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iLEAD

Eco resort where business students can work on a project
ADMN 4346 Special Projects II (iLEAD)
Students work in teams on a specific project with a a small eco-resort on the French River, engage in reflective practice and generate business recommendations for the client. ​
Business students in Jamaica
Faculty and students from the School of Business have been visiting Jamaica to volunteer with small businesses engaged in eco-tourism. The students apply their skills, knowledge and talents to solving management issues.

iLead Brochure Cover

The iLEAD Business Experience Certificate is a unique way to Learn through Experience, Action and Discovery. It offers business students the opportunity to earn credits toward their degree through directed study, honours thesis, workplace internships, overseas study and service to others, all in an effort to provide "more than a degree".

Why take iLEAD courses?

iLead-logo

  • Build strong professional and personal skills
  • Experience ​different cultures
  • Internationalize your degree
  • Gain valuable and relevant work experience
  • Demonstrate initiative and involvement
  • Assist with research projects and/or investigate a real-life business problem
  • Looks great on a resume

How do I qualify?

The iLEAD Business Experience Certificate will be awarded to Business students (BBA and BComm​) at the time of graduation, who as part of their studies, successfully complete 15 credits to satisfy the Certificate requirements. Learn More...

Questions?

If you have any questions about the iLEAD Business Experience Certificate, please contact ilead@nipissingu.ca.

Application Process

  1. Decide which iLEAD course you wish to take.
  2. Schedule a meeting with the School of Business Project Coordinator.
  3. Ensure you meet the 70% average minimum.
  4. Speak with a faculty member about being your faculty supervisor for the course. See the faculty directory here.
  5. Download and complete the iLEAD application form below.
  6. Submit your completed application and supporting documents to the Project Coordinator by the due date.
  7. The School of Business will let you know if your application is approved. If approved, you will be eligible to register for the course on WebAdvisor.

Application Form

iLEAD Application Form

Application Due Dates

Deadline: Deadline for the iLEAD Business Experience Certificate course application is 4 weeks prior to the University registration deadline for the corresponding term.

​Application Due Date ​​Course Start​
​Friday, April 20th, 2018 ​Monday, May 7th, 2018 (SP)
Friday, June 8th, 2018 ​Monday, June 25th, 2018 (SU)
​Friday, August 3rd, 2018 ​Tuesday, September 4th, 2018 (FA)
​Friday, November 30th, 2018 ​​Monday, January 7th, 2018 (WI)

Questions?

​If you have any questions about the iLEAD Business Experience Certificate, please contact ilead@nipissingu.ca.

iLEAD Camp Petawachuan

ADMN 4346 Special Projects II (iLEAD)

This three-credit course involves a pre-approved consulting project, similar to the ADMN 3336 Special Project - iLEAD Jamaica course. Students work in teams on a specific project with a host organization, engage in reflective practice and generate business recommendations for the client. A client has been secured, Camp Petawachuan, a small eco-resort on the French River with an emphasis on aboriginal teachings and co-existing with nature. Students and faculty would travel to the site for three days during the
October study week as part of the course.

Students can take this course even if they have not taken the ADMN 3336 course.

For more information contact the School of Business at  ilead@nipissingu.ca

ADMN 3336 Special Projects

iLEAD Jamaica

iLEAD Jamaica Expedition

For the past years, faculty and students from the School of Business have been visiting Jamaica to volunteer with small businesses engaged in eco-tourism as a part of ADMN 3336 Special Projects course. The students apply their skills, knowledge and talents to solving management issues.

iLEAD Expedition Blogs

Want to follow the students’ adventure? Follow iLEAD Jamaica Expedition blogs, where Nipissing students share their experiences and discoveries.

iLEAD Jamaica Expedition 2017

The annual trip to Jamaica is an integral component of the School of Business iLEAD program, offering learning through experience, action and discovery. This is the sixth time that Nipissing students have travelled to Jamaica as part of the iLead program. The team will be working in Jamaica from February 21 – February 28.

iLEAD Jamaica Expedition 2016

Nipissing University's iLEAD program is proud to have the opportunity to send a team of 11 advanced business students and faculty members for the 5th consecutive year on a special international project to Jamaica. The The trip departs on Sunday, February 14 and returns on Sunday, February 21, 2016. This year, they will be offering consulting work to an Eco-tourism resort called Fern Forest Eco-Village.

iLEAD Jamaica Expedition 2015

Nipissing University's iLEAD program is proud to have the opportunity to send a team of 12 advanced business students and faculty members on a special international project to Jamaica during February 13th-23rd, 2015. This year, they will be offering consulting work to an Eco-tourism resort called Great Huts, as well as working with the Portland Rehabilitation center.

iLEAD Jamaica Expedition 2014

Nipissing University's iLEAD program is proud to have the opportunity to send a team of advanced students and faculty members on a special international project to Jamaica during February 14th-24th, 2014.The project this year involves offering free consulting services to an organization called Great Huts, which operates a resort, a rehab centre, and a night shelter for the homeless, the elderly, and for people with special needs.

iLEAD Jamaica 2013

11 Students and 4 Professors are gearing up for our adventure to Jamaica to take part in research and projects with a local Jamaican business, Green Castle Estates. Green Castle is a a small estate property located in St. Mary Jamaica. We will be working with Green Castle to make them Eco Certified as well as Micro Farming. Although these are new areas of expertise for the students, everyone has been working hard to educate themselves on the issues in order to better help the business.

iLEAD Jamaica 2012

In February, a group of ten upper year students will be participating in the School of Business’ iLEAD Jamaica Expedition. This opportunity has been created by business professors who are conducting research in tourism including eco-tourism operators in Jamaica. The students will be working on projects with operators to formulate creative solutions to some of their business issues.

iLEAD Field Placements

Taylor Hummel iLEAD

 

Taylor has been working towards her iLEAD business certificate requirements this year in a field placement study with the Nipissing Lakers Athletics Department.

“Anyone who knows me, knows I am notorious for overloading myself in my work and school life, but when the posting came up to work as a marketing, research and event planning intern for the Athletics Department in September, I couldn’t pass it up. Pursuing the iLEAD Business Experience Certificate has been in my plans since before I accepted my offer to Nipissing in 2015, and given I got to start the process in only my second year was a bonus.

In collaboration with others in the department, my role has been spearheading a project to determine student motivations to attend home sporting events, while exploring the effectiveness of diverse advertising, events and so on. The experience and ability to take the lead on so many projects for the Lakers has been so valuable to my career; from managing fundraising events, designing social media campaigns, doing market research into student behaviour, and creating job opportunities for students in the department. Aside from being a great learning opportunity that fits with my interests, it has also been so fun and rewarding to be impacting my fellow Laker fans in the process!

I have had my share of successes and failures, but learning from each of the outcomes has made me a stronger business woman. And while this has definitely been a busy, hectic year, I am so happy I made the decision to push myself for this placement and discover all that I am capable of. The iLEAD program has set me apart from my peers in so many ways, but I would encourage them to get involved with iLEAD in whatever ways fit their passions and career aspirations. I hope to be collaborating with the School of Business on more iLEAD opportunities within the Athletics Department for the 2017-2018 year, so keep an eye out!”

Emma Hough - iLEAD

Any student that has the opportunity to participate in the iLEAD program in the School of Business should definitely do so. I would highly recommend this program without hesitation. Not only did I learn about the accounting field that I want to enter into as a professional after graduation, but I also got to experience, prepare and participate in the workforce. I had the opportunity to expand my learning in a number of fields and apply my knowledge and skills in the areas of accounting, human resources, organizational behaviour, and marketing during my field placements. I got paid to do an internship while earning credits toward school, how cool is that?

I am currently in the last course that I need to complete my iLEAD Business Experience Certificate and we are going camping at Camp Petawachuan! I am so excited to see what consulting tips I will learn in this class.

I will take the things that I did throughout obtaining my iLEAD certificate with me throughout my entire career; it was a great experience and definitely helped me grow as a young adult who is soon entering the workforce.

Emma Hough - BBA

 

 

 

Kerri Sawyer iLEAD

 Kerri Morin completed an iLEAD Internship working with the North Bay Battalion. One of Kerri’s various duties included organizes the puck drop at the game featuring Ron MacLean.

Gillian McCaskil iLEAD

“iLEAD allowed me the opportunity to take the skills I learned in the classroom, and apply them to real life situations and clients. The iLEAD program has provided me with networking, research and job opportunities outside the scope of the typical in-class program; and has given me a competitive edge as I enter the workforce.”

Gillian McCaskill - BBA

Do I have to be a business student to take the iLEAD program?

Yes. The iLEAD Business Experience Certificate is designed specifically for business students.

Do I have to complete the iLEAD Business Experience Certificate in order to take some of the courses offered in the program?

No. You may elect to take only one or two iLEAD courses if you wish.

Will the School of Business help me find an internship if I choose to participate?

Not at this time; however, the School will provide guidance and suggestions to students who are looking for internships. Students are encouraged to reach out to the School of Business, Project Coordinator at ilead@nipissingu.ca​ to discuss placement options.

What are the costs associated with the iLEAD Business Experience Certificate?

Tuition fees are applicable to the iLEAD courses. Other fees will apply for international exchanges, such as travel costs.

Can I intern in my home town?

Yes. Internships can be completed in North Bay, your home town, or even overseas.

Are iLEAD field placements and internships paid positions?

Depending on the placement you secure, the employer can choose whether they have the budget to pay you or not.

Director

Administration

Full-time Faculty

Part-time Faculty

Staff

As a business student I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant as well as participated in an iLEAD directed study. My role as a research assistant taught me the value of data analyzing and data mining using raw data to transform it into something quantitative. Having learned these skills in a safe, positive and flexible learning environment with the guidance of a faculty supervisor, I am confident using these skills within the workforce today. I use these skills each and everyday in my current role. The business environment at the University mimics the workforce and the real world and this degree program prepared me for that.

Alex Scott - BBA, 2012 - Sales Representative with Mondelez International 2012 - present

“Having the opportunity to participate in iLEAD and work one on one with my professor, while researching a topic that was near and dear to me, was an amazing experience. What I have taken out of this is not only the educational aspect of learning to write a thesis, developing a research question and doing a literature review, but also the journey of learning about myself and helping me figure out what I want to do with my future.”

Dezai Bair-Patel - 3rd Year BBA Student

“Being able to apply the skills I learned in school, such as consulting, recommending and researching, was beneficial to increase my knowledge on how to properly apply these skills. The iLEAD program gave me opportunities to experience a culture that I would not have been able to experience in Canada.”

Megan Goulais - iLEAD Special Projects

“I’m really glad I went on the iLEAD Jamaica Expedition! I gained hands-on business experience and got to help out a real life company – all the while being surrounded by a beautiful and exotic environment!”

Muhammad Ikramullah - iLEAD Special Projects

“iLEAD was a main reason why I got the job working for my town as an office administrator. They loved the real life work experience that made me stand out from other applicants.”

Tim Harron - iLEAD Special Projects

Business Showcase and Awards

Business Awards 2016

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The students presented their work from the 2016 Jamaica Expedition at the 2nd Annual Business Showcase and Awards. The groups discussed in depth the obstacles they had to overcome while working in Jamaica, as well as demonstrating the benefits of applicable outside the classroom learning.

 

 

Kim Knobel Business Presentation

Kimberly Knobel at the 2015 Undergraduate Research Conference

Monday, March 9, 2015

Congratulations to Kimberly Knobel who presented at the 2015 Undergraduate Research Conference last week. Kimberly made a presentation on the work appraisal system that the Great Huts iLEAD team worked to implement during the 2015 Jamaica Expedition.; Kimberly discussed in depth about the obstacles they had to overcome while working in Jamaica, as well as demonstrating the benefits of applicable out of classroom learning.

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100 College Drive, Box 5002, North Bay, ON, Canada  P1B 8L7  Tel: 705.474.3450  Fax: 705.474.1947  TTY: 877.688.5507  nuinfo@nipissingu.ca