semrad, donohoe, thapa presentation

Educating the Next Generation of Tourism & Hospitality Managers: What

Core Competencies Will a Globalized Industry Require from Them?

Tourism & Hospitality Management Curriculum Committee

1.Examine the relevance of current undergraduate curriculum offerings

• Degree programs• Concentration areas• Courses (titles, descriptions, which classes to

phase out, which classes to add)• Core courses and list of electives

Goals of ProcessTourism & Hospitality Management


2.Consider new contingencies that were not present 5+ years ago when last review was completed

• No longer seeking NRPA accreditation• Addition of new tourism faculty• Dramatic decline in undergraduate

enrollment in RPT (loss of 100+ students in 2 years)



3.Determine how well the current curriculum is meeting the needs of:

• Students (current and alumni)• Industry• Current faculty



4.Recommend changes to the curriculum• Make degrees relevant for the present and

future



1.Review the existing curriculum in tourism & hospitality and recommend necessary changes2.Produce 3 different resource model degree plans

a. No more than 2 new coursesb. No more than 4 new coursesc. Dream curriculum

Tasks Assigned


3.Advance new course titles and short descriptions that may be used

Tasks Assigned


1.External Competition Analyses2.Exit Interview data reviewed and themed3.Student focus group conducted4.Curriculum draft presented to student organization (LEAPS)5.Curriculum draft presented to hospitality & event management students

Curriculum Development: Methods Used


6.Literature reviewed on competitive approaches to tourism & hospitality curriculum design7.Core competency matrix drafted based off of literature8.Industry focus group conducted 9.Core competency matrix finalized

• Compared with class assigned projects



10.Conducted an online scanning for instructor support materials and potential jobs11.Three curriculum lines were prepared (A, B, C)12.External academic reviewers examined curriculum lines for strengths/weaknesses



•International•National •State

•Housed in the college of business•Stand alone college•Practical experience

Step 1: Competition Analyses


1.Which of your required courses helped you the most?2.Which of your required courses helped you the least?3.Which courses disappointed you? Why?4.What do you feel were the strengths/weaknesses of your academic program?5.What are your recommendations for improvement to your program?

Step 2: Exit Interview Data Assessed General Questions


1.Courses that helped? Event management, hospitality management, resource management, internship, business perspective based2.Courses that did not help? Leisure and recreation courses3.Which courses disappointed you? Repetition between tourism and hospitality courses

Step 2: Exit Interview Data Assessed Themed Responses


4.What do you feel were the strengths/weaknesses of your academic program? Size of class, internship, field experience, UF brand, professors; repetitive info, lack of hands on experience, lack of class selection5.What are your recommendations for improvement to your program? More event/hospitality classes, separate recreation and events, separate hospitality management, review classes for relevance

Step 2: Exit Interview Data Assessed Themed Responses


1.Concentration?2.Career goal?3.Most useful RPT courses? Why?4.Least useful RPT courses? Why?5.Interest in business minor?

See handout for additional questions…

Step 3: Student Focus GroupGeneral Questions


1.Concentration? Hospitality & Event 2.Career goal? Most indicated events3.Most useful RPT courses? Same as the exit interview data; these courses gave relevant industry exposure4.Least useful RPT courses? Same as the exit interview data; repetitive, too easy, lack of relevance to industry/careers5.Interest in business minor? Yes (7:11)

Step 3: Student Focus GroupThemed Responses


1.Event Management Students (class)2.Hospitality Management Students (class)3.LEAPS (Student organization)

Majority indicated that they would be excited about the adoption of the new curriculum

Steps 4-5: Draft Curriculum Presented to Students


•Content vs Process based curriculum approach•Leadership skills•Communication skills•Managerial & marketing skills•Understanding the product, customers, employees, and profit •Problem solving skills•“Self skills” (e.g. motivation, task orientated)

Steps 6-7 & 9: Literature Review & Core Competency Matrix Drafted

Intellectual abilities Technical skills Industry knowledge Interpersonal skills Professional skills

1. (All) Critical

thinking skills 2. (All) Ability to

effectively communicate

3. (All) Strong writing skills

4. (T) Ability to actually apply knowledge learned

5. (All) Visioning & Goal setting

6. (All) Problem solving

7. (All) Ability to evaluate outcomes and decide “what next?”

8. (All) Ability to lead 9. (All) Ability to

direct 10. (H) Ability to

empower while maintaining control

11. (All) Ability to identify emerging problems

12. (H) Ability to ID

1. (H) Computer

data entry, general computer skills

2. (All) Office skills (e.g. excel/spreadsheet development, data organization, word)

3. (E) Graphic art skills

4. (H) Basic technical skills for position (e.g. front desk, F&B, sales, etc)

5. (H) Third party site management

6. (All) Social media 7. (T) Tech savvy,

presentation skills

1. (H) Basic

knowledge of the importance of each operating department

2. (H) Understand core hospitality expectations

3. (H) Rate management (pricing)

4. (H) Market analysis/Competitive analysis

5. (T,E) Marketing and promotion experience

6. (H) Sales forecasting

7. (H) Independent knowledge of area specialization (industry certifications help)

8. (H) Understand industry variations (e.g. different flags, different ownership structures, response

1. (All)

Communication to different audiences (customer, clients, vendors, group, team, employees)

2. (H,E) Sales communication, skills, negotiation skills

3. (All) Leadership 4. (H,E) Ability to

train others 5. (T) patience 6. (T) emotional

intelligence 7. (H) Ability to

deliver superior customer service

8. (H)Be a positive team member

9. (T, H) Foreign language

10. (All) Cultural awareness

1. (H) Daily crisis

management in operations

2. Ability to prioritize problems, tasks, responsibilities, customers

3. (All) Highly motivated 4. (H) Ability to work

with while directing others

5. (H) Ability to delegate key tasks

6. (All) Manage w/o bias (considering diversity)

7. (All) Ability to network 8. (H) Organizational

skills 9. (All) Ability to multi-

task 10. (All) Ability to work

under pressure 11. (All) Holistic

understanding of managerial processes

12. (All) Attention to details

13. (All) Understand the importance of deadlines

14. (H) understand that


1.What skill sets, abilities, and characteristics are expected of current employees? Recent graduates?2.Do recent graduates lack specific skills?3.What would better prepare graduates to be added value to firms?4.Emerging industry trends?

Step 8: Industry Expert Focus Group


1.Graduating students do not understand their market, their customers, and their people2.They do not understand basic revenue management principles3.They do not understand calculated risks4.Lack of understanding in marketing and promotional skills

Step 8: Industry Focus GroupSpecific skill sets lacking


1.Hospitality and events should be separate2.Lack of IT courses3.Lack of customer orientated courses (guest services)4.Need for case study courses

Step 8: Industry Focus GroupOpinions of “Dream Curriculum”


1.Social media knowledge2.Need to be multifaceted3.Need to understand how to manage diverse employee pools4.Understanding the niches in tourism (special interest markets)

Step 8: Industry Focus GroupTrends Emerging


1.Professional certifications2.Professional organizations3.Support text books4.Academic journals5.Potential jobs for students

Step 10: Support Materials and Potential Jobs

http://hhp.ufl.edu/trsm/acad/graduate/employment.php

Tourism & Hospitality Management: The Dream Curriculum

Cognate classes (see inventory list under each concentration)

Tourism & Hospitality Management: Core Courses (Business = 12, Core = 40)

• Introduction to Financial Accounting (4)• Business Finance (4)• Micro Economics (4)• Macro Economics (4)• Foundations of Tourism (2)• Introduction to Hospitality Industry (2)• Tourism & Hospitality Marketing (3)• Consumer Behavior: Tourism & Hospitality (3)• Revenue Resource Management (3)• Tourism & Hospitality Service Management *• Legal Aspects or Tourism & Hospitality Law (3)• Tourism & Hospitality Human Resource Management (3)• Tourism & Hospitality Management Research (3)• Field Experience in Tourism & Hospitality Management(3)• Internship in Tourism & Hospitality Management(15)

Gen ed reqs + business core = minor in business

Concentration 1: Tourism Destination Management (5 courses = 3 Required + 2 inventory courses)

1. Destination Planning &Development2. Destination Management & Marketing3. Destination Geography (tuck culture/diversity here)Inventory List:• Special Interest Tourism• Destination Crisis Management• Destination Brand Management• Special Topics (e.g. tourism in developing countries,

small island destination development, etc.)

Concentration 2: Hospitality Business Management (5 courses = 3 Required + 2 inventory courses)

1. Strategic Hospitality Management2. Lodging Management 3. Case Studies in Hospitality Management

(Seminar)Inventory List• Entrepreneurship in the Hospitality Industry • Food & Beverage Service Management• Hospitality Information Systems

Concentration 3: Convention & Event Management (5 courses = 3 Required + 2 inventory courses

1. Fundamentals of Convention & Event Management

2. Event Coordination & Production3. Convention Sales & ServicesInventory List:• Event Marketing & Promotions• Public Assembly Facility Management• Special Event Design

semrad, donohoe, thapa presentation

Documents

curriculum draft

curriculum development

hospitality event2

existing curriculum

resource management

current curriculum ismeeting

new courses

core courses