Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
January 29, 2003
Fairmont Hotels donation to support HTM expansion
The University of Guelph’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) has received a $200,000 gift from Fairmont Hotels and Resorts to help finance the expansion of the school’s kitchen and teaching restaurant.
The announcement was made Tuesday evening by Carolyn Clark, Fairmont’s Vice President of Human Resources, during a special event at the Lifelong Learning Centre hosted by HTM’s Alumni Association. The donation is being made as part of the Campaign for the University of Guelph and is the second major gift the University has received in support of the project.
“Our company recognizes the University of Guelph as being very progressive and innovative with its programs,” Clark told the gathering, which included students attending the school’s Career Night. Referring to Fairmont’s partnership with the University in a variety of experiential learning programs, she pointed to U of G’s introduction of a distance learning initiative that allows students to begin their fall semester courses while completing summer placements at the company’s Lake Louise resort through its busy September period.
Two out of three of Fairmont’s general managers are graduates of the school’s Advanced Management Program for the Hospitality Industry, added Clark, who enrolled several years ago in a short custom course in financial management offered by U of G at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. “That’s a perfect testimonial about the quality of leaders and graduates being developed right here at the University of Guelph.”
President Mordechai Rozanski said Fairmont’s gift will help the University continue its commitment to both its students and the hotel and tourism industry. “It will allow us to advance our experiential education niche through the expansion of our teaching restaurant, enabling us to increase our enrolment and continue to provide a first-class learning environment to educate the next generation of hospitality and tourism leaders,” he said. “We are grateful to Fairmont for its continued support of our school and our mission to provide students with opportunities to ‘learn by doing.’”
John Walsh, associate dean of the Faculty of Management and HTM’s acting director, added the industry is in need of more managers, but currently, Guelph is limited by the size of its teaching facilities. “This new, state-of-the-art facility will meet our need for more space and the industry’s need for more and better qualified people,” he said. “It will also allow us to maintain and build our international reputation by attracting the best faculty and students.”
The $3.5-million expansion project will double the restaurant’s food production space by expanding into the current dining room. A new multi-purpose atrium will be built for use as an 85-seat dining room, lecture space and special-event facility. The restaurant allows third-year students to apply their multi-disciplinary study of general management in planning, purchasing, storage, production, marketing and service. It serves lunch and dinner several days a week to the campus and community. The expansion will allow the school to incorporate new food preparation technologies and update its information systems for reservations, table management, ordering and productivity.
Guelph’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, founded more than 30 years ago, is known as the best school for hospitality education in Canada and is among the top tier of internationally-recognized schools in North America.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338 or Rachelle Cooper, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982.
