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On a Mission: 'The School' at MSU's Accomplishments in 2009-2010
East Lansing, MI - June 28, 2010 - With only 11.5 tenure system faculty members, The School of Hospitality Business at MSU manages to accomplish far more than many programs with more faculty and students and much bigger budgets. Releasing its Annual Report earlier this month, School Director and Professor Dr. Ron Cichy (BA ’72, MBA ’77) said, “Everyone associated with our School is part of our story. We are proud of the widespread influence our School has on the hospitality industry. In the past year, our students and faculty achieved more with less, and our alumni and industry supporters continued to inspire, mentor, and lead.”
In keeping with MSU’s Boldness by Design initiative, with the Broad College of Business’s top six strategic goals, and with the Broad College Chair Evaluation criteria, the annual report included some of the following achievement highlights:
Completion of The School’s Academic Program Review Self-Study and its acceptance by the Provost.
The faculty published six books, as well as 19 refereed articles, two book chapters, 55 non-refereed industry articles, eight proceedings, and more. The faculty also delivered 14 research-related scholarly presentations, including three international.
Three faculty members received research grant funds.
The 11.5 tenure system faculty and 14 adjunct, part-time faculty taught 71 undergraduate courses and 15 graduate courses. During the Summer of 2009, they taught an additional 12 undergraduate and 4 graduate courses.
Hospitality Business students continued to excel, leading 10 active student clubs and four major School events, and earning in excess of $231,000 in scholarship funds. They competed nationally with other hospitality students and captured $80,500 in external scholarships, including one $20,000 Statler Scholarship and others from various industry associations and organizations.
The School conducted Study Abroad in Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China.
The faculty served the industry by holding seven offices in associations and on boards, 56 memberships in industry organizations, and by making eight professional appearances at industry conferences. They spent over 120 days in consulting/advisory roles, the great majority unpaid.
The faculty delivered 19 hours of Broad College Executive Education and 293 hours of other executive education. Hilton Lecture Series, produced by The School’s Dr. Ray Schmidgall, Hilton Hotels Professor of Hospitality Financial Management, and hosted on campus, focused on Club Management.
The faculty served the hospitality higher education academy in the following roles: three associate editors, one guest editor, 23 editorial review board memberships, and 16 instances of services as an ad hoc referee.
The alumni continued to be committed and engaged advocates, with The School’s Alumni Association sponsoring at least ten on-campus events designed to connect students-faculty-alumni-industry. Off campus, there were Annual Gathering of Leaders in Chicago in May, and Celebration of Leadership in New York City in November.
As many as 80 students attended these two events alone, and are also required to attend at least five professional development seminars and industry tours in each city.
The School’s Alumni Association fosters alumni commitment and honors alumni leaders each year, and in 2009 – 2010, a new Class of Exemplars was added to its Wall of Fame; an Honorary Alumnus, an Alumnus of the Year, and three Emerging Alumni Leaders were named and recognized; and a Lifetime Academic Achievement award was presented. Each month, an Alumnus/a of the Month was named.
The industry itself was deeply involved in and recognized by The School. At its 31st CAREER EXPO in the Fall, nearly 100 recruiters met with the over 600 students who attended, and Las Vegas Sands Corp. – Venetian and Palazzo was named Industry Partner of the Year. In addition, more than 100 hospitality business executives spoke in School classes throughout the year.
Nearly one million dollars in net new funds were raised through 2009 – 2010, including $434,788 in cash, $100,000 in in-kind, and $383,223 in additional commitments.
“The School’s faculty and alumni, together with industry friends, are deeply committed to The School’s mission,” says Dean James F. Rainey, director of Academic Programs in The School.
About The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University
Recognized as the top-ranked hospitality business school in the world, The School celebrates its 83rd year anniversary in 2010. The School has almost 10,000 graduates worldwide, including a number of leading academicians and industry executives, who have earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Founded in 1927, the mission of The School is to continually enhance The School's leadership position in hospitality business education through teaching, research, and service. The School offers an exceptionally well-crafted curriculum, taught by innovative professors who are leading textbook authors, sought-after consultants, and respected researchers. The mission of The School of Hospitality Business Alumni Association is to provide active leadership in support of the mission of The School of Hospitality Business through membership participation, image enhancement, financial commitment, and promotion of synergies among students, faculty, alumni, and friends. The First, The Original, and STILL The Leader. . . The School of Hospitality Business. For more information, please visit www.bus.msu.edu/shb/
