Student projects benefit the community

June 07, 2007

University of New England students have presented the results of various community-oriented projects to an audience of UNE senior staff and local business leaders as part of a global initiative that encourages university students to take up positions of community leadership.

These leaders of tomorrow honed their business and presentation skills through the international organisation "Students in Free Enterprise" (SIFE). SIFE began in the United States in 1975 with the aim of providing an avenue for university students to use the knowledge gained through their studies to pursue community outreach projects. The UNE team is one of 30 in Australia and 1,600 throughout the world.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, who provided feedback to the students after their presentations last Thursday, said he was impressed by what he saw. "SIFE assists students to develop their communication and business skills in their chosen fields of study while helping the community – and their own entry into the community," Professor Pettigrew said. "It’s a win, win, win situation really."

Projects undertaken this year involved assisting local and regional businesses recruit appropriate UNE graduates, assisting Minimbah Primary School – as well as University and local sporting organisations – to better manage their funds and undertake more effective fund-raising, and running a Web site promoting the Armidale Markets and teaching stall-holders how to maintain it.

The UNE team’s President, Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws student Elizabeth Walsh (pictured here), will take her team to the Minimbah school tomorrow for the first financial literacy workshop with parents. She said one of the best things about SIFE was that “it provides the opportunity to help people with the skills we have learnt”.

The students’ academic mentor, Peter McClenaghan from UNE’s New England Business School, said that the program gave participants the experience and ability to "handle being thrown in the deep end".

"A former SIFE student was appointed to a marketing role with an export business in Sydney," he said. "After four weeks of working with the firm, the CEO left for an extended overseas business trip and promptly asked the SIFE graduate to take over the business while he was away."

The 16-member UNE team will travel to Melbourne for the SIFE Australia National Conference, which takes place on 5 – 7 July. Should they win there, they will get an all-expenses-paid trip to New York for the SIFE World Cup in October. All UNE students are eligible to join the program at any time.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at June 7, 2007 04:21 PM