Schmidthorst College of Business Student Places Second in International Competition

Written by Brian Rohrs, Teaching Professor in the Accounting and MIS Department

BGSU Schmidthorst College of Business (SCoB) student Lindsey Schneeg placed second in the Spring 2021 Capsim Foundation Challenge. The Capsim Challenge is a biannual international competition requiring students to manage a simulated manufacturing company.  Competing students make decisions in all functional areas of business during the eight qualifying rounds.  The top six students from the qualifying rounds then compete head-to-head as finalists.

Lindsey’s second place finish in the finals extends BGSU’s success in the Capsim competition.  Over the past eight years, 13 BGSU SCoB students/teams have qualified and competed as Capsim Challenge finalists – including the last eight semesters in a row.  BGSU has the most Capsim Challenge finalists of any university worldwide.

Lindsey’s accomplishment is especially impressive this semester, given the intense competition.  According to Capsim Challenge Coordinator Cassandra Schieltz, there was a 25% increase in participation in the Spring 2021 Challenge.  Students from 10 countries competed in the Foundation Challenge.

A Marketing and Finance major, Lindsey was eager to compete in the Challenge this semester.  Per Lindsay, “The Capsim Challenge was an exciting way to interact with my course work and form a deeper upstanding of how things in the accounting field connect together. It was a great way to see financial statements come to life and I have even been able to apply this knowledge to my internship. Although it was a bit time consuming, I enjoyed the challenge and would compete again if I could.”

Lindsey’s first experience with the Capsim Business Simulation came in Teaching Professor Brian Rohrs’ Accounting 2220 Introduction to Managerial Accounting class last fall.  She enjoyed the simulation during the class and expressed interest in participating in the Challenge during Spring semester.  Professor Rohrs and fellow SCoB Accounting Professor James Zeigler have been utilizing business simulation in their Managerial Accounting Courses for over 12 years.

According to Professor Rohrs, “The Capsim Challenge is an excellent opportunity for students to test their business knowledge and skill against international competition.  It helps students refine their critical thinking and decision making skills.  We are tremendously proud of Lindsey and applaud her success in the Foundation Challenge this semester.” According to Professor Zeigler, “BGSU student success in the Challenge demonstrates the effectiveness of our business program.  Our students continue to apply experiential-learning from the classroom toward real-world competition on a global scale.”

Professors Rohrs and Zeigler believe student success in the Challenge is enhanced by the support students receive from the SCoB.  Lindsey will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the SCoB in recognition of her success in the Capsim Foundation Challenge.