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Accounting Case Competition Media Release

Centennial’s School of Business Hosts Accounting Case Competition

TORONTO, ON, February 24, 2010 — Centennial College accounting students will take part in a unique Olympics-style case competition that will test and challenge their problem-solving skills in a timed case study on Friday, February 26, starting at 1 pm at Centennial’s Progress Campus.

Centennial’s School of Business has selected 20 accounting students, six coaches and several judges (recruited from the business world) to pilot a case competition in collaboration with the Certified General Accountants of Ontario (CGA Ontario). The professional accounting association has been running similar contests at the university level for years, and now Ontario’s colleges will have the opportunity to participate in the case competitions action.

"We’re delighted to be organizing the first annual competition for our accounting students," said Linda Donville, a professor in the School of Business. "Our students are nervous and excited to take part, and I know this event can only grow next year as we get more students and colleges involved."

Participants will have 60 minutes to devise a resolution to the set case study. Each team will consist of two to three students. Teams will have 15 minutes to present their solutions to a panel of judges, and will also face five minutes of questioning. Students will be competing for valuable prizes, including scholarships and cash awards for the CGA program of professional studies.

This is the first time the School of Business has organized a competition for its accounting students; it builds on the experience the school has garnered after years of coaching students for the annual Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition.

All participants will convene for a reception at 5 pm, followed by an awards dinner recognizing the winners.

"We are a proud sponsor of Centennial College’s accounting competition," said Doug Brooks, FCGA, CEO of CGA Ontario. "Case competitions create a real-world platform for students to apply their knowledge and put their problem solving skills to work. I wish each team success."

Building a career you can count on – CGAs are accounting and finance professionals with a difference. Diverse and highly skilled, they have achieved a respected designation through rigorous academic training and intense real-world experience. They’re trained to look beyond the numbers, drawing on their broad learning and individual strengths to facilitate problem solving and provide leadership across industries and within changing business realities. The CGA designation tells an employer that a prospect is well equipped to add value to the organization no matter what the future brings.

CGA Ontario is a self-governing body that grants the exclusive rights to the CGA designation, and controls the professional standards, conduct and discipline of its members and students in the province of Ontario. In Ontario, there are more than 19,000 CGAs and approximately 8,000 students working towards their designation. www.cga-ontario.org / www.cga-yourcareer.org/ www.facebook.com/cga

Centennial College is Ontario’s first public college, established in 1966, primarily serving the eastern portion of the Greater Toronto Area through four campuses. It has a record of exemplary teaching, innovative programming and extensive partnership building. Centennial is recognized as one of the most culturally diverse post-secondary institutions in Canada; almost 100 ethno-cultural groups are represented and 80 languages are spoken on campus. The college supports enrolments of 14,500 full-time students and 25,000 part-time learners annually.

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For more information contact:

Mark Toljagic, Communications Officer, Centennial College
Telephone: 416-289-5000, ext. 7142
Email: mtoljagi@centennialcollege.ca

Amy Mulhern, Manager of Public Relations, CGA Ontario
Telephone: 416-544-4781 / 1-800-668-1454 ext. 8311
Email: amulhern@cga-ontario.org