Southeast will hold four of its nutrition and hospitality management courses at the Event Center located adjacent to Century Casino beginning this fall. The agreement will allow students the chance to use equipment and facilities unmatched in the region in a space that Century no longer uses. The facility was part of the Casino’s former buffet concept and will now serve students who previously used kitchen space on campus in Dearmont Hall.
 
Southeast President Carlos Vargas initiated the conversations with Century to identify areas where students could experience more real world training. These efforts resulted in this one-of-a-kind partnership between Southeast Missouri State University and Century Casino.
 
“Century Casino Cape Girardeau is proud to partner with Southeast Missouri State University to provide this high-quality space as part of a real-world classroom experience. The state-of-the-art equipment in this exceptional, well-designed location will create a unique learning environment that will differentiate Southeast from others in the region,” said Lyle Randolph, vice president of operations and general manager for Century Casino Cape Girardeau. “There is a significant need for appropriately trained and educated hospitality and culinary professionals, and this partnership provides a solid foundation for our community to be on the forefront of meeting those workforce needs.”

“We are excited to build on this relationship with the Century team to further benefit our students. We actively look for partners, so our students have robust learning opportunities,” said Vargas. “Learning in industry standard environments is one of the reasons Southeast is a leader in its academic programs preparing students to succeed in Tomorrow’s Careers Today.”