ABSTRACT
One of the unique characteristics of hospitality management education is its professional orientation. Like business schools (of which many hospitality programs are a part) , hospitality programs tend to stress practical skill development. For this reason, hospital ity programs develop and capitalize upon associations with profes sionals in the hospitality industry as a means of enhancing student learning and their educational programs in general. One example of such an arrangement is the development of student internships. In ternships have now become a vital part of the total student learning experience. A second method of developing and maintaining indus try connections is through involvement with various industry associ ations. Association involvement is important for both faculty and students in hospitality management programs. A third means of de veloping more significant ties to industry is through the use of advisory councils. This chapter explores all of these dimensions of typical hospitality management programs-all of which tend to set them apart from mainstream academic disciplines and even other professional fields. Experiential learning (internships) , professional organizations available for the hospitality educator, and advisory councils are all discussed, and recommendations are made for max imizing the effectiveness of each.
