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UNB business professor provides undergraduate marketing students with invaluable experiential learning opportunities

Author: UNB Newsroom

Posted on Dec 12, 2018

Category: UNB Saint John

Dr. Emin Civi is using real-life opportunities in the workforce through a variety of experiential techniques to prepare his students for the future.

A business professor at the University of New Brunswick, Dr. Civi’s retailing class is highly interactive and familiarizes students with the steps involved in running a real-life retail firm.

“One of the main components of the class is our retail clinic. Using dedicated class time, students offer consultancy services to a few small and medium-sized Saint John retailers from different industries to help develop creative and effective strategies to stay competitive against giant national retailers,” said Dr. Civi.

“In the clinic, students can apply their knowledge and understanding of retail principles, and see first-hand the issues that retailers face.”

Students are also asked to participate in a mystery shopper program with local restaurants who provide gift cards to students for lunch or dinner. The students dine and make covert observations about the restaurant and write a report, which is shared with the owners.

“Restaurants are very excited to receive in-depth feedback on how they can improve their businesses, and the students really enjoy the experience. It’s a win-win.”

In another class, Dr. Civi’s students presented fundraising projects for the Saint John Newcomers Centre, as part of the Fund4NewSkills program with money raised going to support job skills programs for newcomers.

“We were delighted to provide some incentive funding to support Dr. Civi’s marketing management students in their experiential opportunity,” said Dr. Laurelle LeVert, Associate Vice-President (Saint John). “This was accomplished through a province-wide initiative that seeks to connect university students with agencies, partners and employers who can see first-hand the value of working with them. The students were able to make a tangible and meaningful difference while directly connecting their academic experience with real-world economic and social needs.”

Dr. Civi joined the faculty of business in 2005. He also teaches international marketing and international business at the undergraduate level, as well as international marketing in the MBA program.

Media contact: Angie Deveau

Photo credit: Cameron Fitch/UNB