place à la jeunesse, Catherine Gringas, shared her experience and motivations for being part of the club: “It makes me really proud to say that every year, our chosen organizing committee is comprised of students who study in French, appreciate the language, and believe in the importance of post-secondary education in French.” Catherine has been involved with PALJ since 2019 and became president in 2021. “I started to get involved with Place à la jeunesse as a volunteer in 2019 and I loved the concept of the competition, the club's mandate, and the people who were a part of it.”
Despite the challenge of an inevitably virtual setting this year, it was important to the group to make sure PALJ still happened so students could have the opportunity to surpass themselves. “We are all very proud to host this competition year after year even if we have to adjust it,” mentions Émilie. Place à la Jeunesse will hold two competitions this year, in April and November, and begin recruitment for their committee in the summer. “We are always looking for passionate people who have at heart education, entrepreneurship, and French, to help us organize the event,” shared Catherine.
CASCO Charity Organization
Every year, Telfer’s student-run charity organization CASCO raises money for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and highlights students and their talents at the annual Gala show. The event includes different forms of art such as dance, music and fashion. CASCO brings together students, the business community and Ottawa locals for the common cause of raising funds to support CHEO. Just last year, the organization was able to raise over $53,000 for the Recreational Therapy program at CHEO.
The CASCO team recruits members on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Within their team, the organization encourages members to speak the language of their choice: “This will hopefully make our French members feel more at ease while asking questions and know that they can express themselves in the language that they are most comfortable with,” mentions Danika Dumoulin, VP Development at CASCO. The team also reaches their French audience through Q&As on Instagram, in which the questions are answered in English and in French so any student can feel comfortable to participate.
Students involved in the CASCO Charity Organization can expect to “build interpersonal skills by working as a team and collaborating with others.” In fact, the club works together for the common objective of helping those in need. “CASCO also teaches students the importance of helping others and demonstrating that anyone can make a difference if they put their mind to it,” says Danika. As a Francophone VP and student, Danika joined CASCO and had the objective of making it a bilingual club: “When I joined CASCO and met all of these other people studying in business, I felt as if the French program was in a bubble.”
Students who join CASCO have an opportunity to meet people outside of their program and make connections that can last a lifetime. Danika shared her advice for future students interested in joining the club: “I definitely encourage French students to join CASCO, it's a great way to meet new people that study in the same field as you. The French program does not include all the students at Telfer, and I think that's very important to remember! I could not imagine a better way to remember my university experience. Not only was I introduced to some of my best friends, but they gave me a second family that I could rely on.”
Telfer Student Council
The Telfer Student Council (CéTSC) represents over 4,000 undergraduate students enrolled in Telfer’s Bachelor of Commerce. The team, comprised of around 25 representatives from different backgrounds, organizes annual events dedicated to the Telfer community and helps other Telfer clubs to fund and run their various events. They welcome each new round of first year BCom students to the school, organize a celebration for each graduating class, and hold an event recognizing the countless achievements of the Telfer Clubs community.
The CéTSC team values both the francophone and anglophone communities, but they are working to establish more French-focused initiatives in the club: “We have the responsibility to ensure that our communications material and services are offered in both official languages,” shared Nick Gratton, VP Marketing at CéTSC. Nick also added that he hopes to see more francophones get involved with CéTSC in the future: “Students who are seeking to build on francophone culture and francophone pride at Telfer should undoubtedly get involved with CéTSC. If you are passionate about something, whether its general change or a specific topic or cause, join CéTSC and/or get involved with Telfer Clubs. It's truly the best way to shape student culture and the student experience at Telfer.”
Each year, students can apply to be a part of the annual election, then Telfer students vote for the individuals they wish to see take on each role in CéTSC after the campaigning has concluded. Some roles on the team do require bilingualism as VP Marketing and VP Academic both require the completion of a language competency evaluation to ensure French and English proficiency, so that they can make sure to communicate to the student body in both official languages.
A number of Telfer clubs make sure to give Francophone students the opportunity to get involved in academic, professional, and social activities. The diversity brought by students fluent in French allows the clubs to compete at competitions on a larger scale, host events in French, network in English and in French, and recruit students who grew up with French as their first language. We look forward to continuing to see French-centric initiatives and opportunities for Francophone students to get involved in the student experience at Telfer.
- Category: Health Systems Management
Our Master of Health Administration (MHA) students are shaping a healthier debate with their final assignment as part of the Health Care in Canada course (MHA6360). This course, led by Assistant Professor Agnes Grudniewicz, consists of an interesting project as the final class assignment which involves an online publication opportunity. The students were to prepare an opinion article on a chosen topic of interest with the ultimate objective of being published in Healthy Debate, a Canadian online publication that aims to provide easy-to-understand information about the health care system.
An opportunity to make an impact beyond the classroom
Professor Grudniewicz first came across the Healthy Debate online platform during her PhD studies since their editorial office was based at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital where she was conducting her research.
“The idea to include Healthy Debate as an applied learning opportunity came to me this summer, while planning the first online delivery of the course due to the pandemic. I simply decided to reach out to them,” she added. “They were very enthused about the idea as it aligned with their new goal of using their platform as an educational opportunity.”
The experience of writing for Healthy Debate
For the assignment, students were expected to follow all guidelines to write an opinion article as outlined on Healthy Debate’s website. Students had the chance to read previous opinion pieces to understand the tone and style of these short-type articles.
Ranging from 650 to 900 words, the opinion articles are far more challenging to write than usual longer research papers since ideas, fact-based content and argumentative information needs to be concise. “It was a challenging exercise because they had to adapt to the style of Healthy Debate, which is very different from more academic writing. It’s punchy and short. Students had to think about ways to write about a niche topic to a broader audience, using lay terms and explaining concepts,” stated Professor Grudniewicz.
Students had the opportunity to consult with the editors at Healthy Debate regarding their topic and work with them to submit the article for publication. This consultation and submission to Health Debate was an optional component of the assignment, but students were strongly encouraged to make use of this fantastic opportunity to strengthen their assignments, as their article is expected to be of high enough quality to be submitted to Healthy Debate for publication after they are graded.
“The Healthy Debate assignment was a great learning experience as we got the chance to pick a health subject of our choice. We felt proud to share our opinion with a broad range audience and bring awareness about mental health in these COVID-19 times,” shared MSc in Health Systems students Mohcene Abdessemed and Sandra Blais-Amyot, co-authors of the now published opinion piece Pandemic, winter taking toll on Canadians’ mental health. “We had the opportunity to interview a mental health professional to gather his insight on the current situation. We found the course professor and the Healthy Debate editors to be very helpful in providing constructive feedback that guided and strengthened our article.”
The assignment was also followed by a requirement to create a 10-minute podcast where one student interviews another on the topic of their Healthy Debate article. “Students did tremendously well on this component, surprising me with their creativity and enthusiasm,” exclaimed Professor Grudniewicz.
Lesson learned
"Publishing in Healthy Debate was a great opportunity to collaborate with a colleague and add our expertise to a topic that we're both passionate about. It allowed us to not only apply the course content to a real-life policy issue, but to also use our respective professional backgrounds to bring our different perspectives to the issue." shared MHA student Joey Taylor, one of the co-authors of It’s time to get moving, Canada.
“I think it was a great experience for these students because they got to pick a topic that was important to them – either because of personal experience or because a topic we covered in class sparked a new interest” reports Professor Grudniewicz. She concluded: “the MHA trains our future health care leaders. In this assignment, I wanted to give our MHA students the opportunity to join the conversation and have their voice heard on topics that mean the most to them. I hope having their work published inspires them to continue to actively engage in health policy discussions for the betterment of our health care systems.”
Read each of our MHA students’ articles published by the Healthy Debate:
‘Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always’: The importance of support networks, by Brent Leonard
Addressing racism in Indigenous health – Moving beyond systemic reassurance, by Amanda Larocque and Maddie Venables
Fighting fire with fire: Managed Alcohol Programs need to be widely implemented, by Steven Parker and Erin Tighe
It’s time to get moving, Canada, by Joey Taylor and Talia Ignacy
CANZUK: A cure for our healthcare challenges?, by Anna Wu and Priyank Tyagi
Pandemic, winter taking toll on Canadians’ mental health, by Mohcene Abdessemed and Sandra Blais-Amyot
- Category: Student Voices
As a fourth-year student in the Telfer BCom program, I remember vividly how each year at the University of Ottawa, more specifically at Telfer, was like for me. For most students coming into university, it is hard to picture what to expect in your first year, as university is much different than the scheduled routine of high school, regardless of which town, city, or country you graduated from.
Over the years, I realize I would have benefitted from key knowledge, advice and information in first year, where ambiguity, change, and confusion are typically high. Therefore, I have broken down three key tips in which first-year students may benefit from knowing in advance of starting their university career. I hope you may find them as useful as I would have found this information to be in my first year.
Tip #1: Be Prepared to Adjust your Study Strategy
Your first year is the most ambiguous, as it is usually different for most students. However, the majority of students can attest to feeling shocked, confused, and like they’re trying to relearn how to walk. Most of us have a clear idea of how to study thanks to our high school classes, however, the difference between university and high school is that you have a lot more content to study for your courses at a much faster rate.
Additionally, you will most likely notice that you may have to study differently for each course, or at least for each type of course, or even with various professors. For example, a course that is textbook heavy will require you to read your textbook on a weekly basis, and if you write your textbook notes using your laptop then you may also want to take your lecture notes using a laptop as well, so that you can easily merge your notes making it more efficient to study for exams. In comparison to your more practical courses such as Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting, where you will most likely want to write your notes using pen and paper and instead of weekly textbook readings, you’re doing practice questions using paper as well. Therefore, expect to adjust your note-taking method and studying approach with each course you take. Keep in mind as well that your strategy may be completely different than your friends’, which is completely normal.
Ensure that you figure this out within the first week of new courses, if possible. The sooner you have a strategy for each of your courses, the easier studying for your midterms and finals will be. This may sound straightforward, but this is crucial as you can easily get overwhelmed during midterm season if you haven’t realized this early on; you may be cramming to organize your notes, when you should be studying the material instead. Bottom line: don’t skip “syllabus week”!
Tip #2: Be Aware of the Opportunities Around You
Aside from courses and studying, first year is all about exploring and learning more about yourself. You will be entering a brand new world, where opportunities are offered to you all the time, such as being a member or even a first-year representative for a Telfer club, volunteering with clubs outside of Telfer, getting a job on campus, or attending events and workshops hosted by Telfer’s Student Services such as the Peer Mentorship Office or the Telfer Career Centre.
Don’t be overwhelmed! Depending on the type of person you are, you may want to wait until another year to participate in extracurriculars, or you may want to join as many as you can the day you arrive. There is no wrong strategy, so long as you never limit yourself from exploring new opportunities for too long, whether it’s extracurriculars or simply attending campus events. You will learn rather quickly that Telfer has a lot of opportunities for you, and so in order to make the most out of your university experience by the time you graduate, attending events you’re interested in or engaging in extracurriculars will go a long way for your personal and professional growth.
Tip #3 Negative Stress is NOT Inevitable
It is no secret that university is stressful. Most of us will be taking four or five courses, each taking a lot of time and energy. It can be extremely difficult to maintain a balance between courses, extracurriculars, social life, house chores, cooking/meal prepping, fitness, commuting and everything else in between. It is important to realize that reaching that perfect balance is unrealistic, whether as a student, working adult, parent, etc. Therefore, instead of stressing about being imbalanced, dedicate more time to learning about a routine that works with your lifestyle and priorities. The more you are self-aware, the more likely you will be at a state close to balance (but remember, we will never be perfectly balanced and that is OK!).
Another important point to recognize is that although university is stressful, it doesn’t have to be taxing on your mental and physical health. University is infamous for accepting “stress culture”, where suffering is normal. You do not have to be suffering to be a good university student.
I like to categorize stress as negative stress and positive stress. Positive stress is inevitable, as university is a high-stress, fast-paced and heavy-loaded environment, and experiencing a stress where it pressures you to get work done efficiently, to be organized and make wise decisions about how you spend your time is GOOD. Negative stress, however, is taxing stress, where your mental and physical health are compromised. This type of stress happens when we don’t take corrective measures using our positive stress. Negative stress is NOT inevitable. You can go through university successfully without compromising your physical and mental health. You don’t have to take all-nighters, compromise your social life, or cram for exams to do well.
When we are in first year, we are still learning how to manage our time, to determine what routine works for us, and to become self-aware of our priorities and limits. Therefore, expect to experience stress, however, do not expect to suffer with negative stress. Be patient with yourself, invest in self-awareness, and make the most out of the positive stress you will experience.
When I was in first year, and even second year, I was constantly stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious, as I didn’t know what my study style was, what my priorities were, and how to manage my time. Those are expected reasons to feel overwhelmed when starting university for any student. However, I could have limited my negative stress by being realistic with myself, telling myself that I am still learning about who I am, what my priorities are, and what kind of student I am.
Other reasons that enhanced my stress was not knowing about the above three tips I broke down for you. I didn’t know until too late that I had to create a study strategy for each course within the first week of classes, I didn’t tell myself to not compare my methods and routine to my friends, and I definitely wasn’t aware about the difference between positive and negative stress. Therefore, I hope by reading through these tips that you are more mentally prepared and aware of what to expect and what to do for your first year in university.
Goodluck and don’t hesitate to reach out for additional tips, advice and support from myself, or from Telfer’s Student Services Centre!
- Category: Student Voices
As an international student, I have faced many challenges at uOttawa in my first year. When I first arrived in Canada, I was over the moon that my dream finally came true. However, the new life in Canada is totally different than what I imagined. It was much colder and more challenging than I thought. I lived in a new country, met new people from multicultural backgrounds, and dealt with a heavy school workload. However, being open-minded, developing strategic learning habits, and proactively seeking advice will help you overcome these challenges in your first year.
Challenge #1: Culture Shock
Culture shock is a feeling that most people experience within their first year in a new country. It is a common experience, and it also changes the way you behave in a new environment. There are some tips to overcome cultural shock:
- Learn about Canadian culture before you arrive in Canada: I researched popular culture and learned how to adapt to Canadian culture. Canadians are very polite, and it’s important to remember your manners if you want to make a great first impression. Do make sure to say “thank you” and “please” in an appropriate and meaningful way, but do not overuse it.
- Set realistic expectations: Accepting a culture shock is a part of adapting to a new country. Give yourself more time to experience and adjust to your new surroundings. Don’t push yourself too hard. Everything needs time, especially a new transition like this. Getting positive energy from other hobbies also helps you overcome your difficulties instead of mainly focusing on them.
- Get involved in group activities, school events, and social festivals: community-based festivals grow over time to reflect the values, interests, and aspirations of residents. These activities will help grow your capacity to learn languages, familiarize yourself with cultures, and build new relationships. You can find some upcoming festivals from the Ottawa Festivals website.
- Meet your international mentor: Telfer also supports us in adapting to a new environment. International students will have their own international mentor in their first year. Having a conversation with them and asking them questions will help guide you in improving your current experience. They are also international students like you, so they understand your problems and will have some helpful tips to improve them. Moreover, they are very friendly and willing to help, so don't be shy.
Challenge #2: New People
I have a lot of friends from high school and university back in my home country. However, I have fewer friends than before when studying in Canada. English and French are official languages in Canada. If language is a barrier when making friends, deal with it., and be proud of your accent because the accent is developed around our language, and Canadians are not experienced at speaking your native language. The University of Ottawa offers many language programs that can help enhance your communication. The English Intensive Program is available to help you build your confidence and acquire your new language skills.
Moreover, Conversations Workshops are also available to help you make new friends who have similar language problems and who make you feel more comfortable speaking English. I met so many friends from this workshop and ultimately improved my speaking skills. Most importantly, actively making friends and building relationships with your classmates will help you overcome your fear of speaking English. Your first year is the best time to make friends when most people haven't known each other for a while yet. Don't be shy at the beginning! If you lose this chance, it will be harder for you to find new friends when you go into your second or third year of studies.
Challenge #3: Heavy Workload
The third challenge is the heavy school workload that you take on when you are at university. I believe that many of you have faced so many assignments and deadlines when you were in high school. However, it's totally different when you get to university. University life is much more stressful than high school. Sometimes, you may feel tired and may want to give up. Here are some reasons why you are so stressed and how to overcome them:
- Unfamiliar with a schedule: Most students find it more stressful when dealing with a ton of assignments and a hectic work schedule. Creating a detailed plan is the best way to manage your time and prioritize the most important things. You can't change your class hours or your working schedule, but you can work to make the most of your time. Setting aside a certain time for homework, assignments, and relaxation will help you create a routine that makes you feel less stressed.
- Afraid to ask questions: This is probably the most common situation that international students face at uOttawa. They are scared to speak out about their problems and opinions. In my experience, language is a barrier for many non-native English speakers, and it prevents them from speaking their thoughts. People who have a lower level of English proficiency faced problems in class discussions, which naturally led to them being silent in the class. There are many different ways you could ask questions: meet your professor after class, send them an email about your questions, or even ask your classmates. Your language may not be proficient at the moment, but practice makes perfect.
- Unhealthy lifestyle: Not drinking enough water, not getting enough exercise, skipping out on a good sleep schedule, and eating junk food are common lifestyle choices of students. International students find it harder to take care of themselves in their first year because they were more used to relying on their parents at home, leading to possible bad habits. Therefore, establishing a healthy routine, taking breaks, making time for habits, and working with friends is essential and useful for you to overcome stress and get enough positive energy to better cope with challenges. The University of Ottawa also offers wellness resources that will help you improve your mental health and wellness.
These are three challenges that international students at uOttawa face in their first year of studies. I hope you will find these tips to be useful for yourself and help you to manage any challenges you have in your first year at uOttawa. Once you overcome these challenges, your next semester will be more comfortable and more enjoyable. If you have any questions or problems, please feel free to contact me. I’m happy to help you with your first year! Thanks for reading!
- Category: Student Voices
If I had a Telfer time machine, here’s everything I would do differently and everything I would do the same in order to graduate from business school without regrets. If you’re reading this before entering your first year, you’re in a great position to make a plan. If you’ve partially completed your degree and don’t feel entirely fulfilled, I urge you to read on and explore some of the opportunities mentioned -- it’s never too late!
Regardless of your program of study, making the most of your education goes beyond the classroom. It’s who you meet, who you talk to, and what you challenge yourself with. Now, it doesn’t need to be a point of stress; I have some strategies to help you enforce and enjoy balance throughout your business degree. Enough with the preamble, I’m going to show you how to graduate from business school without regrets.
Everything I Got Right
This isn’t a magic formula, but by taking good advice and seeking opportunities of my own, here’s what worked out well for me! First, let’s take a look at program-specific tips.
Use an Agenda or Planner
Simple and essential! If you’re doing this already, keep it up.
I was fortunate to receive one in my Telfer 101 week welcome kit, but if you didn’t get one, the UOSO sometimes offers complimentary agendas at the start of each new academic year.
Time management is the key to life. Write all your deadlines down. Section parts of your day around classes dedicated to studying and save time for yourself as well.
Smartphones and online calendars work great for many people, but if you’re prone to get carried away on your phone after a harmless notification check, I recommend entertaining the low-tech option of pencil and paper to minimize distractions and help with visualization.
I strongly recommend this QUO VADIS Textagenda - it has awesome features and it is reasonably priced at less than $20. This agenda is a perfect size, and you can recycle the paper once you are done with it, and reuse the cover. I picked mine up at the uOttawa Boutique Campus Store.
Join Clubs
You’ll hear the suggestion to join clubs no less than 416 times throughout your undergraduate career, so you might as well embrace it.
Joining clubs is often such a fulfilling experience. By joining the executive team, you organize and run events for your members, which looks great on your resume, but is also a ton of fun!
If you can’t handle the time commitment, then join clubs as a member for access to events for free or at a reduced rate for the premium ones.
I was part of TECDE before joining the Telfer Career Centre team of ambassadors.
Check out the full list of Telfer Clubs and Association, and find what intrigues you!
Talk to your Professors Outside of Class
Office hours are great for asking specific questions and getting one-on-one instruction from your professors, but aside from that, you should get to know them!
You could ask them about their passions and experiences. Some of the most impactful, meaningful conversations in my experience have taken place this way. Studying in an online environment doesn’t have to change this. I can safely say I’ve made some great connections over Zoom this past year! Professors can offer great career advice and potentially connect you with individuals from their network who can provide guidance in your particular area of interest if they cannot.
Case Competitions
Participating in extracurricular activities like case competitions, internally hosted through Telfer and externally through CABS, is one of the best things that you can do as a business student!
I joined JDCC in my third year and can say that with the right mentorship, your ability to work under pressure and deliver effective presentations will improve exponentially.
Aside from your own personal growth, there’s often the opportunity to win cash or other prizes, and if you still aren’t sold (you should be), employers love to see this involvement on a resume. It speaks to your ability to time-manage, collaborate, and overcome challenges. For more information, check out Three Reasons Why You Should Participate in a Telfer Case Competition.
Here's an example of how this will help you in job interviews:
Recruiter: Tell me about a time when you had to manage conflict.
You: JDCC.
Recruiter: Tell me about a time when you had to exhibit leadership.
You: JDCC
Recruiter: Wow! Okay, but aside from JDCC, tell me about a time…
You: (talk about how you seized every other opportunity I’ve described here that helped you learn/grow)
Attend Networking Events
The Telfer Career Centre organizes great opportunities to talk to recruiters from a multitude of companies. Sign in to Career Launch and look at the calendar of events, schedule time to attend, and research the companies you’re interested in before attending events that they will be at.
Telfer Executive Mentoring Program
In this program, you can receive mentorship from an industry professional, benefit from career advice, ask questions, have your resume reviewed, tour their office, maybe even sit in on some meetings!
Innovative Seminars
Keep your eye out for these special Administration (ADM) courses like ADM 4396, ADM 3396 or ADM 3313. These are unique opportunities that help you make the most of your ADM electives. I also highly recommend the Preparation for Business Case class (ADM 3994/4994).
Apply to be a Teaching Assistant
Apply, apply, apply! The University will email you in advance of the application window with the available teaching assistant and grader positions. Record this in your planner! If you’ve studied hard and earned exceptional grades, apply for all the positions you’re interested in. If you like to work with students directly, consider ADM 1300 (Introduction to Business) or ADM 2381 (Business Communication Skills).
Studying Outside of your Room
Sometimes taking a break from studying in your room, and changing up your location can help you get more schoolwork done. The uOttawa library has designated silent floors. Keep your phone on silent and out of sight, really get into the flow and be productive.
Intramurals
Physical activity is so beneficial! A great opportunity to socialize, make friends, and share some laughs is to sign up for intramural sports teams. This brings some structure into your week and ensures that you set time aside for yourself which can help you to refresh your focus. There are tons of intramural spots available on campus.
Work-Study Navigator
If you qualify for financial support and would like to work part-time during the semester, explore the Work-Study Program for jobs located on campus. Hours are usually very reasonable, allowing you to earn some money while managing your school workload.
Things I wish I could have done better
Apply to Specialized Telfer Practical Programs
If you enjoy the challenge of solving problems and presenting solutions through case competitions, a career in consulting may be for you. If I could go back, I would not have let this program pass by. The Profession of Management Consulting Program (PMCP) is a two-year development program for Telfer School of Management students who are interested in working on their consulting skills. You can participate in workshops and simulations facilitated by professionals in the industry.
If you are interested in finance, the Capital Markets Program (CMP) is for you. Check out the other programs offered as well.
Remain in the Co-op Program
I opted out in my second-year for personal reasons, planning to secure an internship on my own. I was offered one, but things fell through. It happens!
Co-op roles are more secure in that way (employers receive competitive incentives via education tax credits, so they benefit greatly from hiring students), and you’ll be guaranteed to graduate with some formal, work experience in your field. You may be skeptical about the fees or the workload involved, but it’s well worth it.
Some important tips:
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Network with individuals from companies early on. If you get some facetime with recruiters after meeting them at a networking event, this will increase your chances of succeeding in your interview. Show interest and ask questions when you met the recruiter.
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If you can, consider experimenting with both the public and private sector to figure out the work pace and environment that you most enjoy.
Meet People from Different Faculties and Programs
If case competitions appeal to you, monitor the engineering and science faculties. Explore the possibility of membership to their clubs, and attend their social events. Attend even if they’re online game nights, tournaments, and more! You can partner with other students within these specializations and bring your business understanding to create a highly functional team.
Loved the arts in high school? There’s a number of dance clubs practicing in UCU at any given time. Join an improv or theatre club!, or start your own club here!
Explore Ottawa
Grab a friend and take walks, prioritize some time for adventure and discovery in the city of Ottawa. If you don’t opt for the dining hall meal plan, consider supporting some local restaurants or cafés.
Soak up the full experience. Studies are important, but I encourage you to prioritize your time in a way that you are able to take personal excursions periodically. Make the most of the fall and spring, since winter treks can be difficult. Be sure to ice skate on the canal -- it’s a rite of passage.
I have never spent an entire summer living in Ottawa and I deeply regret it. I planned to spend summer 2020 exploring, but that didn’t quite go according to plan! Learn from my mistakes!
Apply for Scholarships
A large majority of scholarships offered through the uOttawa Online Scholarships and Bursaries portal have deadlines in early to mid-fall. Apply to as many as you’re eligible for, and keep a good record of the requirements for each. Keep copies of the applications you submit, and improve them.
Many scholarships require you to write an essay, but often it can be on a subject that matters to you! Pick something special and share the contents of your heart on paper. You can reuse this essay for multiple different opportunities, so submit them continually! Time spent on this early on will pay off if you stay diligent and continue to apply!
If you’re willing to commit hours to volunteer, I highly recommend this. No, actually, I BEG you to set time aside. Use the Community Engagement / Volunteering portal to find the best opportunities for you to get involved and build your co-curricular record. This will make you a phenomenally compelling candidate for scholarships, aside from the numerous standing benefits associated.
Become a Community Advisor or Student Mentor
If you’re a strong bilingual candidate and loved the convenience and atmosphere of residence life, considering becoming a Community Advisor or Student Mentor. A perk of employment is living in residence rent-free!
Summary of Key Takeaways
If you’ve made it this far in the article, you’ve got what it takes to achieve great things.
Remember:
- Relationships are huge! The current world environment in 2020 presents its challenges when it comes to building a connection, but your efforts are well worthwhile.
- Challenge yourself! Stress can be harmful, but eustress is where growth comes from.
- Enforce balance between your classes and your personal passions. Honour your commitments and do right by your group obligations, but make time for yourself.
- Embrace diversity! Open your mind to new thoughts and activities. You’ll learn so much and make new friends.
- Category: Student Voices
Whether it's an experience with the student clubs, the quality of teaching, the personal and professional development, studying at the Telfer School of Management is a unique experience.
Students talk about it with pride and it is obvious that being a member of the Telfer Nation means first and foremost being part of an exceptional community within the University of Ottawa family.
Here are the 3 reasons that I think make Telfer such a special faculty:
1. Studying in English, French, or both languages
That's right! The University of Ottawa is considered the largest bilingual university in the world, which means that you can study in both French and English, or in one of these languages. Since I am an international student from a Francophone country, I felt that attending the Telfer School was the best way for me to improve my English, while studying in French. Indeed, in addition to being able to practice in the city of Ottawa, most courses are also offered in both languages, which is a considerable advantage in terms of bilingualism.
2. Personal and Professional Development
Beyond a university education, I believe that a university must be able to contribute to the personal and professional development of its students, and this was a criterion I considered when I was in high school exploring my options for university.
In addition to the co-op program, the Telfer School of Management also gives students the opportunity to participate in programs such as the CMP (Capital Markets Program) for finance students, the Peer Mentoring Program, or the Profession of Management Consulting Program (PMCP) for students interested in consulting, to name a few.
Moreover, thanks to the Telfer Career Centre, which organizes a multitude of events with employers and accommodates Telfer students in all aspects of professional development (CV, cover letter, interviewing, etc.), we feel well prepared to enter the workforce and make the most of our academic knowledge.
Last but not least, associations and student clubs are the elements that stand out to me regarding the identity of the Telfer School of Management. With more than ten student clubs, the students involved at Telfer organize several social activities, networking events, and case competitions each year, as well as participate in competitions and contribute to the influence of our faculty on a national level. Participating in student clubs is also a good way for students to meet other students with or without common interests and to build a network for the future.
3. Work-Study Program
Although not exclusive to the Telfer School of Management, the University of Ottawa's Work-Study Program (WSP) is, in my opinion, one of the best opportunities available to students. As students, it is often difficult to manage our studies and our personal life, but it becomes even more difficult when it comes to finding a job. As a result, it allows students to find paid administrative or non-administrative jobs on campus, that are only minutes away from their classes.
- Category: Student Voices
When you are in high school, it is difficult for everyone, and especially for international students, to find the university program that best suits you. Faced with the multitude of possibilities available to us, both in terms of the program and the choice of city and university, it is a stressful and difficult decision. I am from Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa, and I decided to come to Canada in 2017 for my university studies.
At that time - and I think a lot of students feel the same way - I had no idea what I wanted to do in the future, either for my future career or for my university studies. I was happy to have good grades, and did not fully realize that only a few years were separating me from university. By my senior year in high school, I started to feel the pressure to choose a university and a program of study, and it was not easy.
Finding my program
Initially, choosing which university I wanted to attend was fairly easy. My brother was already a student at the University of Ottawa, so it was the obvious choice for me as well. However, the biggest challenge was finding a program of study that was best for me. During my research, I realized that one of the things I liked to do in my spare time was to read and learn about companies and their founders, not for the activities and services they offered, but mostly for their history and what led to the success of those companies.
The only option that I felt came close to this interest was to study management. So I enrolled in the Telfer School of Management with a Specialization in Management with the idea of one day being my own boss. After one year at the school, I learned that there was a Complementary Option in Entrepreneurship offered at Telfer. It was a perfect option for me, especially since the course choices were related to my interests and allowed me to finish my bachelor's degree still within four years. So I completed my registration, and took this additional step on in my academic path towards the career I want to build.
Today, in my third-year, after starting my elective courses, I can say that my entrepreneurial ambition is confirmed day after day. The practical aspect of these courses was what I was missing in most of my theoretical courses. I had the opportunity, for example, to analyze a film about the life of an entrepreneur, to participate in a conference on entrepreneurship, and even to meet an entrepreneur with whom I discussed his career path in order to write a report.
From a passion to a career
All of these activities I am doing now, I either used to do already or always wanted to do. I believe what I am learning now will allow me to develop important skills such as teamwork, creativity, or initiative that will be very useful to me when I go into business.
For now, although I haven't discovered my business idea yet, I am determined to, and I know that one day I will reach my goals. We'll talk about it one day!
- Category: Student Voices
Unsure of what you want out of your business degree, but know you have an interest in the field? Those are some shoes I think many people wear well through their undergraduate studies. That is exactly where I was in my first year. In my own experience, an early internship helped me better understand the world of business I was getting into and narrow down my own career path.
So, how did I get an internship out of my first year in university? In all honesty, I believe it was a perfect mix of initiative and luck. Here are the three main factors I believe allowed me to get an early internship:
1. Educating Myself
Before the start of my first semester, I knew that I wanted to make the most out of my experience at the Telfer School of Management. This could be fulfilled in a few different ways, whether through utilising school resources for entrepreneur-related ventures or in the search for new opportunities such as getting a well-paying job.
I had previously taken business courses in high school, but I further educated myself by reading books on business and human psychology. This knowledge gave me confidence for when I would start meeting people in university and in the business world.
2. Getting Involved
In my first semester, in my search for opportunities, I began to look at the Telfer student clubs. I met the Telfer Entrepreneurs’ Club (TECDE) President at the time, Ned Tighe, and VP Marketing, Aveen Habib, at a Telfer networking event, who introduced me to the club. I was later lucky enough to be chosen as their first-year representative as part of the club’s executive team.
Joining TECDE allowed me to gain a better understanding of the variety of events that are open to students at Telfer, as well as get closer to students with more experience than me. I believe that it also played an important role in establishing my credibility when later applying for jobs.
3. Networking
Throughout the school year, I networked. Actually, I got to know people. I enjoyed meeting new people at several events throughout the school year. These included school-hosted job fairs, Telfer Career Centre workshops, and club events such as downtown office tours.
It was at one of these office tours at an Ottawa-based technology company called Klipfolio that I met Robert Shapiro, their head of Human Resources. After the tour was over, I asked if we could meet for lunch sometime, and he agreed. I was thrilled that he let me take up a bit of his time to learn more about him and the company. He soon told me about an opening that had not yet been posted on their website. After preparing a data analytics-related project, I was granted an interview and soon achieved what I longed for: an internship position.
So, there's my take: if you make sure to educate yourself ahead of time, get involved with the university and take advantage of networking opportunities, you too could be on your way into an internship position. With these steps, you’re giving yourself an excellent shot and will get a head start on determining your desired career path.
- Category: Student Announcements
There is a lot to learn as a new Telfer student when it comes to program features and courses. If you are interested in learning more about setting up your course schedules, choosing your program option(s), studying in French and English, and international exchange, check out this discussion from fellow University of Ottawa students from an Instagram Live session.
Instagram Live Discussion
This spring, uOttawa Future hosted live Q&A sessions on Instagram Live with current students from each of the University of Ottawa’s undergraduate faculties.
Fourth-year Marketing student, Fiona Doomasia, chatted with uOttawa Future ambassador and third-year Social Sciences student, Narimane Ait Hamou, about student experience both inside and outside of the classroom. This included anything from how to set up your course schedule and making changes to your program, to student clubs and jobs on campus.
Here are some of the key topics they discussed:
Courses
1. Course Selection
Some questions were sent in asking about what courses to register for in first year, and how best to choose courses. Nari and Fiona shared their advice for finding the best schedule of courses to set up: essentially, whatever works best for you!
Fiona suggested writing down the courses and time slots available on the uoCampus class search tool in order to see what choices you have, and to then select the courses that best fit your schedule. Classes take place anytime from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and are usually 1.5 hours or 3 hours in duration. She added that if you are fine with a full-day of around six hours of classes and you are commuting to downtown Ottawa, you can schedule a number of classes in one day. This can help in arranging your schedule to have one day off or to create one shorter day with plenty of available time for homework, group projects, student club work, or other commitments.
Nari also recommended meeting with an academic advisor who can help you set up your course schedule, ensure you are following the course sequence you need to graduate, choose electives, and more. Our academic advisors are available at any point during your undergraduate degree, so if you need help beyond first year, you are still welcome to get in touch with them.
View your program course sequence for your entire undergraduate degree here, by clicking on your program option, then click “Course Sequence” under “Useful Information”.
2. Class Sizes
Fiona and Nari also discussed typical class sizes to expect in first-year courses and beyond. In first year, many of your classes can range from 150 to 400 students depending on the course. A course like Introduction to Microeconomics (ECO 1104) is required in several programs, and therefore, will be filled with students from a variety of different faculties, leading to a larger class size of up to around 400 students. You may also choose to take an elective course in the Faculty of Social Sciences for example, which would be closer to 250 students if it is at a first- or second-year level course (beginning with 1000 or 2000 in the course code).
A course like Introduction to Business Management (ADM 1300) would be closer to 150-200 students in a classroom as all first-year Telfer students are required to complete this course. As you proceed through the years, you will notice that class sizes will decrease to as small as 60-80 students, common in fourth-year. This is because those classes are more specific to your program specialization, such as Digital Marketing Technologies (ADM 4326).
Program Changes and Languages
1. Switching Program Options/Specializations
At the Telfer School, you choose which program option you would like from the options offered, but all Bachelor of Commerce students take the same courses in first and second year. This gives you time in your first couple of years to determine which area of business you are most interested in, and you can switch into a different Telfer program if need be.
Perhaps if you started out in Marketing, but realized your interest in Accounting, you can switch into Accounting before you start third-year, where courses become more specific. You can switch in third- or fourth-year, but you will likely require further schooling as not all classes will transfer over. You will need to complete all required courses identified in the new course sequence in order to obtain your desired degree. For questions about this, you can contact your academic advisor at Telfer’s Student Services Centre.
2. Studying in your language of choice
You can choose to study in your language(s) of choice: entirely in French, entirely in English, or a mix of French and English. You can enrol in the French Immersion program, which requires a certain number of courses to be taken in French.
International Exchange Program
Any Telfer student is eligible to go on an international exchange during their degree. If you are either in International Management with a mandatory exchange, or you are in another Telfer program, you can set a meeting with one of our academic advisors to discuss your options.
If you are planning on going on an exchange, they can help you determine which semester is best for you to go on exchange based on which classes you need to take while at the University of Ottawa, and which classes you can take abroad. If you are in co-op, they can also help you figure out how to ensure you meet all requirements for co-op and your courses.
- Category: Student Voices
If you’re a Commerce student or a student at the University of Ottawa, at some point, you are likely to have heard about JDCC (Jeux du Commerce Central).
Some of your friends have probably mentioned how much fun they had at the sports games, competitions, or dance ceremony on their JDCC trip.
But, what is JDCC?
Jeux Du Commerce Central (JDCC) is a regional business case competition where students from business schools across Canada compete to win. JDCC is organized by the Canadian Association of Business Schools (CABS), a parent organization that works with the business student associations at each Canadian business school.
At these competitions, member schools of CABS select students at their prospective schools to coordinate a delegation. At JDCC, the Telfer School of Management competes alongside 11 other Ontarian schools including Lazaridis School of Business and Economis from Wilfrid Laurier University, Lang School of Business and Economis from the University of Guelph, Sprott School of Business from Carleton University, and more. Every year, one of these member schools hosts the competition, allowing competing students to visit campuses across Canada. Students can compete in either the academics, sports, or social categories.
How the Competiton Works
In the academic competitions, every school sends a team of three students to compete against others in specific business categories such as marketing, accounting, strategy, human resources, entrepreneurship, and more. To compete, the teams of three have three hours to conduct a case resolution, which they then present to a panel of judges. The presentation component is 20 minutes, and the question period is another 15 minutes.
When all teams have presented, the judges (usually acquired through sponsorship) decide which schools will place first, second, and third for each category. During the awards ceremony, CABS announces the winners for each category, and also gives out individual and full-delegation awards.
In the sports competitions, teams of eight compete in an assortment of sports such as basketball and spikeball. In these competitions, points are awarded to delegates for performance and for delegations whose non-sport delegates watch the game and cheer on their fellow teammates.
In the social competitions, teams of four participate in random challenges at different points in the day. These challenges include improvisation, dances, debates, surprise case resolutions, and more. In these challenges, points are awarded for enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and quality of makeshift costumes.
This competition takes place annually in January over four days. The last two locations were the University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario), and Brock University (St. Catharines, Ontario). At the last competition, Telfer brought a team of 46 students, and won three podium awards: Human Resources, Debate, and Wildcard.
VIP cards are individual recognition awards that are awarded to the best presenters. The recipients of these cards are often selected by the judges, and those who possess a VIP card participate in an exclusive networking event.
Outside of competitions, schools also participate in other recreational activities such as social events and dances.
At the Telfer School of Management, the JDCC delegation is organized by the Telfer Competitions Committee (TCCT). TCCT recruits the students, facilitates practices and coaching, and orders merchandise for the team. TCCT also hosts the annual Telfer Internal Case Competition, which is a good opportunity to search for new Telfer JDCC academic members into our regional competitions.
If you are interested in developing your presentation skills, making new friends, and competing to win, JDCC is an opportunity you do not want to miss!
Read more about how Telfer performed at the last JDCC here.
Ask me questions on my experience here.
- Category: Student Voices
The University of Ottawa is known for being the largest bilingual university in the world. Telfer’s French Immersion program will provide you with countless opportunities. My journey at Telfer in the French Immersion stream provided me with an experience like no other.
The first reason to study in the French Immersion program at Telfer is due to the various scholarships that are offered. Secondly, there are a variety of unique courses offered in the French Immersion stream. Lastly, studying in Telfer’s French Immersion program unlocks doors to future employment opportunities worldwide.
Scholarships and contests
Imagine getting paid to study! Not only do you get to expand your French knowledge through the French Immersion program, but you also can receive scholarships of $1,000 yearly. This scholarship is provided to all who fulfill the minimum requirements. Furthermore, the University of Ottawa hosts various contests to encourage high school students to participate, who have the chance to win a scholarship to study inFrench Immersion. In Grade 10, I had the opportunity to enter the French Immersion Video Clip competition “Comment le français a changé ma vie” hosted by the University of Ottawa. I was fortunate enough to rank second place in Canada and was awarded an $8,000 scholarship. This scholarship influenced my decision to enter the French Immersion Bachelor of Commerce/Juris Doctor program. I am very proud to be bilingual. Below is a flashback of my Grade 10 award-winning video clip!
Unique Courses
A second advantage of being in the French Immersion stream is the opportunity to take an additional course which compliments a mandatory ADM (business) course. Students who are registered in a mandatory ADM course may opt to take a corresponding French course to assist them in building strong French language skills. This additional French Immersion course provides 3 credits which count as an out-of-faculty elective. This is a great way for Telfer students to complete some elective courses while improving their French language skills.
Future career opportunities
The third benefit of studying in the French Immersion stream at Telfer is the various future career opportunities available to students. The National Capital Region provides an abundance of employment possibilities with the Government of Canada. Potential employers often seek students with French language skills. Students who are fluent in French are more marketable and have endless career options. Fluency in the French language also offers the possibility to work worldwide and build business connections around the globe.
Summary
Investing in the French Immersion Program at Telfer is a valuable asset which inspires endless possibilities for students. Pursuing studies in the French language presents students with various alternatives in today’s business world. Engaging in French language learning brings numerous advantages such as various bursary options, unique courses selection, and lastly, students will make themselves more attractive to potential employers. Now that you've learned the benefits of studying in the French Immersion stream, take the next step to better your career and join the French Immersion program at Telfer. Canada is a bilingual country, so why not pave your path to success by strengthening your French language education?
- Category: Student Voices
Is the Telfer CO-OP program for you? If so, what company should you work for? What type of job should you get? What should you do to make the most out of your work experience?
Although there is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions, what you choose to answer could have a big impact on your future. As a result, making decisions related to your work experience in business studies can be very overwhelming and stressful.
As a marketing student entering my third CO-OP term, I have had to answer all of these questions three times. Each time, being unsure what to do, I sought out help from friends, the CO-OP office, my parents, and others who have taken or are currently in the CO-OP program. With the help of these experiences and advice from others, I have been able to put together a list of six do’s and don’ts that have helped me, and can also help you make the right decisions when it comes to the Telfer CO-OP program.
1. Do apply to the CO-OP program
Getting meaningful work experience while completing your business studies is not always easy, especially when you consider that most students have very few things that they can put on their resume. Considering the uOttawa CO-OP program’s 97% placement rate in 2018, taking part in the program provides you with a very good chance of finding a placement in your field. A placement would not only help you pay the bills, but also help to set you apart in the competitive world of business. Are you still not convinced the CO-OP program at Telfer is for you? Check out this blog outlining even more reasons why Telfer students should apply to the CO-OP program.
2. Don’t be afraid to try something new
When it comes to trying new things and figuring out what you want to do in the future, there is no better time to do so then while you’re in CO-OP. With most CO-OP schedules in Telfer consisting of four work terms that last 4 months each, you have the luxury to experiment without having to make the same commitments that you would with typical jobs outside of CO-OP. The worst that can happen is that you realize a certain placement is not for you. In this case, you can move on quickly as the work term is short, and you still have 3 more terms left to find the right fit for you. On the other hand, while trying new things, you could discover an amazing job that previously you may not have considered. To add to this, from my experience, I have never met anyone who has not benefitted from any of their work terms. Therefore, if you want to try something new in CO-OP, just do it!
3. Do take advantage of the Telfer Career Centre and CO-OP services
Both the Career Centre at Telfer and the CO-OP office provide several services and workshops that help to give you an edge when applying to placements. They offer help for resume building, interview skills training, tips for how to dress to impress, career advice, and much more. Even if you think your resume or skills are pretty good, it never hurts to get a second opinion. I personally have used their services to refine my resume and for help on picking a placement. Taking advantage of these services could mean the difference between getting your first placement choice instead of your second.
4. Don’t apply to everything
Applying to everything could either mean you likely end up with way too many interviews or you get placed in a position you aren’t too interested in. As a result, you could miss out on a second-round placement that you potentially may have preferred. I get it, not knowing whether you will get a placement is stressful and striking a balance between applying to too many places versus too little can be very difficult, especially the first time around. However, before applying to everything, take a deep breath and consider the following: the CO-OP office has a 97% placement rating (the odds are in your favour); so if you don’t get placed in the first round there is always a second-round, and the CO-OP office is there to help you through the process.
5. Do consider multiple opinions
When you are making decisions and trying to answer the questions listed at the beginning of this blog, it is important to consider multiple points-of-view, and take everything with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, there are people that swear working in the government is the best while others swear by working in start-ups or large companies. There are multiple opinions out there, but there is no solution that fits all. When making decisions, keep other opinions and experiences in mind, compare them to your own career goals and don’t be afraid to test an idea out.
6. Don’t forget to make the most out of your work experience
Whether you end up with a great CO-OP experience or you’re unlucky and pick something that wasn’t exactly what you were looking for, you should always try to make the best out of your situation. Take advantage of every opportunity presented, and if you don’t feel the opportunities are there, create your own. The CO-OP office helps you find a placement, but it is up to you to learn new skills, take on new challenges, and make your mark.
All in all, when it comes to decisions related to your work experience in business, it can get stressful. However, if you take your time and take advantage of the resources, opportunities, and advice available to you, your Telfer CO-OP experience will go well!
- Category: Student Voices
In our last year of high school, at just 17 or 18 years old, we have big decisions to make that could definitely change our lives. It's hard to weigh all of our options and really trust that we will make the best decisions for our future. For myself, there were many reasons why I could have chosen to study elsewhere. Ultimately, there were even more reasons that drew me to study business law in Canada at the University of Ottawa. To simplify your own research on universities, here are the 7 reasons why I chose business law at uOttawa.
1. Has anyone heard of Telfer?
The Telfer School of Management is one of the best business schools in Canada, and provides a great atmosphere for the students' transition from high school to university. Telfer has a variety of clubs specific for its students that allow you to really get invested in the specific types of business you are interested in. I got involved with the Telfer Law Society, which hosts activities and conferences with lawyers to get a sense of the business world and open students to networking opportunities. Also, Telfer 101 Week is a great way to make new friendships that will last you throughout university, and the group work assigned in class allows you to socialize as well as really broaden your horizons. This was perfect for a student like me coming from out of town!
2. Finding a Unique Program
There are very few schools that offer this program, not only in Canada, but in the entire world. Once you graduate, you will receive a Bachelor of Commerce at the Telfer School of Management AND a Juris Doctor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. After completing your first two years of commerce at Telfer while maintaining your grades, you will then law school in third year. If you realize that you prefer the business portion after your first two years, then you can simply opt-out of the J.D. portion and continue your studies in a business option whether it is in finance, accounting, marketing or another option.
3. 6 years vs. 7 years
Most students complete a four-year Bachelor degree before starting their studies in law, which means that they will need to complete seven years of post-secondary education. However, this program allows you to save a year by completing both degrees in the span of 6 years. This may not seem like much at the time, but right now I just finished my 4th year, and I am so thankful that I only have two years left! The time and stress that you can save by not having to take that one extra year of school is definitely worth it.
4. Being bilingual is an asset
The BCom/JD program at uOttawa is a French program available entirely in French or in French immersion. About 20% of the Canadian population speaks French and about 30% of uOttawa students speak French. That being said, having the ability to practice both business and law in French and in English enables you to apply to a diverse pool of job opportunities after graduating. Just because it is a French program, it doesn't actually mean you need to take 100% of your classes in French. You only need to take 60% of your classes in French in this program. I actually took a few classes in English in both law and business to be able to understand the different notions and terminology in both languages.
5. The heart of Ottawa
If you've never been to the University of Ottawa campus, I definitely recommend coming to the next available Open House! You will instantly fall in love with the uOttawa campus location. Being at the centre of the city allows students to have easy access to Centretown for different government job opportunities, to the ByWard Market which is great for food lovers like me, and to Sandy Hill which is a residential neighbourhood that offers plenty of living arrangements for students. Everything is within walking distance which is great if you have no knowledge about Ottawa before moving there for school, just like me!
6. No LSAT needed
Say goodbye to LSAT memes because a huge advantage of studying business law in Canada at the University of Ottawa is not having to write an LSAT. This had a big impact on my decision to choose uOttawa because I knew that if I chose to study my Bachelor elsewhere, I would have to take my LSAT in order to get into law school. For those that don't know what the LSAT is, it's the standardized law school admission test where your logical skills are graded, and the score you receive will be evaluated in your admission application to law schools. Not having to do this obviously saves a lot of time and stress!
7. Law in the Capital of Canada?
Ottawa - the home of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal government of Canada - is an astonishing place to study law. Big names have passed through the halls of the Fauteux building, and it is not uncommon to see guest speaker events or panels with an interesting array of lawyers, judges and political figures. The uOttawa Faculty of Law offers programs in Common Law and Civil Law. After completing my BCom/JD, I could add an extra year to my degree in order to practice Civil Law. This is a great advantage of studying business law at uOttawa because many countries operate under civil law, and so I would have access to a broader job market when completing my studies.
These are my 7 reasons for choosing to study at the University of Ottawa. Hopefully, they can help you to establish if the BCom/JD program is right for you. If you have any questions about this program, feel free to reach out to me.
Otherwise, there is plenty of useful information about the program itself and the course sequence that is available from the Telfer website, as well as the Common Law website.
- Category: Student Voices
Like many high school students in Quebec, I believed that my post-secondary education should start at cégep. In order to be well supported in this decision, I met with my school's guidance counsellor. I then discovered another interesting, possible and advantageous option: going directly to the University of Ottawa.
Choosing the right program
I learned from the uOttawa programs brochure that I could apply to more than 30 different programs in the faculties of arts, engineering, management, science and social sciences. For most of these programs, an average of 84% or higher is required. To calculate the average, the university uses the top five marks in selected courses at the Secondary V level, including the prerequisite courses for the respective program in question.
After researching and discussing this with my family, I decided to take a program from the Telfer School of Management: the Bachelor of Commerce/Juris Doctor (J.D./BCom). This program allows me to obtain two degrees within six years of university studies, in the two areas that interest me the most, management and law.
Making the Transition Successful
If you decide to make the leap from high school in Quebec to the University of Ottawa, here are three tips that will help you:
1. Manage your time well
It is important, from the outset, to develop good study and time management techniques. Several resources are available to you early in your first-year to help you develop these skills. Make the most of it!
2. Take advantage of the mentoring program
I strongly encourage you to participate in the various activities organized by your faculty and, above all, to get involved. For example, at the Telfer School of Management, all students in first-year are paired with a mentor. This is a great service where a mentor will always be available to guide you and to organize activities and workshops specifically for you and other first-year students!
3. Make connections
From the first week, even though it may seem intimidating, try to speak with your professors. I strongly recommend that you take advantage of their office hours and take an interest in their classes to develop a real connection with them. The professor will be happy to see your involvement and, who knows, maybe they can write you a letter of recommendation!
As for your classmates, you'll spend four years with them and develop friendships with some of them. Take an interest in them from the first week, and they will do the same for you. You'll be able to broaden your network of friends.
An advantageous choice
There are many advantages to being a student at the University of Ottawa:
1. Graduate faster
By removing cégep from your schooling if you are coming from Quebec, you can accelerate entry into the workplace by two years. This is appealing and impressive in the eyes of many employers.
2. Study in the field you are passionate about
If you are motivated, committed and want to develop your knowledge, the university will certainly satisfy your thirst for learning! In addition, at the end of your university studies, you'll obtain an internationally recognized diploma that will allow you to have a successful and prosperous career in the field you're passionate about.
3. Take advantage of an automatic scholarship
As soon as you are admitted with an average of 84% or higher, you will receive an automatic admission scholarship based on your average from high school. This scholarship varies from $1,000 to $4,000 depending on your average. Following this, the university also awards merit scholarships based on your performance in university.
4. Study in the language of your choice
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual university. Therefore, you are able to take courses and submit assignments in the official language of your choice (English or French) throughout the bachelor's degree program. You can combine English and French classes in your schedule, or simply choose to study entirely in one language.
5. Experience efficient service
The application process was very clear and easy to access through the uOttawa website. On several occasions, I contacted the liaison office, which has a representative dedicated to answering questions from Secondary V students in Quebec, a service that was very helpful to me.
An Important Decision
The direct transition from high school to the University of Ottawa was an enriching experience that allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, and to meet new people with similar interests to mine. I am now in my third-year of university, and I can say that I am a proud Gee-Gee who loves her program!
That being said, choosing a university is a big and serious decision, so I encourage you to get informed and discuss it with your guidance counselor and your family. It has helped me tremendously in making an informed choice that meets my needs. The University of Ottawa is a dynamic, bilingual university full of resources and services that will certainly enrich your post-secondary experience!
- Category: Student Voices
After high school in the Greater Toronto Area, I chose to attend the Telfer School of Management here in Ottawa. Now, I am a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student specializing in Business Technology Management and Marketing. As a student in the Greater Toronto Area, in Markham, there were plenty of schools to pick from in central Ontario.
At the Telfer School, one of the things I value most is the sense of community, and, I didn't realize just how strong it would be. The community here recognizes high-achieving students and supports them by continuing to engage them, whereas friends from other schools feel like a number in a system.
I am so glad with the choice I made, but how did I end up at uOttawa studying business?
Simply, three reasons contributed to why I chose to leave the comfort of my home and venture off to our nation’s capital:
1. Experiencing a New City
Initially, when applying to programs and schools, my heart was set on a science program, and ideally somewhere far from home, like schools in the U.K. or in British Columbia. After more research, I realized that science programs outside of Ontario were too expensive to be feasible, so I pivoted my focus to more cost-effective options for schooling in Ontario.
So then the question became, where exactly in Ontario should I go, knowing that I didn’t want to stay at home?
2. Recommendations from Friends, Teachers, and Coaches
One of my friends who was my role model, was accepted to Ivy league schools like Stanford and Wharton, but he ended up choosing to attend the Telfer School. He told me about Telfer’s BCom program, and that the school was located in a medium-sized city with plenty of employment opportunities, and he very much vouched for the affordable cost.
At this point, Telfer was on my radar.
After asking a few friends, family members, and teachers for their opinion in this pivotal moment in my life, the key takeaway I received from those whom I asked, was that business was more suited for my personality. Business also felt like a safer option for me, since in science, academic performance is everything. Only the top 3% would actually surpass the bottleneck and make it into medical school.
Although I was confident in my academic performance with a strong average, I learned that business takes into consideration more of the values I had to offer. In business, it's never just marks, it's your network as a business individual, it's your extra-curricular involvement that demonstrates leadership skills, and it's your motivation to achieve more.
At the time being, I had already taken two accounting courses and a course on financial securities. In addition, I was an executive on several community organizations and president for an in-house organization at my school.
From all of these experiences, I had refined skills in marketing, relationship management, photography, videography, graphic design, and entrepreneurship. Taking all of these into consideration, going into science would mean I would receive no return on these investments, but if I went into business, at least half of these commitments would be deemed fruitful. At this point, I was sure I wanted to go into business, and uOttawa’s Telfer School of Management was one of the top choices.
3. Affordability and Benefits
To find a school that was in a different city, yet affordable was not easy. I sat through a few podcasts and read a few articles, and realized it's not the school that makes your career, but what you, as an individual, choose to do to make your career.
The University of Ottawa was affordable and the program was competitive. I was sold at this point, until my friend also brought up the bilingualism presence in Ottawa. He explained how I could be learning business in the next four years, but I could also be learning a new language just based on the environment alone.
When it finally came to the choice, uOttawa was my pick because it was in a different city, it was affordable, I could learn French, and because someone I respected vouched for it.
When I started looking into Ottawa more, I looked at the student life and that was a key selling point. I knew the Enactus team was very good, and that I had access to case competitions because of the school’s participation in events by both RÉFAEC and CABS.
At the end of the day, I believe I made the best choice, and interestingly enough, it was not one that I had initially seen coming. Business ended up being the best program for me, Ottawa is an incredible city with such a personality, and the relationships I’ve built within Telfer have made my university experience more grand. After many reflections with my hometown friends, I am glad to call uOttawa my team.
Throughout my studies, I have improved on my resume through workshops with the Telfer Career Centre, I have sparked an interest in consulting from the Profession of Management Consulting Program, and more importantly, the Telfer clubs have allowed me to make some of my closest friends I have today. I am fortunate enough to be studying at, working with, and working for a community where everyone is communal striving.
If you are reading this right now, and you are like me, indecisive, multi-faceted, and have no clue what to do in the next 5 years, I would say business is a good place to start. If you want to have all of the experience I have had, the first step is to click accept on your OUAC uOttawa acceptance to Telfer for the BCom program.
- Category: Student Voices
As defined by Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada), “cooperative education (CO-OP) are work terms which provide paid experience in a workplace setting related to the student’s field of study”. With a placement rate of 97%, the CO-OP office at the University of Ottawa offers a wide range of work experience with thousands of employers inside and outside of Canada to thousands of students.
I have had the opportunity to experience three work terms as a CO-OP student at the Telfer School of Management. I can confidently say that the experience has been beyond what I had ever hoped for.
CO-OP is the greatest way not only to smoothen your way from school to work, gain the knowledge and experience you need, determine what career option works best for you, enhance your network and get a competitive edge when entering the workforce, but it is also a great opportunity to make money you can invest later, or put towards your student loans.
Here are the reasons why I feel that being a CO-OP student can ease your transition into the workforce after graduating.
1.Obtain Knowledge and Experience in your Field of Study
CO-OP at Telfer is a great way to gain up to 16 months of experience in your field of study.
As a Telfer student, these work terms will enable you to:
- Practice what you learn in classes
- Increase your skill set
- Set learning, performance and leadership development objectives at the start of your term, which your employer and the CO-OP office will mentor and guide you to achieve throughout your placement;
- Get a glimpse at the different career options available to you in the market,
- Experience several types of organizations (governmental, private sector, NGO, etc.); and
- Determine which career path inspires and fits you the most.
2. Enhance Your Network and Build Meaningful Relationships
Some of the employers that Telfer students get to work with include, but are not limited to, the Government of Canada, Nokia, Fintrac, The Growcer, and PwC.
By doing CO-OP at Telfer, you will get the opportunity to:
- Engage with inspiring people in your field of study; and
- Connect with mentors and advisors from different backgrounds, and learn from their experiences.
These valuable connections will help you later during your job search through referrals. If you get a referral from an employee to a position you have applied for, your chances of getting an interview are 50%, and your chances of getting hired are 20%. Without a referral, your chances are narrowed to only 3% for getting an interview, and 1.2% for getting hired.
3. Gain a Competitive Edge and Differentiate Yourself from Others
If you want to give your future employer a great reason as to why they should hire you, then CO-OP is the answer. Even for entry-level positions nowadays, employers require that job seekers have at least a few months of experience within their industry.
CO-OP at Telfer also gives you the opportunity to:
- Get more than a year worth of full-time experience in your field of study by the end of your bachelor program;
- Discover different part-time opportunities you can choose to enlarge your horizons; and further exposure to the workforce.
4. Acquire Valuable Paid Work Experience
Either if it is to pay off your student loans, pay for your study terms, or even save money that you can later invest in your own business, the CO-OP option at Telfer will give you the chance to do all of this. You will be gaining the exposure you need, and developing yourself both on a personal and professional level. CO-OP employers are required to pay students at least the minimum wage during their work terms, however, salaries for Telfer students could go as high as $30 an hour, which adds up to over $15,000 for your four-month work term, and $60,000 in total for your four work terms.
All in all, I can tell you from personal experience, during each one of my CO-OP work terms, that each of my supervisors went out of their way to help me achieve my learning, performance, and leadership objectives. I have had the chance to get out of my comfort zone, help organize a TEDx event, learn coding, make connections that helped me get other co-op opportunities, practice my public-speaking skills, work for the Government of Canada, which as an international student never seemed possible, but most importantly, do what I love most: Human Resources Management.
If you haven’t already applied to CO-OP, then this is your chance to do it. If you already are a CO-OP student, then make the best out of your work terms, and share the best advice an employer has given you.
- Category: Student Voices
Choosing which university to attend can be a daunting experience. For some, it may be as simple as looking at university rankings and choosing what is best academically. For others, proximity to home and cost may be a deciding factor. After choosing to attend the Telfer School of Management, I found that there was so much more about Telfer that could have gone into my decision making, beyond Telfer being recognized as a top business school worldwide.
During my four-year degree at the Telfer School of Management, there were 7 reasons that stood out for me as to what made the Telfer experience so unique and rewarding.
Here’s what I’ve come to value as the top 7 reasons to go to Telfer:
1. High Value of the Degree
As a high school student at the time, while researching the various possible universities to attend, one of the first things I personally looked at is what will it cost me financially, and what is the value of a degree from each university in question.
The Telfer School of Management is in the top 1% of business schools worldwide based on completing three levels of accreditation. This worldwide reputation of excellence was a very important factor in consideration if I would go to Telfer. In addition to this, Telfer also offers reasonable tuition for the value you receive from a degree at a top university. This combination for me meant that Telfer had the best value for the monetary cost, the “best bang for your buck” if you will.
2. Location, Location, Location
Telfer is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Ottawa. You get the feel of being in a big city, but without all of the commotion and noise (and price) that you find at other big city universities. What’s nice about being located downtown is that everything is in close proximity to you. Whether it’s museums, historical sites like Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal, grocery stores, restaurants, shopping, nightlife and just about everything you can think of, it’s all within a 10 to 15 minute walk if you go to Telfer.
3. Co-op Program
Ottawa has a reputation for being a government city, and I will not dispute that reputation. However, Ottawa also has an ever-growing private sector that provides a lot of different job opportunities. What is nice about doing the co-op program at Telfer is that it’s really easy to apply to different jobs and you can pick and choose from the public sector or the private sector to get a feel for what you would like in a future career. The job I had throughout university was through the co-op program, which is a job I never would have gotten without co-op and making the decision to go to Telfer.
4. French Immersion
Although I personally did not choose to be part of the French Immersion program, I do, however, know a lot of people who did, and I was able to speak with them about their experiences. French immersion at Telfer provides students with the opportunity to complete a portion of their courses in French. If you are an anglophone and you would like to strengthen your French, or if you are a francophone and you would like to strengthen your English, then you have the unique opportunity of attending one of few universities to have a French immersion program at Telfer. You also receive a $1,000 scholarship just for being in the French immersion program!
5. Collaboration
At Telfer you get the opportunity to work with a lot of different people from all sorts of backgrounds and learn from them. If you go to Telfer, approximately 20% of the students are international, and in my own experience, I had the opportunity to work with students from Germany, India, China, South Korea, Kenya, and more. Having such a diverse community allows you to make new friends and connections in so many different places. I can honestly say that all of my group projects at Telfer have been a positive experience.
6. Unique Projects
During my experience at Telfer I had the opportunity to participate in many unique class projects that I never expected. The fourth-year Strategic Management course at Telfer runs something called the Intopia Business Simulation, where students immerse themselves in an action-filled weekend running their own company by negotiating, making decisions, and trying to maximize their bottom line and, ultimately, win the competition. Intopia is recognized as a top business strategy simulation, and Telfer is one of the only schools that offers it.
As well, students are able to gain real world experience by working with companies as part of class projects. For myself, I had the opportunity to work with Badminton Canada and the Canadian Museum of Nature to help develop marketing campaigns and promotional strategies. This experience was not only self-rewarding, but it was also excellent to include on a resume and it’s all part of your program at Telfer.
7. Career Centre
The Telfer Career Centre offers various workshops for students such as how to build a resume, do well in an interview, and many more types of workshops. As well, you can speak with career advisors who can help set you on the path to your goal. Having a resource that is committed to both your personal and career development is very helpful as you enter the workplace.
The Career Centre also holds a variety of networking events at Telfer. The networking events attract an array of companies that you can speak with and in turn make connections that can turn into potential job opportunities. Also, the networking events and the aforementioned workshops go hand-in-hand if you go to Telfer by allowing you to apply the knowledge you learned in these workshops at these networking events.
- Category: Student Voices
Paying for university… what comes to mind? Maybe it’s your parents who generously support you, or maybe it’s OSAP payments, or even a bank loan. Generally, the associations are not particularly positive. For me, they happen to be.
When it comes to university education, parents and students are often concerned about the cost. University is more expensive than college and students graduating high school often wonder if the benefits are worth it. As a fourth-year graduating student from the Telfer School of Management, today I am here to tell you that you can afford it all on your own, even without OSAP, and what benefits come of it.
Working Part-Time
So, here is what I did. When I had just turned seventeen and was in Grade 11, I started working at McDonald’s in my hometown. I would work afternoons after school, Saturday mornings and sometimes overnight, working about 15 hours a week. Honestly, it was really fun to be around many of my high school friends who also worked there, and I got free food. It also taught me how to deal with any kind of customer; those that yelled at me for not having drink trays and ketchup packets, and also those that were really sweet and patiently waited for their fresh pot of coffee. I actually wrote an entire blog post about working at McDonald’s and how it prepared me for the real world here. I definitely would recommend it to any student in high school. I even worked there when I moved to Ottawa for school and also in the summer after my first year, working full-time when I lived at home. Working at McDonald’s both part-time through high school and university, then full-time during the summer allowed me to save up enough money to pay for the first two years of my university education.
Getting Scholarships
To this day, I haven’t applied for OSAP. Starting from first-year, I started applying for scholarships as well as working. I got good grades because I wanted more scholarships and because I care about school (and have a crippling fear of failure), and I got involved since I heard it’s a good thing to do. I was one of the founding members of the Women in Management Network, a Career Centre ambassador, and then the Business Dinner Project Manager on TECDE (The Entrepreneurs’ Club). Both good grades and involvement in the school are great for receiving scholarships. I would get a couple per school year, which would cover most of the semester, and were immensely helpful. It’s easy to apply on uOzone and although they take a while to be reviewed, it’s very worth it. There are also many scholarships in the community that take a bit more research to find and complete since some require essays, but committing a week of time for scholarships and for them to pay off with thousands of dollars is a very good investment. I am a business student, so you can trust me!
Investing
Okay, so you know how I said I didn’t get OSAP and all of that. In my fourth year, I *accidentally* got them to pay my tuition because I forgot to check the “don’t need a loan” box on my grant application and they automatically paid for it. Since I had the money in my bank account for that semester already, I invested it into a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) with my bank and once I receive that money at the end of the year and pay off OSAP, at least I will have made interest too. I am not saying you should do this, but that’s what I did to remedy my situation since there was no way to cancel the OSAP payment of my tuition immediately. Remember to check that box if you don’t want the loan! Do apply for the grant though.
Why I Pay for University Myself
If your parents are willing to pay for your tuition, that’s great. But I actually found it extremely rewarding to pay for my own education because it made me appreciate it more. When I considered skipping class (and obviously never have…), I always thought about how much that class was costing me. It motivated me to keep going even when school got really tough because I know I am investing in my future (hopefully). It’s also nice to be independent and know I don’t have any real debt. So my only real advice to you is to work. I know it’s basic and obvious, but honestly, it’s really the only thing you can do, especially if you are on your own. And if you are worried about working part-time while studying, let me tell you, it’s totally possible. I wouldn’t even know what to do with my time if I was studying full-time and not working. Obviously, everyone has different learning styles and you might need the extra time, that’s understandable. I found it better for my time management to be busy, work, and study so I had clear windows when I would have to get things done, and less opportunity for procrastination (still do it though). Plus living on your own and being independent is kind of cool. You can eat cake for dinner and no one can tell you otherwise!
How Do I Pay for University?
In conclusion, I paid for my entire university education through working part- and full-time, receiving scholarships, and investing. It made me a better person and continues to do so. I learned how to balance a lot of things on my plate, get good grades, and still find time for relaxing, having fun, and having a social life. If I can do it, you can absolutely do it too.
Instagram: @sonyagankina
- Category: Student Voices
Deciding whether or not to attend a business school can be a challenging decision for high school graduates or business enthusiasts who aspire to start a business of their own. Given the many popular stories of college dropouts who later emerged to become business tycoons, decision-making becomes even more difficult.
So, you may be asking yourself, should I attend business school before starting my own business?
I can confidently say that business school did indeed help me start my own business.
In 2019, after years of freelancing and consultation, I founded a digital marketing agency named myMarketing.io. It is an Ottawa-based company focused on providing startups, small and medium-sized businesses with high-quality digital marketing at an affordable price.
The business was started during my studies. Today, six months later, myMarketing is a team of three individuals providing services to multiple clients. Although other factors played a role in the success of the company, such as professional experience, a strong network, and sufficient resources, attending business school was undoubtedly very useful.
Here are the top 10 ways business school helped me start my business:
1. Vast Connection and Networking
The greatest benefit of attending a business school is its vast and connected networks. In the context of running a business, networking is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to determining your business’ success. In some cases, the difference between a successful and failed business can be determined by a single valuable connection.
Attending business school allows you to build a network and make connections with like-minded people who have similar business interests. These connections can be a gateway to lucrative business opportunities for your future business. Having these connections is a valuable asset that belongs to you for the rest of your career. It might be difficult to imagine, but the connections you make in university may turn into your future client, partner, co-worker, mentor or investor.
Here’s a simple example from when I started my own business. When I began looking for employees for my newly launched company, the first people that came to mind were my university connections. Since I already knew them and had worked with them in the past, I was able to hire people that were the best fit for my business.
No matter which industry you are in, having quality employees is essential for your business growth. Investing your time in network building helps you identify qualified candidates. It is a very effective method to learn about their skills required to do the job as well.
2. Valuable Co-op Experience
Another benefit of enrollment in a business school is the opportunity to experience a co-op program. In this co-op program, a company hires students temporarily through schools. It is a mutually beneficial agreement between the student, employer and educational institute.
Students participating in co-op placements from business schools gain valuable, hands-on experience. While it is important to study and attend classes, the co-op program immensely helps you to expand your professional skills. It allows you to ‘put your foot in the door’ and begin your career in your field of study.
My co-op experience helped me learn about my interests, develop skills in my field and, most importantly, make valuable business connections.
Discovering my interest: My experience in co-op allowed me to expand my passion in my field and discover which areas were of interest to me and which weren’t. It also gave me the opportunity to test my own strengths and weaknesses and excel in certain areas of my field.
Developing my skills: Business school courses concentrate on the theoretical aspect of business, but lack practical business teaching. Fortunately, co-op provided practical experience that allowed me to develop my skills and start my business.
Expanding my network: My co-op experience played a crucial role in guiding my professional career. The connections I made during my co-op placements are still very relevant to my career today. Some connections have become my co-workers, others are my clients, and others are business promoters.
Whether you realize it or not, a co-op program that provides you with professional experience in your field is very important for your career.
3. General Business Know-How
Many startups fail due to the founder’s lack of basic professional knowledge. This is where a business school can make a big difference. They give students the opportunity to understand the basic functioning of a startup and give an overview of each major business field.
As an entrepreneur, you may be in charge of many aspects of your company. Due to this, it is essential to understand the basics of each business field such as managing finances, monitoring operations, marketing your products and many other general administrative tasks. Business graduates are much more likely to successfully manage these operations than those who have no theoretical background.
It is unquestionable that the general business knowledge I gained during my studies has been of extreme value when starting my company. Though I was always most interested in marketing, studying business allowed me to become knowledgeable in essential day-to-day activities for my business.
4. Communication and Presentation Skills
For business owners, communication can be a major key to success. From conducting meetings to public speaking, strong communication and presentation skills are very important. The better you become at communicating, the greater the chances that your message will influence the target audience.
During your studies in business, you will be exposed to several communication practices such as public speaking, formal presentations, networking, and so on. For people that are not experienced or comfortable communicating or presenting, attending business school gives them the much-needed practice to improve these skills.
During my studies, I presented dozens of times and communicated professionally with hundreds of people. This has helped me improve my communication skills and my body language, but most importantly, it has helped me boost my confidence. As a business owner, I am required to present to small groups and speak to other business professionals on a daily basis. I can confidently say that I would not be nearly as comfortable and knowledgeable in public speaking as I am now if it weren’t for my business classes.
5. Inspiration and Guidance
Attending a business school played a major role in inspiring and guiding me to launch my business. During your time in business school, you get to know many professors and classmates who can become a big source of inspiration for your professional development.
Guidance from mentors and encouragement from peers can act as a strong catalyst in an entrepreneur’s life. They are people that can teach you valuable lessons and provide you with insight on the rights and wrongs of running your own business.
During my studies, many students and professors have inspired me to bring me where I am today. From professors who had become successful business owners to students with side businesses, I can confidently say that these people have had an impact on my business.
6. Extracurricular Activities
A business school lets you explore more than just educational knowledge. It allows you to discover other areas of interest by participating in extracurricular activities beyond the classroom. These activities help you create more connections, develop new skills and give you more professional experience.
By joining university clubs, you work alongside other students to fulfill a common goal. You learn to manage responsibility, work in groups and develop many other important skills that prove to be useful when running your own business.
At my university, I was a part of the Telfer Marketing Association. In this club, I worked on different projects and made truly great connections. Apart from participating in activities at Telfer, I took part in different competitions that allowed me to gain business experience and improve my overall professional performance.
7. Access to Resources
Most business schools offer additional support both during and after your graduation. The foundation of a successful business is its valuable resources, and a business school gives access to many of these to its students. From finding suitable mentors to opportunities for funding, a university gives you access to resources that might otherwise be difficult to attain.
In order to launch and grow a business, funding is important. Fortunately, business schools give you access to various grants and funding opportunities. Many business schools have a special fund for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as strong networks which provide opportunities for you to pitch your business ideas to investors. For example, to foster and support entrepreneurship, the University of Ottawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub has a four-month pre-accelerator program named Startup Garage. The mission of this program is to provide young entrepreneurs with the right mentorship, environment and funding to launch a new venture.
Business school also gives you access to experienced entrepreneurs and mentors. In entrepreneurship, experience is considered to be one of the most important assets. Finding the right mentor to help you guide your business is one of the best ways of gaining experience. They can provide you with the knowledge you need to improve business decisions and increase your chances of business success.
During my studies, the University of Ottawa gave me access to valuable resources like a strong network, mentors, databases and so on. These resources will be an asset to my business for years to come. I have already been able to profit from the resources offered at university, and I plan to continue capitalizing on them to grow my business.
8. Teamwork and Leadership Skills
Becoming an adept leader is not easy; it takes experience, knowledge and a series of important traits. However, the one thing that will help anyone improve their leadership skills is practice. In business school, students have the opportunity to practice these skills when participating in team projects and presentations. Having the opportunity to work in many different groups during your studies allows you to develop and sharpen your overall leadership skills.
Apart from academics, involvement in extracurricular activities can help you to develop leadership skills and improve teamwork abilities. Managing the day-to-day activities of your university clubs and working with teammates to achieve a common goal is an excellent way of developing your leadership capabilities.
During my time in business school, I participated in many activities that required teamwork. The valuable teamwork and leadership lessons I learned through academics, the co-op program, and extracurricular activities have become valuable skills for my career. These are skills that I use daily when managing my business and that are invaluable to my business’ success.
9. Work on your Business
For students who have recently started or would like to start a business during their studies, business school may offer them the opportunity to work on their business as assignments. Many classes may have project mandates that are relevant to your business and for which you will be able to implement in your business. This can be a great opportunity as it allows the student to receive relevant feedback from their professors and apply theoretical learnings to their business.
During my studies, some of my classes were able to contribute to what I was trying to build. For example, some of the services my company offers were thought of during my "New Venture Creation" class. I also had school projects that allowed me to work on launching my business. For example, the myMarketing.io website was designed during a project in my "Digital Marketing Technolgies" class.
10. Enhanced Credibility
It is undeniable that a business school degree helps strengthen the credibility of your business. As you already know, a degree helps candidates find a job, but what you may not realize is that a degree will also help a business owner attract prospects, clients, investors and partners to their business.
For business success, credibility is paramount; it is linked to client acquisition, investor trust, supplier confidence, business reputation and much more. A student that succeeds to build a strong reputation during their time in business school is likely to have much more success in their business ventures.
Throughout my time at university, I worked hard to try to stand out in each of my classes. My hard work allowed me to complete my program with one of the highest grades at Telfer. By doing this, I was able to prove myself as a credible connection to those in my network. The credibility I earned during my time in business school will be an asset to me for the rest of my career. Above all, the degree that I will receive at graduation will certify my credibility as a professional and the credibility of my business.
My Final Thoughts
After all, business school played a great role in starting my own digital marketing company. Today, with so many competitors in the industry, I consider my experience in business school a very valuable asset to my business.
I am thankful for having invested valuable time and effort in my university studies. They have truly paid off and will undoubtedly benefit my career and myMarketing.io for years to come.
- Category: Student Voices
Choosing a university may seem like an easy task – those who have gone through the process know that it can be extremely difficult. Choosing a school based on academics is important, but you should consider non-academic factors in your decision as well. This ensures you choose a school that best suits your personality and lifestyle.
Since choosing a university is such an important decision, you must take time to do your research and compare the options. Luckily, I have made a checklist to give you advice on how to choose a university. While researching, remember to consider not just your short-term (first-year) needs, but also consider the long-term (second, third and fourth-year) goals.
1. Research the Program
The most important thing when choosing a university is the program. After narrowing down your program, it is important to compare between different universities. For example, the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa offers a different course sequence in their Bachelor of Commerce program than the University of Guelph. Along with this, you must consider the internship opportunities that schools may offer you, and whether a co-op option is available, if that is something you are interested in. Ensuring that you are educated on the differences between your program of choice across all of the universities you are considering is crucial in your decision-making process.
2. Use the University Rankings to Guide You
After you research the program, it is important to educate yourself on the reputation of the universities you have shortlisted. To do this, you first need to choose the factors that are the most important to you. Whether it is based on its national reputation, student life or extracurriculars, the Build Your Own Ranking tool by Maclean’s is the best way to compare university rankings.
3. Research About the Lifestyle
Another important factor to consider when choosing a university is the lifestyle. This includes extracurriculars such as sports, clubs and activities offered on campus. For some students, these extracurriculars shape their university experience. If this is you, it is extremely important to research this topic before deciding. Most universities have a page dedicated to the extracurriculars offered on their campus. The lifestyle also includes the “vibe” of the off-campus life. Accessing information regarding the off-campus life can be difficult. The best way to get accurate information on this topic is to consult a friend or someone who you may be connected with who attends or has attended the university.
4. Research the Campus and the Facilities/Resources Offered
The campus “feel” is something that is extremely important as you are going to be spending the next, at least, four years there. The first thing you should do is decide if you want to attend a university with a small campus feel, or a larger university. Once you have decided, you should conduct research on each campus. Your research should include the buildings (especially the one specific to your faculty) along with facilities such as gyms, libraries, residences, food services, and more. Along with this, it is important to familiarize yourself with the resources offered on campus. This includes counselling services, academic help services, health services, and many others.
All of this may seem overwhelming, but familiarizing yourself with the campus will aid you in making the right decision for you. The best way to gain research first-hand is to experience the campus and go on a tour held by the university. If you are unable to do this, then make sure you research thoroughly. Many universities even offer virtual campus tours as well!
5. Research the City Where the University is Located
Once you choose a university, you will be living in that city for at least four years, so it’s important to inform yourself about what the city offers! Yes, this includes things to do with friends, such as places to eat. Although, it also includes necessities such as grocery stores, public transit, and other important services. Consider what your needs are, and evaluate if the city meets your needs. Two websites that may help with your research are TripAdvisor and Yelp.
6. Research Scholarships and Bursaries Offered by Your Top Choices
Securing financial assistance for post secondary can be time consuming, so start your research early. Read six tips to winning scholarships – it's worth your time. There are several available paths where funding may be available, those include grants, bursaries and student loans to name a few. Generally speaking, grants and bursaries do not need to be paid back as long as you satisfy the requirements for those awards. Student loans do need to be paid back. Financial aid tools for Canadian students can be found at the Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid; this source includes provincially-funded aid programs. Scholarships Canada is a searchable database of thousands of scholarships, prizes and bursaries for students entering their first year of post-secondary studies in Canada.
Choosing a university is extremely overwhelming and can be difficult. By researching everything on my checklist above, you will be informed enough when it comes time to decide. Taking all of these factors into account, I have no doubt that you will find the university that best suits you.
Now that you have read this post, I expect you will begin your research with a little more guidance than before. If you don’t know where to start, I suggest you begin by consulting the Maclean’s Education Hub where you can find an array of information regarding academics, money, student living, and rankings.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
On November 9th, 2019, 90 students from francophone high schools across Ontario came to Ottawa to participate in the business case competition, Place à la jeunesse at the Telfer School of Management.
Each year, Place à la jeunesse is organized by Telfer students to introduce high school students to the business world, and prepare them for university. At this year’s 16th competition, 30 teams were selected from 90 schools to test their business case skills. The students competed in one of four categories; marketing, accounting, entrepreneurship, or debate.
The event started the evening before the competition, where Telfer students led workshops on PowerPoint, problem-solving, and presentation skills to coach the high school students who had never been in a business environment before. The next day, the teams received their business cases, created solutions, and presented to the judges. Winners received scholarships to the University of Ottawa from sponsors that added up to $82,500.
Telfer is thrilled to congratulate the winners of each category:
Marketing
1st place: Emma Iusan, Vanessa St-Denis et Julianne Lacelle from ÉSC L’Escale
2nd place: Ashley Edouard, Elyse-Anne Bordeleau et Saïma Altimo from CC Samuel-Genest
3rd place: Kara D’Arcangelo, Chloé Emery et Christian Ricard from ÉSC Thériault
Accounting
1st place: Marika Brunet, Emma Phillips and Annabel Clément from ÉSC L’Escale
2nd place: Mélodie Chartrand, Jade Poirier and Julien Lemieux from ÉSCR de Hawkesbury
3rd place: Alexa Caron, Keenan Roy and Emma Bertrand from ÉSC Thériault
Standout competitor: Marika Brunet
Entrepreneurship
1st place: Lyra Sheldon, Cameron Chevalier and Mathias Lazure from ÉSC. E.J. Lajenesse
2nd place: Alexis Jeaurond, Laurie Boucher and Maxim Sauvé-Rozon from ÉSP Le Sommet
3rd place: Patrick Ibrahim, Simon Willemsma and Cyril Fayek from ÉS Père-René-De-Galinée
Debate
1st place: Lia Charleois, Cassandra Joly and Catherine Vaillant from ÉSCR de Hawkesbury
2nd place: Nathalie Shuh, Sarah Clouston amd Anne-Sophie Autale from ÉSP. Le Sommet
3rd place: Delhia Mainville, Kassandra Marleau and Marie Luciani-Grimaldi from ÉSC de Plantagenet
Best Presenters
Marketing: Kara D’Arcangelo
Accounting: Mélodie Chartrand
Entrepreneurship: Maxim Sauvé-Rozon
Debate: Marie Luciani-Grimaldi
- Category: Telfer Announcements
Alexander is a PhD candidate at the Telfer School of Management, in the Health Systems specialization. His research interests lie in applying analytics and management information systems methods to health-related issues, more specifically to the area of mobile health technologies.
He holds a Master’s degree in Systems Science with a specialization in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Ottawa, and an undergraduate degree in Biology from Carleton University. His master’s thesis focused on the formal definition, measurement, and simulation of coastal community preparedness for severe environmental events.
Following his Master’s degree, Alex worked as an independent management consultant and researcher while also teaching part-time at the Telfer School of Management. He has had the opportunity to work on topics that include: applying real-options analysis and financial modelling to the solar energy industry in Ontario and modelling how organizations use social media in order for them to anticipate problems that may arise later on. Alex also has an interest in fisheries management and has been involved in several projects with government and private industry on the management of Canadian fisheries and coastal areas.
Alex is a member of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants’ Eastern Ontario Chapter Council where he is responsible for marketing and social media. During his free time, he enjoys travelling, playing volleyball, and riding and restoring his many bicycles.
Alex holds the Lilian and Swee Chua Goh Doctoral Scholarship, the first admission scholarship created by donors for PhD candidates at the Telfer School of Management.
Find out more about the Telfer PhD program.
- Category: Student Announcements
Starting a brand new life in an unfamiliar country, with new people, sites, and cultural norms is a courageous life decision. We are pleased to welcome new international students every year to the university and excited to see when these new students choose an education at Telfer.
As your new home, we want to make sure that as an international student at our school, you feel welcome and prepared for daily life in Ottawa.
That is why the University of Ottawa has an International Office that is designed to provide support, tips, and resources to international students while they prepare to come to Ottawa and for the duration of their studies. Additionally, at Telfer, we offer resources and services to help enhance theTelfer experience.
Here is a list of helpful tools and services from uOttawa’s International Office and from us at the Telfer School:
- Details for prospective students: Information about life in Ottawa, studying at our university, and admission essentials are provided for students considering uOttawa in this quick link. You can also use this Government of Canada tool to check your eligibility to come to Canada.
- Information for newly admitted students: For our newly admitted students, the International Office provides information relating to academic accommodations, immigration documents, admission offers, housing, orientation, health insurance, arrival on campus, and more.
- Tips and resources for current students: Students already attending uOttawa can use this quick link to find immigration, health insurance, and international mentoring centre information.
- Information sessions: If you are a first-year international student this year at Telfer, you can attend one of the mandatory information sessions on September 3.
- Telfer Career Centre tools: The Career Centre at Telfer has developed the International Career Mentorship program and launched a global career portal called Highered to help with your Canadian job search. The Career Centre also hosts many job search workshops, and provides a number of immigration resources.
- Telfer Student Information: The Telfer Graduate Office has listed helpful resources for International Candidates in regards to studying, living, and working in Canada.
- International Student Coaches Program: We have created the International student coaches program to assist with your transition into a Canada university. International Student Coaches program. You will be matched with a senior student who will work with you to help you succeed and answer any questions you may have.
- Events for International Students: Check for upcoming events in the uOCal, on the International Office Facebook page, or from the uOGlobal events page.
We hope you are ready for a new school year! Feel free to get in touch with the Telfer Undergraduate Office, Graduate Office, or Student Services if you have any questions.
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Student Voices
The following article was written by a member of our student community. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Telfer School of Management. For more information or to flag inappropriate content, please