Media Releases
Rosealee Lee Named 2008 Outstanding Instructor of the Year
May 27, 2008
Consummate facilitator and mentor educates vibrant network of hospitality professionals.
Rosealee Lee
Selected by a process of online student voting and faculty and staff committee deliberations, Rosealee M. Lee, a supervisory management and hospitality careers instructor, was named the Dakota County Technical College 2008 Outstanding Instructor of the Year.
Lee has served DCTC students for more than five years in adjunct and full-time faculty positions. She teaches at the college's Apple Valley site and is slated to head the Meeting and Event Management Careers department, which includes the Meeting and Event Management and Tourism and Travel programs.
Lee points to partnerships with industry employers and professional associations as the reason for the continued growth in hospitality careers.
"We are thrilled to be educating our students for employment," she said. "Hospitality is a dynamic business and maintaining responsive communication with employers is important to the success of our students."
With more than 30 years of industry experience, Lee brings a business-smart, energetic, compassionate and student-centered philosophy of education to her classroom. She believes strongly that her curriculum should be applied to the goals of her students through real-world applications.
"First and foremost, I am not a teacher," she said. "I am instead a facilitator of learning. I believe that students should be approached on a level where they are ready to explore and learn. That often means pushing my students beyond what seems comfortable while boosting their confidence through consistent and sensitive coaching."
Lee went on to say that her classroom is a "safe zone" that allows her students to stumble constructively. "Successful failure is anticipated and even applauded," she said, "since from successful failure comes success. I believe that the outside business world should not be the first place a student employs a section of the curriculum. That should be done in the safety of the classroom."
"Relationship is at the core of everything we do. Forming relationships with my students allows me to motivate them personally and professionally, which means that their capacity to learn is hugely increased."
Lee's philosophy maximizes student participation through presentations, practice and problem solving. Her proven educational techniques include role-playing, debate and interactive discussion, creative play, competitive games, effective review, student teaching and simulation of genuine industry situations.
"Building relationships with my students based on trust and commitment is the most important aspect of my job as an instructor," Lee said. "Relationship is at the core of everything we do. Forming relationships with my students allows me to motivate them personally and professionally, which means that their capacity to learn is hugely increased. Relationship and learning are a symbiotic combination."
Lee also sees mentoring as a crucial piece of the educational process. "As a mentor, I need to be available and present when my students need me," she related. "The term 'present' in this instance is more than just my physical presence, but refers to my role as a life coach who is truly involved in the success of my students. I help them envision their journey by listening—really listening—to their thoughts and concerns before offering ideas for consideration. I continue to mentor many of my students long after they have graduated from the program."
Lee serves as chair of the Minnesota Meeting Professionals International Student Task Force and as a member of the MN MPI Membership Committee. She is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives, the Professional Convention Management Association, the Meeting Professionals International, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, the Minnesota Society of Association Executives and the American Society of Travel Agents.
When not in the classroom, she enjoys reading, sewing and playing bridge—often in Arizona where she spends much of her free time.
The Meeting and Event Management program prepares students to enter a truly exciting industry. Individuals already employed as meeting planners or in tourism, hotel, and convention service positions will expand their career opportunities with the program's comprehensive curriculum.
The program serves as the missing ingredient for individuals who want to offer premier services and guest satisfaction to many different types of customers in a variety of industry businesses:
- convention and visitor bureaus
- travel agencies
- meeting, conference and event management businesses
- marketing and public relations firms
- for-profit and nonprofit corporations
- golf and country clubs
- zoos
- resorts
- guest-centered attractions offering food, lodging or meeting spaces
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for meeting and convention planners is expected to grow 20 percent through 2016, which is faster than the national average. Job openings will result from employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the workforce or transfer to other occupations.
Salary.com reports that a typical meeting/event planner working in the U.S. earns a median base salary of $51,205 a year.
In 2007, CNN/Money.com ranked event planner eighth on the Web site's list of "Top 20 Jobs" for "people who want more money, more upside and more control over where they're going."
