RHM 175: Introduction to Hospitality Management

Fall and Spring

Course Description: Introduction to the theory, functions, and principles of management in the restaurant, food service, and lodging industry. Examination of basic operational systems and problems related to the industry.

Objectives:

Define “service” and summarize how service businesses differ from manufacturing businesses.
Summarize reasons people travel and describe travel trends and types of travel research.
Describe various operational roles relative to the provision of hospitality goods and/or services: to include food service management, lodging management, and other related services.
Apply effective human resource management skills in hiring, training, and developing the personnel within hospitality operations.
Identify the role of marketing in goods and services within the hospitality industry.

Course Grade Basis:

60% - Tests: Students will have three tests throughout the semester & a final exam. The final exam will be comprehensive. Mrs. Blakey will document the best 3 out of 4 test grades. This includes the final exam. Meaning, if you are satisfied with your three test scores at the end of the semester, you will not be penalized for not taking the final exam

5% - Syllabus Quiz

5% - Chapter 3 Worksheet

10% - Secret Shopper Paper: The purpose of the assignment is to evaluate a full service restaurant as a secret shopper using the information learned and discussed in this class.

5% - Shila Bowron Lecture: Students must attend one of the two leadership lecture on a predetermined date. To accommodate students attending, we have cancelled classes for the day. You must sign-up and dress in business casual to receive credit.

5% - Current Event: Students are required to find a current news article regarding the hospitality industry. The article/event must be from one of the subject areas that we discussed in class (ex: dining, hotels, cruises, sports hospitality, etc.), and must be within the past 60 days. Students will give a two (2) minute presentation on the article, and turn the article into Mrs. Blakey.

10% - Attendance: Attendance is recorded (at random and unannounced) 10 times. Mrs. Blakey will only count 8 out of 10 attended days towards your final grade. You can miss two classes, when attendance is counted, without penalty. These absences can be excused or unexcused. More than two, for any reason at all, will impact your attendance grade negatively.

Student Comments:

“She provided real life aspects of the industry that one can use later on.”

“The course was very helpful giving insight into the field of hospitality and has inspired me to pursue it as a major.”

“Mrs. Carla Blakey is not only a great professor but is a great counselor, she goes above and beyond for her students in and outside of the classroom and I've found that to be very helpful this year”

“The activities we conducted and the videos we watched really helped put everything in perspective.”