The Hotel School InterContinental is a partnership venture between Southern Cross University and InterContinental Sydney. There was standing room only at St Andrews, the oldest Cathedral in Australia, where Graduation is held. The congregation of over 600 stood to receive the procession of SCU and Hotel School academics, led by SCU Chancellor Hon. Justice John Dowd AO and Vice-Chancellor Professor John Rickard.

The Hotel School InterContinental has experienced exponential growth since its foundation 14 years ago and now has a student enrolment of over 350. At the ceremony 88 graduands were presented with Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management degrees and 128 with Diploma of Hotel Management or Certificate qualifications. 

In her address Ms. Nori stressed the importance of the tourism industry, which earns $22billion and accounts for one-tenth of employment in NSW. Despite the challenges faced over the past several years, the industry will not only survive but thrive, she said because the world is now truly global and Australia is perceived as a safe and desirable destination offering a high degree of industry professionalism. Ms. Nori said Sydney was recently named the best foreign city in the world by Conde Naste Traveller and its friendliness gave it the edge. She charged The Hotel School InterContinental graduates with responsibility for maintaining and enhancing Australia�s reputation and position in world tourism. 

It was very apt that Ms. Nori is also the NSW Minister for Women because all the prize winners on the night were women: Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management Degree Dux Katrina Boulous; Diploma of Hotel Management Student of the Year Denise Robinson-Rennie, Certificate in Hotel Management (Front Office) Student of the Year Emily Harrison, Certificate in Hotel Management (Food & Beverage) Student of the Year Anita Manning and Student Chef of the Year Danika Heslop.
 

�At The Hotel School Intercontinental 2003 Graduation presided over by Southern Cross University Chancellor, The Hon. Justice John Dowd  and The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Sandra Nori - who is also Minister for Women � all the prize winners were, aptly, women!�

Each of the prize-winners was awarded $500. In addition, the Diploma student of the year received the use of a laptop computer for this, her final year - hers to keep should she also be Dux of this, her final (Bachelor) year. The 2002 Bachelor degree Dux received a luxury holiday for two including airfares and spending money.

In his address Director of The Hotel School InterContinental, Peter Lewis said that increasing demand for places at The Hotel School means it now has the highest market share of domestic students of any private hotel management college in Australia. 

Chancellor of Southern Cross University, Hon Justice John Dowd said in his address how proud the university was of its School of Tourism & Hospitality Management and how exceptionally proud of what The Hotel School InterContinental is doing to develop the hospitality industry. 

Hotel School InterContinental qualifications are internationally-recognised and totally industry-based, leading to employment in hospitality at all levels. The Hotel School won the 2001 NSW Tourism Award for Industry Training, Private Sector and the Award of the Decade for the same category. Southern Cross University has won the NSW Tourism Award for Excellence in Industry Education for four years and the 1999 National Australian Tourism Award for Industry Education.

The Hotel School, located in a heritage building adjacent to Intercontinental Sydney in Macquarie Street, Sydney, has successfully positioned itself over the past 14 years as Australia�s benchmark hospitality training institution.