BBA charts a course for student’s future
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Recognized among AACSB International’s 2024 Innovations That Inspire, The Bachelor of Business Administration in Innovation and Sustainability program is the first entirely project-based BBA in Canada and possibly the globe. Learn more.
Mel Lacelle’s says she wouldn’t be where she is today without her Bachelor of Business Administration in Sustainability and Innovation.
“Without a doubt, the BBA program has played a pivotal role in shaping my career trajectory,” says Lacelle, an environmental specialist with Babcock Canada, an international company that helps military and other organizations by providing support, training, product design and technology for defence and security.
She says she chose the program in part because it prioritized teamwork and real-world experiences.
Students did an environmental cost-benefit analysis, oil spill simulations and created a service plan for the implementation of the monitoring and prevention of spills from derelict vessels in the traditional territorial waters of the T’Sou-ke Nation.
During her program, which she completed in 2023, she was part of a team of students who worked on a partnership project to protect ecosystems and communities from the threat of abandoned vessels, which pose significant cultural, social, environmental and economic threats to the surrounding areas and communities.
In partnership with T’Sou-ke Nation and Barnacle Systems, a Victoria-based boat security and monitoring company, students assessed the economic feasibility of deploying remote monitoring systems to abandoned boats that threaten local coastlines.
Barnacle Systems continues to work with First Nations to install Rapid Deploy Kits on derelict vessels.
Rapid Deploy Kits are solar-powered boat monitors that send text and email alerts in case of emergencies, such as potential oil spills. The project, which Lacelle says combined Indigenous knowledge with local business expertise, resulted in the T’Sou-ke Nation being able to independently monitor derelict vessels in their waterways.
School of Business Assist. Prof. Todd Thexton says the BBA is an “extraordinary” program – the first entirely project-based BBA in Canada and possibly the globe.
“We emphasize hands-on learning and a deep commitment to addressing social and environmental issues head-on,” he says. “It’s a roll-up-your-sleeves sort of education where students get the chance to work with clients in the community on sustainable business solutions.”
The Royal Roads BBA in Innovation and Sustainability centers application and practice with its 100% project-based format.
And it’s one Lacelle says anchored her passion for environmental sustainability while allowing her to chart a course for her future.
My current role “allows me to continuously learn and grow, making meaningful contributions to my organization and the broader community,” she says. “Without this transformative experience, I wouldn't be living my dream today, making a positive impact in a field I am truly passionate about.”