Expanded Story: Transforming Hospitality Education

2012年8月, 密歇根州立大学丹佛 opened its state-of-the-art Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center, one of only a few nationwide collegiate hospitality learning laboratories with a fully functioning hotel.

28,000-square-foot academic building, plus the adjacent SpringHill Suites – 丹佛 Downtown® by Marriott, were designed to provide unparalleled hands-on education for the University’s hospitality, tourism and events (HTE) majors.

‌At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, 密歇根州立大学丹佛 President Stephen Jordan told more than 200 community and business leaders that the facility would have a major impact on student learning. He thanked the University’s trustees and foundation board members for moving forward with the project just as the economy had started to slip into recession.

“To do this at a time when nobody was building anything in the country…it took some real courage and leadership on their part,他说.

沃尔特·艾森伯格, 谁是总统?, CEO and co-founder of Sage Hospitality and an 密歇根州立大学丹佛 trustee, noted how the buildings would bring new learning opportunities for students as they worked alongside professionals from the hotel’s management company. He also emphasized that 100 percent of the hotel’s profits would go to the foundation to provide scholarships for HTE students.

调查员乍得Gruhl, then-chair of the HTE Department, was most excited about how the facility would create more career opportunities for students.

“Once more employers know what we’ve created here…they’re going to want our students even more than they currently do because of that real-world experience,他说.