University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Shidler College of Business joins forces with School of Travel Industry Management

George Hall

Tourism is the biggest industry in Hawaiʻi, and the TIM School can be one of the best

The Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UH) announced today it is joining forces with the School of Travel Industry Management (TIM School). The change is effective September 1.

The TIM School will become part of Shidler College and will operate under a “school-within-a-college” model. This allows the TIM School to retain its separate identity from Shidler College and maintain its focus on tourism, Hawaiʻi’s largest industry.

“Workforce development is a major issue of concern in Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry and industry leaders have emphasized to us that there are many career opportunities for well-educated professionals, but it is critical for their employees to have strong business foundations,” said V. Vance Roley, dean of Shidler College. “We believe offering the best of the Shidler College and the TIM School will prepare students for successful careers after graduation. Also, this will provide our state with a qualified workforce that will help ensure the current and future success of Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry.”

A search will begin soon for a full-time executive leader, who will be the Director of the TIM School and Associate Dean for Hospitality, Tourism, and Transportation in Shidler College of Business.

Shidler College’s initial investment in the TIM School will include financial support, management oversight and opportunities for students to gain real-world experience beyond Hawaiʻi. With more than $1 billion in hotel holdings across the mainland, Jay Shidler, an alumnus of Shidler College and its largest donor, plans to develop internships for students. For all tenured and tenure-track TIM School faculty, Mr. Shidler has committed a $1.55 million gift to fund an initial two years of summer research support and will offer matching funds for six new faculty endowments in the TIM School. The college also has secured two Asia-Pacific based alumni gifts, which includes $500,000 for a distinguished professorship for the TIM Director/Associate Dean for Hospitality, Tourism, and Transportation (in Shidler College of Business), and a $250,000 faculty fellowship.

“Over the years, the TIM School faculty has done excellent work in research and new funding will elevate the visibility of that research, while helping our university better prepare our TIM students for the best opportunities in the tourism industry,” Roley said. The TIM School was part of the College of Business Administration (now Shidler College) from 1963 until 1992, operating successfully in a “school-within-a-college” model.

This model has been successful at top schools at the national and international levels. Cornell University’s hospitality school, ranked No. 1 in the country, recombined with two business programs in 2016. Since then, school administrators have reported great success in hiring new faculty due to the appeal of a larger school, improved career services and more course offerings for students. Cornell also received a large gift to rename the recombined college SC Johnson College of Business. The University of Queensland, which ranks No. 3 in the world for hospitality and tourism management, also merged its tourism and business schools.

“At its peak, the TIM School was among the top three programs in the world,” Michael Bruno, UH provost, said. “It was the first tourism management program in the Asia-Pacific region and has a strong, historic brand. Together, the UH administration and faculty of both programs are committed to, once again, making the TIM School a core partner of our local and global tourism industry. Since 1963, the TIM School has graduated more than 4,000 students and provided executive training and professional education programs to more than 3,000 participants. Its co-founder and longest-serving dean, the late Emeritus Dean Charles “Chuck” Gee, who led the school from 1976-1999, was a visionary leader who built an extraordinary local and global presence.

“Shidler College has strong relationships in Hawai‘i’s business community, including the hospitality and tourism industries,” Roley said. “We also have excellent relationships in the Asia-Pacific region. We are dedicated to building on Dean Gee’s legacy and strengthening the relationships that will position the TIM School for the future.”

There are no plans to move the TIM School from its current location. However, private funding will be raised to upgrade its facilities as part of a major fundraising plan by Shidler College. Since 2006, Mr. Shidler has donated $228 million in cash and real estate ground leases to Shidler College. His most recent gift of $117 million in October 2017 included the donation of land underlying 11 significant office buildings in the commercial business districts of nine mainland cities. At the end of the ground lease terms, Shidler College will ultimately have full ownership of the office buildings and land, which will be worth an estimated $5.1 billion. In total, Jay Shidler’s gift of land and commercial buildings will yield a minimum of $7.2 billion during the life of the current lease.