Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
2007 Annual International CHRIE Conference & Exposition 
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upon graduation and advancement into those highly sought after management positions. Internships provide 
students with the industry-desired CEC credentials, ultimately benefiting both students and industry for today and in 
the future.
The exit competencies identified in this study support and coincide with prior propositions and research 
(Petrillose and Montgomery, 1997/1998; Breiter et al., 1995; LeBruto and Murray, 1994). For instance, Dr. Coco 
(2000) from the College of Business Administration at Abilene Christian University, educator of the year for the 
state of Texas in 1996, states that internship programs “foster an awareness of the constant need for adaptability and 
creativity in a changing world,” a competency listed among our internship exit competencies (p. 42). Scholars 
report that students gain important lodging expertise and supervisory/management capabilities through internship 
programs (Petrillose and Montgomery, 1997/1998) and can reinforce knowledge learned in the classroom (Breiter et 
al., 1995).