This month, four students from SFU’s Master of Public Policy program made their way to Saskatoon to represent their university for the first time at a national case competition. Participants Jesse Joice, Alanna Schroeder, Francisco Gallegos, and Terri Blackburn joined students from across Canada at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at University of Saskatchewan.

All teams were presented the same case, which was based on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and Natural Resources Canada’s response to deep water drilling in Canadian Waters. Teams were given three hours to deliberate before presenting their work to a panel of judges. The judges have previously held positions such as Minister and Deputy Minister, giving them the perfect background to critique the students’ work.

The judges were not afraid to ask “tough questions,” giving students excellent preparation for their future careers in public policy. According to the team, “the competition was fierce,” but the organizers commended them on their strong performance.

While this style of competition is typical for business students, it was the first time a policy case competition has been held on a national level. Students and staff at the Beedie School of Business pitched in, helping the students prepare before they embarked for Saskatchewan.

The team is also grateful for the support they received from their own program, including Eva Lewis, Nancy Olewiler, and their coach Maureen Maloney.

“It was amazing how well they helped,” said Francisco. “Nancy was instrumental in our success and development.”

Most of the participants are at the end of their student careers at SFU, but they are thankful to have had this experience. In addition to career preparation, the students learned how to work well in teams, with high-pressure deadlines and sensitive topics.

“It helped me realize that what we learn in the Masters of Public Policy program is very useful in real life,” adds Francisco. He even wishes he could participate in next year’s competition. “But I won’t fail just to do it again,” he joked.

The experience was so positive that SFU is hoping to host to the competition in the future. This case competition is something that MPP students will be looking forward to in the coming years.  

- L.H.