The Muma College of Business launched a partnership with McKibbon Hospitality, creating a teaching lab program for students across 100 nationwide hotels.

With the partnership, students will have access to teaching hotels managed by McKibbon Hospitality, including Marriott and Hilton, as training grounds. The program will focus on hospitality management students and give them the tools and resources to learn management techniques outside of the classroom.

“This partnership between USF and McKibbon Hospitality opens up an important training opportunity and gives our graduates a competitive advantage,” said Moez Limayem, the Lynn Pippenger Dean at the USF Muma College of Business. “We value this new partnership. Educating the next generation of hotel managers requires teaming up with the top brands to teach the latest in hospitality management.”

Staff from the college and management from McKibbon Hospitality will host an event Wednesday afternoon, from 4:30-6 p.m., to sign the agreement. The event will be held at the Hyatt House Tampa Airport and feature speeches from both parties.

“Career development and on-the-job training have always been central to our company culture, helping our associates grow within McKibbon and in their careers, and we look forward to continuing that commitment with USF and their students,” said John McKibbon, chairman of McKibbon Hospitality. 

“We look forward to the new perspectives and fresh ideas that students will share with our hotel leadership teams, strengthening not only our operations but the industry as a whole.”

McKibbon Hospitality oversees nearly 100 hotels ranging from Mariott, Hilton, Hyatt and IHG. The company also operates hotels in the Tampa Bay area including Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Lakeland.

The announcement of the partnership comes as the university plans to expand the hospitality management major to the Tampa and St. Pete campuses in 2022. The degree is currently only offered at the Sarasota-Manatee campus, which received professional and academic accreditation from the Accreditation Commission of Programs in Hospitality Administration in July 2020.