LETTERS

Congratulations on a very well-done piece on higher education for planners ("Educational Catch-22," June 16). I'm pleased to see this subject covered. Not much has been written in the industry over the years with regard to academia.

I joined Virginia Tech in 1989 after almost 30 years in hospitality. At that time the department wanted me to create and introduce two new courses: Hospitality Sales and Meetings & Conventions Management. I do not have any graduate degrees, just a B.S. from Michigan State University, but I am still teaching those two courses, which have been very popular.

I always have felt that universities should put experienced meetings managers to work teaching such courses. However, as your article pointed out, most universities seem to want only those who have earned Ph.D.s. Do you think there may be an element of self-preservation hidden there somewhere?



Howard Feiertag

Continuing Education Center

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Blacksburg, Va.



Department chairs and deans hide behind the accepted concept of academic freedom in being able to select their staff, but they don't have the courage of their convictions in selecting the best people to teach full time. Universities want to boast of the number of professors and instructors with doctorates and research being done; however, those who do research — what a doctorate prepares them to do — are not necessarily interested in teaching or have the necessary industry experience to be the best teachers.

The easy answer for educational institutions is to have adjuncts, but the best way is to also have industry professionals who teach full-time. Would the chairman of an English department turn down a Pulitzer-winning author? Would the chairman of a political science department turn down a leading U.S. senator? Yet hospitality programs routinely dismiss applications for full-time positions from successful and recognized meeting planners and suppliers.

Some university officials who earned their doctorates may feel they paid their dues and consider their degrees as a union card in preventing other well-qualified people from getting full-time positions. These same so-called educators will hire experienced people without doctorates as adjuncts, but refuse to hire them as full-time staff who can enrich their programs and provide added value to the learning experiences of their students.



Harvey Paul Davidson, CHME, CMP

Chairman

Ad Hoc Committee

Westfield, N.J.



Your article, "Educational Catch-22," was very interesting to me, being a frustrated academic who does have a Ph.D. When one of your sources mentioned salaries between $65,000 and $120,000, I thought, "How do I get one of those jobs?" I have a doctorate in adult education from Ohio State University and my current job title is director of education and advocacy, but really I am a meeting planner supervising two other staff members for $50,000 per year.

Adult education as a field of academic study seems to be on the decline, as many graduate programs have been cut back, eliminated or morphed into other programs such as training and development. However, I do find that my training in adult education has been highly relevant to my work as a conference planner, and I think many others might find that to be true for them as well, given that almost every meeting has some educational purpose.



Jeffrey Leptak-Moreau

Director of Education and Advocacy

Educational Theatre Association

Cincinnati



As a young person in the industry, I felt that your article, "Educational Catch-22," spoke to me, convincing me to go back to school for my master's or doctoral degree sooner rather than later. Through education and more programs being offered in our field, we will get more recognition.



Sekeno Aldred

Senior Meeting Planner

Center for Effective Public Policy

Silver Spring, Md.

I'm a full-time meeting professional and an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University. I inherited a class from a full-time recreation instructor who had advanced degrees in education but not a clue about the meetings industry. Her materials and syllabus needed serious revisions.

Currently, I'm working on a textbook and course outline that would help academics (non-meeting professionals) teach meeting planning.



Loretta Lowe, CMP

San Francisco, Calif.



Re the "Educational Catch-22" article: Congratulations on achieving what should be every journalist's goal — you got me thinking.

I'm a 20-year veteran conference director (Macworld Expo and COMDEX), recently laid off and just moved back to New York from Massachusetts. I honestly hadn't thought about teaching what I've paid such a price to learn.



Peggy Kilburn

President

Peggy Kilburn Conferences

Valley Stream, N.Y.



I am a corporate planner, an independent planner and a doctoral student. Your article not only solidified my resolve to continue my doctorate in business administration at Nova Southeastern University, it also gave me some critical ideas and names to aid in my progress.



Cheryl Lawson

Marketing Manager & CEO

The Perfect Date Inc.

Riverside, Calif.



I have to thank Arlene Sheff for writing the article on pet peeves in the Meeting Planners' Handbook 2003 (June 16). The list of planner pet peeves really should make hotel sales officials stop and think. I highlighted some of the passages for my sales managers to read because I know we are all guilty of contributing to the items on the list.

And, reading the hotelier pet peeves was almost therapeutic for me. Some of it reminds me of the feeling one gets when stuck behind a car doing 30 in the fast lane (and in Palm Springs, that happens to me every day!). Thanks for compiling all of our frustrations. It made for some great reading.



Richard Leson

Director of Sales

Palm Springs Riviera Resort

Palm Springs, Calif.