Sep. 26, 2003 - The University of Central Florida's new hospitality school gets a major boost today with a $100,000 donation from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.

Marriott International Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J.W. Marriott Jr., a foundation trustee, was to announce the gift today during a dedication ceremony for the Grande Lakes Orlando resort.

Gov. Jeb Bush was to attend the ceremony formally opening the complex, which includes a 1,000-room JW Marriott, a 584-room Ritz-Carlton, a 40,000-square-foot spa, and an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed golf course.

UCF's Rosen School of Hospitality Management will open its 159,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility on Universal Boulevard near International Drive in January.

The $28.1 million facility, with classrooms, labs, conference rooms and a library, will allow the Rosen School, now on UCF's main campus, to expand its offerings and enrollment.

The Marriott Foundation gift will establish the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Academic Excellence Fund. Earnings on the endowment will support scholarships, purchase supplies and library books, offer grants to faculty, and support an Academic-in-Residence program for faculty and an Executive-in-Residence program for industry professionals.

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