Newark, DE - A pilot of Project DU³D²E took place at the Marriott Center for Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Delaware, Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management using video conferencing.  Faculty from the University of Delaware and the University of Denver taught I.T. classes sharing faculty resources.

Dr. Dan Connolly of the Daniels School at the University of Denver delivered his lecture from Denver to graduate students in Hospitality Information Management at the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware.

In the future, the University of Delaware could collaborate with the University of Denver and UNLV to share courses via distance learning.  This will be done synchronously using the latest videoconference technology and/or asynchronously, by capturing courses to the web, known as Project DU³D²E.  (Denver University, the University of Delaware and UNLV Distance Education).  In time, other universities will be brought into this innovative Technology Teaching Consortium in Hospitality Information Management.  Initial discussion has begun with HFTP to potentially provide some support for Project DU3D2E.

�There is a shortage of qualified hospitality IT faculty across the U.S.  Therefore, it is important that academic institutions collaborate in developing solid programs.  The University of Delaware, Denver University, and UNLV are interested in piloting the IT educational consortium idea,� according to Dr. Fred J. DeMicco, Professor and ARAMARK Chair of the University of Delaware.

�The use of collaborative and communicative technologies like video conferencing and the Internet allow us to give our students access to a greater number of resources, expertise, and perspectives while leveraging the capabilities and resources of our two universities.  We strive to teach our students how hospitality businesses conduct their business globally by using some of the very same technologies and practices they use.  Our goal is to push the technology envelope with an eye towards the future while providing relevance and properly preparing our students for the environments in which they will soon enter�with emphasis on relevance, application, and etiquette, " added Dr. Dan Connolly.

Faculty are beginning to explore ways the three universities can work together on this vision of distance learning.  Planning will take place in the fall semester 2003.  Each university could develop one pilot class seminar to share (in spring of 2004) with each other institution.  Planning will include, class scheduling, testing the medium of transmission, determining the course content, and finalizing the technology for handling questions and answers by students.

�It was very exciting to have Dr. Dan Connolly in our class all the way from Denver without any travel, time and financial resources involved. Students in class loved the experience and they interacted with him as if Dr. Connolly was in the classroom with them physically. I do believe that videoconferencing has and will have its uses in the business environment and we, hospitality educators, need to not only look into it, but also use it to be able to experience it first hand and then teach the business value that it can bring to the hospitality industry,� commented Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu, Assistant Professor of Hospitality Information Management at Delaware.

Justin Cetron, a student at the University of Delaware, said, "I feel that the technology and ideas demonstrated in the direct video conference, as well as the ability to use this technology as an incredible teaching tool, all point to technology, if used correctly and not as a crutch, leading the way in further teaching applications for both students, teachers, and in businesses."