The Inter-University Round
The Cases
I.U. Round cases are generally 20-30 pages long and intricate. They provide competitors with significant amounts of background information about organizations, the business environment and the issues at stake. Cases for this round are written by Queen's School of Business professors and are used for the first time during this round. Competitors are given one month to complete a detailed analysis of the case after which they are sent back for marking.
The Report
Since competitors are given one full month to read the case and write their report, judges have high expectations regarding the quality of the analysis and solutions provided. When cases are submitted, teams are provided with a template for the report, which allows competitors to prepare an organized and structured submission. In addition, please refer to the "sample cases" link to review winning submissions in years past from each event.
The Marking and Ranking
Case submissions are marked and evaluated by countless devoted and qualified Queens' School of Business faculty. Most markers have been involved with I.C.B.C. for numerous years and are experts in their fields. In each event, markers will get together prior to receiving the completed cases in order to discuss their approach to the problems presented and their expectations for a coherent solution. Once the cases are received, judges are given two weeks to mark the cases, provide feedback and rank the submissions. At this point, the top 6 finalists in each event are announced.
Requirement for Participation
- The competition is open only to those enrolled as full-time students in an Undergraduate Business Program of a recognized university or college during the fall term of the competition. Students who are participating in a co-op program qualify as full-time students on the grounds that their workload is equal to that of a full-time student. Students who are full-time in the fall term but will be a part-time student or will be graduating in the subsequent spring term are permitted to compete in the competition.
- Masters candidates are not eligible to participate.
- No student may compete in more than one event. However, people will be eligible to participate in the Debating event if they competed on a team in the Preliminary Round that did not qualify for the Final Round, but their school has one of the top six aggregate scores.
- The students who represent the schools in the Final Round are to be ONLY those students who competed in the Preliminary Round.
- Advisors are not permitted to aid competitors in the decision-making process at any time. The entire case must only be prepared by the two (or three for Business Policy) students on the team.
- Each school may only enter one team per event, thus the individual teams must be pre-determined prior to the Preliminary Round, which is scheduled to begin on September 29, 2009
Failure to comply with any of the above rules is grounds for disqualification of the entire team.
Final Weekend Logistics
Accommodations: Final Round competitors stay at the Holiday Inn hotel.
I.C.B.C. Shuttle Service
Competitors and faculty advisors can be picked up upon arrival in Kingston, and will be shuttled throughout the weekend.
Click here to learn more about beautiful Kingston.