TAMPA -- The growing partnership between the University of South Florida's Muma College of Business and McKibbon Hospitality is expanding to include an immersive management-in-training shadowing program.
The new interactive learning experience, called the McKibbon Cooperative Learning Program, is designed to equip hospitality students with a competitive training advantage through a hands-on shadowing experience and mentorship from seasoned industry professionals.
“We are breaking new ground in the world of hospitality education,” said Cihan Cobanoglu, dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “This innovative “management-in-training” shadowing program gives graduate students hands-on management experience. We are shaping the future of hospitality leadership and ensuring our graduates are ready to excel in the industry from day one.”
The program begins this month and has accepted its first two students — USF graduate students Kristoff Ellis and Halyna Horpynich.
The two will shadow leaders throughout McKibbon’s portfolio of Tampa-based hotels and corporate office across two semesters, immersing themselves in a wide variety of real-world working environments that directly complement their studies.
Students will rotate across McKibbon’s different departments and properties, working closely with department heads and assisting with a variety of projects exposing them to the multifaceted world of hotel management while helping them map out their future career path.
Since integrating with industry partners, the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management has expanded its programming to all three USF campuses and experienced significant growth in the number of students taking hospitality courses.
The McKibbon Cooperative Learning Program expands USF and McKibbon’s partnership which was established in 2021 with the creation of an innovative hospitality teaching lab.
“We are beyond pleased to introduce another opportunity for USF students to immerse themselves in our day-to-day operations, gaining an invaluable firsthand look at what it takes to operate a hotel and become an industry leader,” said Bruce Baerwalde, president of McKibbon Hospitality.
Since its inception, over 100 USF undergraduate students have been immersed in on-the-job hospitality training in McKibbon’s portfolio of more than 100 hotels across the country with notable brand flags including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and IHG.
McKibbon and USF have also partnered on international recruitment, welcoming seven students from around the world to further their studies with real-world hotel experience.