The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation is proud of our success with economic development and tribal government gaming. We are equally proud of the ways that we have been able to extend our business success into positive community relations in and around San Diego and the rest of the state of California. As major sponsors of institutions like Children’s Hospital, the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association and as contributors to dozens of local charities, our gaming and business revenues allow us to fulfill our larger mission of being both good neighbors and a strong government partner.
One of our recent partnerships is with San Diego State University (SDSU), where we endowed the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming at SDSU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism. Under the terms of the endowment, the Institute has created and introduced an academic curriculum leading to a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management with an emphasis in tribal gaming. The four courses required for the tribal gaming emphasis include casino operations, marketing, legal and regulatory issues and an introduction to Indian gaming’s social, political and cultural context. All four courses are now being offered by SDSU and we look forward to supporting the growth of the program and the success of its graduates. In particular, we are excited about the development of a professional class of hospitality experts who will enhance the Indian gaming industry in California and, we hope, across the United States.
In addition to the for-credit academic courses, the Sycuan Institute is also charged with building and maintaining an academic research component that solicits research proposals and makes grants to researchers in this relatively new field of study. The institute’s research arm supports scholarly research on Indian gaming’s social and economic impacts, assists scholars in producing research that is useful to tribal governments and tribal gaming operators, contributes to the literature on Indian gaming’s political and community effects, and strengthens the link between scholarly research and policy making that affects tribal governments and Indian gaming.
During its first year the Sycuan Institute funded six major research projects treating such diverse issues as responsible gaming, employee diversity and cultural revitalization through gaming. This year there are seven projects under way that will produce findings related to off-reservation gaming, traditional gambling among the Kumeyaay and language recovery, among others.
The Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming is a unique partnership that produces numerous benefits for the tribal governments in the region as well as for the university. For example, our partnership has the potential to improve business performance through strengthening tribal government gaming management resources and creating a pipeline for students to both work and study. The academic research component at the Institute can address regulation and other policy issues that would benefit from a research foundation and an objective analysis of the facts. The university provides faculty resources, expanded educational opportunities and visibility and community awareness for tribal government gaming in the region; our tribe, on the other hand, provides professional guidance on course development, access to executives as guest speakers and mentors, internship opportunities for students, industry information and data for research analysis and funding.
We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership between the tribe and the Sycuan Institute and encourage other tribal governments to consider the similar partnerships with universities or other institutions that can contribute to both an improved business environment and better gaming policy. By continuing to cultivate a professional workforce, develop and document “best practices,” build a meaningful and rigorous gaming literature and share successful gaming innovations, we can strengthen tribal government gaming in ways that continue to benefit our people, our employees, our patrons and our communities. For more information about the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming, please visit htm.sdsu.edu/sycuan.
