Central Queensland University’s SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) team dazzled adjudicators at the recent national competition taking home three awards.

The eight-student team was presented with the runner-up award in the Cadbury Schweppes League, while Professor Glenice Hancock was awarded the Woolworths Leadership Award for the Most Supportive Vice-Chancellor. SIFE Australia Fellow and CQU business lecturer Beth Tennent was also awarded the Woolworths Leadership Award as the Most Outstanding Mentor.

The newly formed Central Queensland University SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) team competed against 15 other universities, including this year’s winner University of Southern Queensland – Fraser Coast Campus, at Australia’s biggest ever SIFE competition.

The CQU contingent was required to make a 30-minute presentation about their University, their business concepts and their community involvement. But it was their innovative projects that convinced the judges that CQU knew their “business”.

CQU SIFE’s projects included: the sale of commemorative flags; a CQU tutoring business which matches students with tutors; a business forum for high schools students; YourPicOnline.com – a website that includes photographs taken from local meeting spots; a graduation shirts business; “IT for Life” project which promotes and trains teenagers in information technology; and Employment Engineering which aims to see people over 40 re-enter the workforce.

Ms Tennent said the students were very disappointed they didn’t make the final four, but were very happy with the feedback from several of the judges.

“Several of the judges believed we were the better team with the better projects,” Ms Tennent said.

“I was very proud of them. Their presentation, both orally and visually, was outstanding and the response from the audience was very positive.

“We were told our projects were extremely sustainable by the judges.

Professor Hancock was also thrilled with the team’s efforts and her award for Most Supportive Vice-Chancellor.

“I was surprised and overjoyed to hear I had won this award, but it was the students who put all the hard work in.

“I was proud of their efforts and I commend them.

CQU SIFE member Miranda Hill said Professor Hancock continually offered them support in their projects.

“She offered us support by suggesting contacts in the community for us to approach as well as offering financial support for the whole team to represent CQU in the Sydney competition.

“She has gone out of her way to accommodate every request we have forwarded to her.

SIFE is a world-wide organisation for students who want to make a difference in their community by developing leadership, teamwork and communication skills gained at university. The SIFE teams go into the community with student-designed outreach programs.

Members of CQU SIFE who travelled to the national competition are: Miranda Hill, Warwick Fletcher, Josh Jones, Andrew Maloney, Craig Litherland, Sandy Forster, Grant Parker and Penny Kowalski.