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Freeing the Power of the Individual
College of Business

Partnering with Professionals Program

The Department of Casino, Hospitality, Tourism Management at The University of Southern Mississippi joined with casino industry leaders to form the Partnering with Professionals program, to engage industry experts in student learning and to create networking opportunities for our students.

YEAR 1 members (inaugural, 2007)
YEAR 2 members (2007-2008)
YEAR 3 members (2008 - 2009)

Year 1

The first year of the program involved the development of a gaming educational video series used in an online course for students seeking careers in casino management. Through streaming video and online discussions, gaming industry experts share their knowledge and experience with students and respond to student questions. The Partnering with Professionals program provides students with a true look into real gaming operations by providing one-on-one access to key professionals in the gaming and hospitality industry.

 

Dr. Lance Nail and Larry Gregory

Dr. Lance Nail, Dean, College of Business, and Larry Gregory, Executive Director, Mississippi Gaming Commission.

Inaugural members of the Partnering with Professionals program include

Partnering with Professionals members with TM faculty

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Year 2

In the second year of its inception, the Partnering with Professionals program expanded to include tourism professional partners. The second year of this partnership used instructional technology such as podcasts and online live classrooms to further improve student access to industry experts. The online panel of experts, known as the iPASS (Industry Professionals' Assistance in Students' Success) panel, engage and involve in student learning via Wimba Classroom (online live classroom), where students get to ask questions on a one-on-one basis after each presentation. The industry professionals also support firsthand learning by welcoming student field trip groups to their agencies and properties.

For a sample of our iPASS professionals in action, watch our Partners in Action video clip. If you are an industry expert and would like to contribute to our students' learning success, please contact Evelyn Green.

Partnering with Professionals members (Year 2, 2007-2008)

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Year 3

Industry professionals kicked things up a notch in the third year of Partnering with Professionals, dedicating more face-to-face time with our students through live classroom presentations on campus and field trips. Mississippi Gaming Commission Deputy Director, Allen Godfrey spoke to and interacted with students and faculty members of the College of Business at our Hattiesburg campus. At the IP Casino Resort Spa, senior executives (President, VPs & directors) took time out to lead property tours, giving our students a unique look at their respective areas of operation. The students also went on their first ecotourism field trip; taking a boat tour of the Pascagoula River, one of a few free-flowing rivers left in the US. Graduates of the program, since the inception of Partnering with Professionals, returned to the classrooms as presenters for the online tourism and casino management courses.


If you are an industry expert and would like to contribute to our students' learning success, please contact Evelyn Green.

IP Casino Resort Spa Executives receives Partnering with Professionals certificates of recognition and appreciation

Jon Lucas, President and General Manager, IP Casino Resort Spa receives the Partnering with Professionals certificate of recognition and appreciation from Dr. Cathie Price, Chair, Tourism Management.

Partnering with Professionals members (Year 3, 2008-2009)

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