CFS-171 -- Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry
Fall 2009


Instructor: Richard F. Patterson, Ed.D., R.D.
Office: Academic Complex, 209C
E-Mail: rich.patterson@wku.edu
Homepage: http://www.wku.edu/~hrtm
Office Phone: 270-745-4031 -- Department Secretary: 270-745-4352

Office Hours

Monday 12:30 - 3:30, Tuesday 9:00 - 1:00, Thursday 2:00 - 4:00, and Friday 12:30 - 1:30. It is best to make an appointment to assure I will be in the office since office hours are sometimes interrupted by meetings, other appointments etc. I will be available before and after class to make appointments or you can call my office or send an e-mail message. If these hours are not convenient, contact me so we can find a mutually agreeable time.

Course Description

Study of the evolution of the hospitality industry and how it is currently stratified. Organizational systems, management and career opportunities/salaries will be examined. Hospitality service management is viewed from both a consumer and business perspective. (3 credit hours)

Prerequisites

None

Required Text

Barrows, Clayton and Powers, Tom. Introduction to the Hospitality Industry, Seventh Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc, New York, 2009. (ISBN: 978-0-471-78276-6)

Course Objectives

Terminal Performance Objective: The student will be able to describe the various segments of the hospitality industry and discuss issues currently confronting each segment.

  1. Discuss consumer needs in the hospitality/tourism industry and the services required to fulfill these needs.

  2. Analyze the various components of the hotel, restaurant and tourism industries and describe how they interrelate.

  3. Discuss the issues and trends facing the hotel, restaurant, and tourism industries today.

  4. Describe the operational and management structure for various types of hospitality/tourism facilities.

  5. Discuss basic management concepts and provide an opportunity for students to formulate a managerial frame of reference.

  6. Discuss career paths and professional challenges characteristic of the hospitality/tourism industry.

  7. Describe the interrelationship of travel, tourism and the hospitality industry.

  8. Discuss the concept of service management and its impact from both a consumer and business perspective.

  9. Identify current events that will have an impact on the hospitality/tourism industry.

Method of Instruction

  1. Class discussion
  2. Guest speakers
  3. Student Projects
  4. Case Studies
  5. Instructor presentations

Course Requirements

  1. Each student will read the chapters assigned in the textbook and any outside reading according to instructions given in class. Additionally, each student will complete all homework and assignments as indicated in this syllabus and as assigned in class.

  2. This class will be "web assisted" which means that some assignments, homework and grades will be posted on BlackBoard -- a website dedicated to this class (http://ecourses.wku.edu/). Students are required to check the BlackBoard website each week to determine the assignments and homework for the week.

  3. Homework will be posted on the BlackBoard website as announced in class. The due dates and other details regarding the homework will be posted on the course website and/or announced in class. To view and submit your homework, first click on the "Course Documents" button. Next click on the week you for which you are going to submit your homework. This will display the links for homework, news and any other assignments. You will see a different link for the homework -- it will have this icon next to it -- assignment icon You will see a bolded link which will say "Homework for Week 7" or whatever week number you are working on. If you click on that link, you will see the homework for the week. Under that link is a non-bolded link that says ">> View/Complete Assignment: Homework for Week 7". Click on that link and you will see a "Comments" box -- this is where you will type in the answers to your homework (please do not attach files unless you get an error message that you ran out of room in the comments box). From here you have two options -- "Save" or "Submit". If you click "Save", this allows you to edit and add to the homework at a later date. However, if you just save it, the homework is not available for me to grade. If you click "Submit', you cannot edit or add to the homework it is sent to me for grading. You must "Submit" your homework before midnight on the due date or it will be considered late -- saving your homework is NOT the same as submitting it.

  4. All students are required to complete a project that entails shadowing a manager in the hospitality industry for a minimum of 4-8 hours. The student will then write a three to four page report on what he/she observed. See "Semester Project Guidelines" below for more complete information. The shadow project is to be emailed as an attached file to my WKU email address (at the top of the syllabus) no later than midnight on Monday, November 23, 2009. This is the latest it can be submitted -- it can be submitted at any time throughout the semester. Papers submitted after the due date and time will be considered late and will lose points for every day or part of a day it is late according to the schedule below. Note: Computer/technology and last minute personal problems are not considered a valid excuse for late papers.

  5. Each student must work a minimum of eight (8) hours for ARAMARK catering sometime during the semester [with pay] . The instructor will provide dates and more details in class.

  6. Late assignments to include homework, papers, exams etc. will automatically lose points for every day or part of a day they are late according to the following schedule: 1 day late -- 10 points off grade; 2 days late -- 30 points off grade; 3 days late -- 70 points off grade. After three days, assignments that have not been submitted will receive a grade of "zero".

  7. Students are expected to attend all classes except in very extenuating circumstances as indicated under "Attendance Policy" below. Students are also expected to actively participate in class as described in "Class Participation" below. Experiences in the classroom are an important part of the overall learning that takes place in this course and cannot be duplicated so it is essential that students attend all classes.

  8. The use of electronic devices to include, but not limited to, cell phones, iPods, PDA's, portable computers, etc., except in emergency situations, is not permitted in the classroom. All electronic devices should be turned off before entering the classroom. Students who disregard this policy will lose points off their professionalism score.

  9. Students are required to check their WKU email account at least once per day as part of the requirements for this course since instructions, clarifications and other guidance are often provided via email. If your primary email address is not your WKU email address, you might consider configuring your WKU email account to forward all messages from that account to your primary account (the one you check at least once per day). If you need assistance, contact the instructor.

    All course-related e-mail must include a “Subject:” line that contains the following information: CFS-171 / student’s first initial and last name / and topic of the e-mail (Example: CFS-171 / JSmith / homework question). E-mails with no ‘Subject’ will be automatically returned unanswered. Properly-formatted e-mail messages are usually answered within 24 hours – often much sooner.

  10. All email messages sent to the instructor MUST have a subject on the email message. Email messages with no subject line will be returned to the sender. Also, if you use an email account other than WKU's email account and your name is not in the email address, you must include your name in the email message so I know from whom the email message came.

  11. All course requirements must be completed -- they are not optional. Students who do not complete all requirements will not receive a grade until all work is satisfactorily completed. Please note that an incomplete automatically becomes an "F" after a certain period of time. If you receive an incomplete, consult the university bulletin or the office of the registrar for more information on how and when to clear an incomplete. Note: Assignments turned in late will lose points for every day or part of a day the assignment is late according to the schedule outlined in paragraph 5 above.

Class Participation, Professionalism and Attention to Detail

  1. This course requires that you participate in class discussions. This means that you contribute to class discussions by relating your experiences, asking questions, and making comments appropriate to the topics being discussed. Students will be assigned readings in the textbook which will be discussed during a given class period. In order for the discussions to be meaningful, each student must come to class fully prepared to discuss the assigned reading and to make meaningful comments. Since participation plays a role in your final grade, it is essential that you have not only read the assignment, but have drawn conclusions of your own from the reading. You will present those conclusions during class discussions.

  2. Your class participation grade is tied to your attendance since you can't participate in class discussions if you are not in class. Class discussions and in-class exercises can't be duplicated so if you are not in class, you miss out on the experience. The following in-class experiences will be graded and you will receive a zero for the day if you miss class that day. There will be no make-up opportunities for these experiences: Any in-class exercises, videos, quizzes, guest speakers, role plays, simulations, and class discussions.

  3. Please note that merely showing up for class is not sufficient for this class. Unless you make a conscientious effort to attend every class and actively participate in discussions, you will receive few, if any, class participation points.

  4. All students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner. Unprofessional behavior such as, but not limited to, repeated disruption of class (including habitually walking in after class has started), sleeping in class, doing other course work in class, reading a newspaper in class, a ringing cell phone, frequent side conversations with other students, the use of any electronic devices without permission to do so, and/or rudeness toward any person will be considered a serious violation of this standard and will lower your grade accordingly. Please be sure to turn off your cell phone before the start of class.

  5. Attention to detail entails being prepared for class. This would include, but is not limited to; having a Scantron, pencil, calculator for exams; remembering dates for class presentation; reading and following the course syllabus, etc. The hospitality industry is a very detail oriented industry, so it begins here.


Attendance Policy

  1. Attendance in all classes is required. There are no exceptions to this policy except in very extenuating circumstances (sickness of such severity that it prevents the student from attending classes, serious illness or death in the family). Please note that if you schedule a doctor's or dentist's appointment during class hours, this is NOT an excused absence. Athletes and students who accompany athletic teams (for official purposes) will also be excused for documented games/matches/tournaments etc. which are scheduled out of Bowling Green. It is incumbent on the student to provide acceptable documentation to substantiate all absences or the absence will be considered unexcused. Acceptable documentation for excused absences must be provided no later than one week following the student's return to school. Documentation submitted after this time will not be considered. It is incumbent on the student to provide the documentation, the instructor will not ask for it. Please note that the documentation must state that the student was unable to attend class during specific dates.

  2. Roll will be called in the very beginning of each class. If you arrive after roll has been called, it is incumbent on you, the student, to indicate at the end of class that you were late but present for class. Do not assume that the instructor saw you come in and marked you present. Statements such as "I was late for class last Monday but forgot to tell you" will not change the absence. See the paragraph on professionalism for additional information on frequent tardiness.

  3. For the attendance portion of your grade, you will receive a total of two points for each class you attend during the Scant ron semester. For each unexcused absence, you will not receive any points and for each time you are late or leave class early, you will only receive one point. Your "attendance grade" will be a percentage determined by dividing the number of points you accumulated during the semester by the number of possible points.

Exams

  1. There will be four examinations. Each exam will cover the material discussed in class plus reading assignments. Anything that takes place in class to include discussions, videos, guest speakers etc. is testable. The exams will cover only the material since the previous exam and/or as indicated by the instructor. Students must provide a Scantron for all exams.

  2. Exams in this course are typically multiple choice, true/false, and/or short answer questions. However, there are two exams that have calculation questions. For exams that have calculation questions, the student must provide their own calculator for the exam. Cell phones may not be used as a calculator and students may not "share" a calculator.

  3. Students must be present for all exams. Students who miss exams for reasons other than those stated under the special circumstances provided under "Attendance Policy" above will automatically lose points off the make-up exam score for every day or part of a day the exam is not taken.

  4. Exam dates are as follows:*
    • Exam 1--September 23, 2009 -- Chapters 1, 2, 3
    • Exam 2--October 19, 2009 -- Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7
    • Exam 3--November 9, 2009 -- Chapters 8, 9, 10
    • Exam 4--Tuesday, December 15, 2009 (10:30 - 12:30) -- Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14
      *Exam dates are subject to, and often do, change.

Evaluation and Determining Course Grade



CFS-171 -- Semester Project Guidelines
Shadow a Manager in the Hospitality Industry


  1. Each student will make contact with a manager in the hospitality industry and shadow that individual for 4 - 8 hours. This will entail being with the manager for the entire period to determine the duties and responsibilities of that individual. (Note: The time spent with the manager needs to be continuous.) A 3 - 4 page report (not counting the title page or any attachments) will be written describing what was learned/observed during the shadowing time. See paragraph number 11 below for guidelines on how to format the paper.

  2. It is incumbent on the student to find a manager in the sector of the hospitality industry in which you are interested. You may use restaurants, hotels, hospitals, airline feeding, recreation, tourism etc. First make contact with a manager in the area of your choice. Explain to them the objectives of this project. Negotiate a time that is mutually convenient for both you and the manager. You want to find the time where you will see the most in terms of what the manager does. Remember, you need to be the one who is most flexible.

  3. When you do your shadow project, you are representing the Hospitality Management program at Western as well as yourself. As our representative, you must be professionally/appropriately dressed and demonstrate professional conduct at all times. Remember, the managers you are shadowing are potential future employers and they are evaluating you as well as our program.

  4. If you are already working in any segment of the hospitality industry, you may not choose a manager in your current place of work. For example, if you currently work or have a lot of experience in the hotel side of the industry, it is to your advantage to choose the restaurant side to do your project so you have the opportunity to learn more. Don't assume you will only like one side of the industry just because the majority of your experience is there. Once you commit to either hotel or restaurant and begin accumulating experience in that sector, it becomes increasingly more difficult and threatening to switch.

  5. You can also shadow a manager in a different sector of the same industry. For example, if your experience is in the quick service sector of the restaurant industry, you can choose a different sector such as a casual dinner house or fine dining manager to shadow. Whatever the case, you may not shadow a manager in the unit where you currently work.

  6. The objectives of this project are:

    1. To determine the roles and responsibilities of a general manager in the hospitality industry.
    2. To determine if the hospitality industry is the professional area for you.
    3. To determine if a given sector of the hospitality (either food and beverage or hotel/motels) is for you.
    4. To see what it takes to be a manager in the hospitality industry and to evaluate if you have what it takes.

  7. When you are spending time with the manager, keep in mind that he/she is also forming an impression of you. You may want to parlay this contact into a practicum/internship/job later on. Think about questions to ask before you go so you are prepared. Look sharp -- be sharp!

  8. Some areas to address in your report include (but are not limited to) the following. Address only the areas that apply to your situation. For example, "number of covers" applies to restaurants and "rooms occupied" applies to lodging operations.

      For approximately the first half page, you need to describe the operation where you are shadowing. This would include (as appropriate) some of the following information:

    1. Description of the location and local trading area -- who is their competition
    2. For restaurants/food service operations: The number of seats, average number of covers served per day/meal, approximate dollar volume per week/month, food cost percentage, beverage cost percentage, labor cost percentage, number of employees, number of managers -- as available to the student.
    3. For lodging operations: The average number of rooms occupied per day/week/month, RevPar, ADR, number of rooms cleaned per housekeeper, number of guests per occupied room, approximate dollar volume per week/month -- as available to the student.

      For the financial aspects, some managers may not want to share this information for proprietary reasons. Tell them that you don't need exact figures but approximate figures. If they are still reluctant to provide this information, ask them what they would consider good performance figures for an operation their size and/or what their target goals are.

    4. What are the typical problems they face in any given day
    5. What are the most critical problems they have to deal with on an ongoing basis
    6. Where do they have management jobs/opportunities in their organization
    7. What is their opinion of the restaurant/hotel/tourism industry as a place for employment and why
    8. What is their opinion of the future of the industry
    9. What are their typical daily responsibilities
    10. How many people do they supervise
    11. How many hours per week do they work
    12. What methods do they use to control costs
    13. Observe and evaluate the traffic flow throughout the organization -- comment as appropriate
    14. What do they like best about their job and why
    15. What do they like least about their job and why
    16. What personal characteristics and competencies should an individual have in order to make it in the hospitality industry

    Be sure to think about what you would want to know and learn before you shadow the manager. Have your questions ready and write down the answers so you don't forget them.

  9. When you write your paper, keep in mind that this project is intended to give you an in-depth look at what a manager in the hospitality industry does in a day. Be sure to capture this information in your paper. Also, do not use a question and answer format when writing your paper. This paper is an essay paper and should not be written as if you are talking to the instructor. Avoid using the words "I" and "you" in the paper.

  10. On a separate page at the end of your paper, list the complete name of the manager you shadowed, his/her title, name of the business where the manager works, business address, and the business telephone number where the manager can be reached. If this information is not included with the paper and I have to ask for it, you will lose five point from your grade.

  11. Paper Format Checklist

    • The paper should be typed in either Word or Word Perfect. If you use another word processor such as Works, you must save your document as a Word file. [Go to the following web address to learn how to do this if you don't already know -- http://www.wku.edu/~hrtm/works.htm.] I cannot read Works files so please don't send a file in Works format. You will then ATTACH the file to an email message and send it to the instructor. Do not "copy and paste" the paper into an email message -- it must be attached as a complete file. The subject of the email message must be: CFS-171 -- Semester Project. If you do not know how to attach a file or how to save a Works file in Word format, contact the instructor for assistance.

    • The paper is to be typewritten double-spaced with 1" margins on each side (top, bottom, left and right). Note: if you use Word 2003, the default margins are set for 1.25 inches so they must be adjusted. To adjust the margins, never, ever use the little sliders at the top of the editing page. Click on the word "File" at the top left of the screen, then "Page Setup" and then fix the margins there.

    • You must use the Arial type-face only -- no other font-faces are acceptable. Also, the font size must be 11 points -- no bigger or smaller. Note: Word typically defaults to Times New Roman, 12 points -- you must change the defaults for this paper.
    • Your paper must include a cover page with a title for your project, your name and date. This is the first page in the file -- do not put the cover page as the last page or as a separate file -- everything must be in one file.
    • Papers should be written using good grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling since English usage will count 25% of the grade on the paper. 75% of the grade will focus on how much you learned from your observations.

    • Short papers will detract from the content grade so be sure you have at least three FULL pages with the correct margins and font size. For example, a paper that is only two and a half pages instead of three, starts at a grade of 83 instead of 100.

    • Your paper must include a cover page with a title for your project (the cover page is the first page in the file -- not the last), name of organization where you shadowed the manager, your name and date. DO NOT type any "cover page" information such as your name, title of the paper, etc. on the first page of the paper. The typed paper begins on the first line of the page after the cover page.

    • The name, title, place of work, address, and phone number of the manager you shadowed is included as a separate page at the end or the report. This page is considered an attachment and not counted as part of the paper. If this information is not included with the paper, the paper will not be graded until the information is received. Five points will be deducted from the paper's grade if this information is not included as part of the original file.

    • All papers must be sent to the course email address as an attached file. Do not type the paper in the email message itself -- it must be an attached file.

    • Please note, if I have to adjust the margins, font-face, font-size or any formatting problems with the paper, you will automatically lose five points off the grade -- you will start with a 95 instead of 100.


    • The project is due no later than midnight on Monday, November 23, 2009. Send the project to my WKU email address (rich.patterson@wku.edu) as an attached file. The subject of the email message must be: CFS-171 / Your Name / Semester Project.



The schedule and procedures in this course, as outlined in this syllabus, are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances and/or as deemed appropriate by the professor.


Date last Modified: July 27, 2009