The Faculty of Business Administration’s Associates Program has a new name: the Experiential Learning Program.

The Associates Program encourages provincial and national businesses to establish closer links to the faculty and to provide a source of ongoing external funding.

The new designation reflects the program’s core purpose: supporting immersive, real-world learning experiences that prepare students to lead, innovate and make an impact from day one.

A faculty hallmark

Experiential learning has long been a hallmark of Memorial’s business school.

In 1973, the faculty was the first in Canada to offer a co-operative undergraduate degree in business, giving students the chance to apply classroom learning in real-world settings.

Less than a decade later, it became the first undergraduate business program in the country to receive national accreditation from Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada, confirming the quality and rigour of its co-op offerings.

Experiential learning is deeply woven into the fabric of the faculty, says Dr. Travor Brown, dean.

“Renaming the program not only honours its legacy, but also sharpens our focus on what it truly enables: transformational, hands-on learning,” he said. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the strength of our community partnerships, this program helps ensure our students are not only ready to enter the workforce, but to lead in it.”

The Experiential Learning Program supports initiatives like The Fund, a student-managed investment portfolio, and Enactus Memorial, a student-run team that develops community projects grounded in business principles.

As a result of generous sponsorships and donations to the program, Memorial University students have attended the Enactus World Championship multiple times, twice earning the world title.

Fund members participate in annual industry trips that include company visits, alumni networking events and presentations from leading finance professionals across Canada.

Case competitions are dynamic, team-based challenges where students analyze real-world business problems and present solutions to a panel of judges.

They offer valuable experiential learning by helping students apply classroom knowledge, sharpen critical thinking, and build collaboration and presentation skills in a professional setting.

This past winter, Memorial’s undergraduate teams made history by winning the Van Berkom Investment Competition for the second year in a row — an unprecedented achievement — and placed third at the William & Mary Women’s Stock Pitch Competition in Virginia, establishing themselves as the only Canadian team, for the second year in a row, to finish in the top three.

Memorial graduate students also routinely achieve great success at national and international competitions, including the John Molson MBA International Case Competition, also known as the Concordia Cup, which is considered one of the world’s top case competitions for graduate students.

With five first-place finishes and 11 top-three placements, Memorial remains the most decorated school in the competition’s history.

In 2025, a team of MBA students also won first place at the national Asper Business Case Competition.

“It was truly the best experience of my MBA, and I know team members from previous years feel the same,” said Allison Hiscock (MBA’25), a project manager of international recruitment with NL Health Services. “There is so much value in attending competitions like Asper and the Concordia Cup. I helped me build confidence in public speaking and strengthen my ability to think critically about real-life situations.”

Alumni success

Anne Whelan (BA’90, MBA’02), CEO of Seafair, and Kevin Woodbury (MBA’03), vice-president of innovation and technology at Fortis Inc., both credit their formative experiences at the Faculty of Business Administration for shaping their professional journeys.

“What influenced my career most during the MBA was the combination of the case teams and Glenn Rowe’s Strategic Management course,” said Mr. Woodbury. “Something about those two experiences really clicked for me, and they taught me to bring a strategic lens to every role I’ve had since. Programs like the Experiential Learning Program are so valuable because they push you to apply your knowledge, respond to real business challenges and grow in ways that truly prepare you for leadership.”

“When you get into the “real world” of business, almost every challenge requires you to look at it from multiple perspectives, and those case prep discussions taught me how to do that,” said Ms. Whelan. “The case team experience was really the thing that shaped me the most during my MBA. When you are in the room presenting to a group of business leaders, it cultivates the ability to think quickly, communicate clearly and trust your team members. Those are skills that I have relied on heavily in my career.”

Both Ms. Whelan, who has built a company employing over 1,200 people across health, tech and community care sectors, and Mr. Woodbury, with a 20-year tenure at Fortis Inc., have remained actively involved with the university, contributing as mentors and judges.

By investing their time and resources, alumni like Ms. Whelan and Mr. Woodbury ensure that current students have access to the same opportunities that once propelled their careers.

“I believe in what Memorial is doing — it’s incredibly important,” said Mr. Woodbury. “The university gave me so much, and I still remember the volunteers I met through case teams and how much they added to the richness of my experience.”

“I learned so much from those leaders, and it made a real difference for me,” said Ms. Whelan. “I appreciate the opportunity to now help create that same experience for our students.”

Opportunity to grow

And it isn’t just the students who benefit from the Experiential Learning Program: contributing members gain access to events like networking luncheons and topical speaker series, recruitment support and access to campus resources such as boardrooms and Bloomberg terminals. 

But most importantly, they play a direct role in strengthening Newfoundland and Labrador’s business community by investing in and supporting future leaders.

With an annual membership of $2,500, or flexible donor options, supporting the Experiential Learning Program is a tangible way to shape the province’s business landscape, now and for decades to come. 

The program accepts donations of any amount from both individuals and organizations, which are eligible for a tax receipt.

If you’re interested in becoming a member, you’re invited to contact Dr. Travor Brown at deanfba@mun.ca or call 709-864-8852.

“Staying engaged is my way of giving back,” said Mr. Woodbury. “Having a positive impact on even one student who’s walking the same path I did years ago means everything.”

Learn more about the program on the faculty’s website.