UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, RECREATION AND SPORT MANAGEMENT HFT 3253 Lodging Management and Operations Summer 2015 Section 13 HB (8.24.15) Spring 2015 INSTRUCTOR OFFICE HOURS CREDIT HOURS LECTURES Dr. Greg Dunn Office: 242C Florida Gym Tel: (352) 294 – 3064 E-mail: gdunn@ufl.edu (preferred) (please put your last name and LEI 3360 in the subject line of all emails to me) Mon 10:30 am – 12:00 pm Wed 10:30 am – 12:00 pm or by appointment 3 Credits FLG 245 Monday 3pm-350pm and Wednesday 3pm-455pm 1. Required Text and Electronic Website Access Account 1. Hayes, Ninemeier and Miller. Foundations of Lodging Management, 2nd edition, ISBN-10: 0132560895 • ISBN-13: 978013256089497801325608949780132571036 ©2012 • Prentice Hall 2. Hotel Business Management Training Simulation Software http://www.dogangursoy.com/hotelsimulator/ Each student must register with the above website for in class simulation exercises. 2. Course Description This course is designed to provide students with a managerial examination of a full service lodging firm including each major operating and support departments. This examination is approached from two different perspectives. The first perspective exposes the students to the unique characteristics of managing a service-based lodging product that is delivered by a diverse employee profile and received by an equally diverse consumer profile. The second perspective is designed to deliver an understanding of the business and financial operations of a lodging firm. Students will be expected to make room allocation, pricing, marketing, operational, financial and service quality decisions for a lodging firm in order to drive value creation. The students will engage in strategic lodging business planning through the application of an appropriate skill set to analyze internal and external market information and apply marketing research. 3. Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, students should be able to: Understand how proper operations management leads to firm profitability Develop lodging operations and managerial problem identification Develop problem prioritizing and strategic problem solving skills 1 Develop a skill set to understand and apply the cause and effect relationships between performance measures (effects), performance gaps, their causes and action steps for lodging management Enhance team building through class exercises Develop a management skill set to analyze business situations in the lodging industry Learn to make operational based decisions according to market demand and financial performance Develop quantitative skills for dealing with key issues in management of lodging operations Display analytical and critical thinking as well as creative management solutions in factors relevant to lodging operations and management 5. Course Format: Combined Live and Online Learning Environment Please be aware that while this course is primarily hosted live, there is considerable work to be conducted and submitted online. The use of the online learning platform can sometimes present significant challenges, particularly to students who are not ‘self-starters’ nor possess good time management skills. Unlike traditional classroom settings in which each student gets the same class at a set time and day, the online setting is available to you 24 hours a day and gives students the opportunity to tailor some of the classwork to their schedule. Please note, however, this course is not self-paced. There are select times during which units and course materials will be available to you. You can view module supplemental lectures and materials at any time during the dates in which the unit is open. However, quizzes and exams will only be made available to you on the listed date(s) and time(s). Given the blended nature of this course, you should regularly check your UF email and course canvas site for class updates and announcements. 6. Technical Difficulties Online access is your responsibility. If you experience trouble accessing the course or your GatorLink account, or any other relevant issues, please contact the UF Computing Help Desk. Please email me immediately if you have any questions or concerns with the content of the course. I will attempt to respond to your emails within 24 business hours during regular business hours (8am-5pm). Please remember to include the course prefix and number in your emails and all correspondence must be presented in a professional manner. Be sure to be in a place with a solid internet connection when conducting assignments or submitting materials. 7. Course Requirements Students must complete all major components as described in the course syllabus/schedule (examples: assignments, quizzes, project, etc.) in order to pass the course. a. SYLLABUS: Once you have reviewed the syllabus and watch the course overview video, be sure to review the module tabs posted on canvas. You should also read the Hotel Management Simulation Game Handbook thoroughly. b. ATTENDANCE: Attend and participate in class. Watch the course lectures online and complete assigned readings. Each course module will have associated lectures and readings 2 that should be viewed and/or completed. Monday classes are five points each and Wednesday classes are 10 points each. c. QUIZZES: There are six (13) quizzes associated with the textbook readings. Take the module quizzes and or perform the module assignments. These quizzes and assignments are to be completed once you have finished each module readings, study and or simulation game. They may cover material from lectures, readings and simulation exercises for each module. e. ASSIGNMENTS: There are fifteen (15) assignments associated course materials, lodging foundations and the hotel simulation game. f. HOTEL MANAGEMENT SIMULATION GAME: This course includes the application of a hotel management simulation game. There is one (1) final paper and one (1) final presentation covering the performance analysis of your hotel. Hotel Simulation Group Project PRELIMINARY PROJECT DESCRIPTION: http://www.dogangursoy.com/hotelsimulator/ The Hotel Business Management Training Simulation is a virtual management training game where participants are divided into teams and assigned the task of running 500-room hotels in a competitive virtual marketplace. Each 500-room hotel competes against other 500-room hotels located in the same destination that are managed by other class members. Just like in the real world, hotels compete against each other to attract customers from their target markets that will generate the most revenue and enable the management team to reach their monthly and annual financial and operational objectives. The Hotel Business Management Training Simulation utilizes both operational decisions made by the management team for their hotel and operational decisions made by competing hotels to determine demand and revenue for each hotel. Operational decisions includes, but not limited to, capital investment, operating expenditures, marketing expenditures and pricing strategies. The external factors such as day of the week, demand patterns, etc. are also factored in the simulation. At the beginning of each month (round of simulation), each hotel management team must determine their objectives and primary and secondary market segments from eight market segments included in the simulation. Afterwards, just like in the real world, the management team must make decisions relating to hotel operations, marketing, distribution, pricing, operational and capital investment decisions, and financing decisions to fund capital and operational expenditures. The challenge is to develop and implement a competitive business strategy that results in a competitive positioning in the marketplace and produces good financial performance as measured by market share, occupancy, RevPAR, ADR, total revenues, net operating earnings and net profits. After making decisions for each month, results are made available to all management teams so that they can see how their actions and their competitors’ actions impact the performance of their businesses. Just like in the real world, each management team must analyze their previous months’ decisions and the outcomes of those decisions, competitors’ actions and strategies in 3 the previous months, market and demand conditions for each segment before making their decisions. In order to be successful, decisions must be rational and logical based on thorough analysis of data from previous months and projections (forecast) for the future. The Hotel Business Management Training Simulation game provides invaluable training opportunities for managers and management trainees to improve their managerial and operational skills and efficiencies. It also provides great learning experiences to students who are studying hospitality business management. Students will form into groups of (four-six) members (managers). Each group member will be responsible to enroll and activate an account using the above web address. Student groups will create a hotel and name the hotel when they register. Group members will self-select the department they would like to manage for their team. For example, each group (hotel) will have a general manager, food and beverage manager, revenue manager, marketing manager, sales manager, and rooms manger. The instructor of the course will assess the market performance of each hotel and the management team that is operating the hotel. A series of practice simulation rounds will be conducted in the class, followed by a assignments and then a final round of simulation rounds will be conducted leading to the final group project (Paper/PPT) presentation. Each simulation round will require the student groups to submit period market reports as assignments that benchmark their performance in the virtual market. The reports and the market performance of each hotel will constitute to the students’ grades. 8. Methods of Evaluation The grade in this course will be computed as follows: Course Component Points and Percentage Points a. Attendance & Participation (16 X 15 points) 240 b. Application Assignments (14 X 10 points, 1 x 50 points) 190 c. Quizzes (13 X 20 points) 260 - Team Planning Proposal (1 X 50 points) 50 - Concept Description Paper (1 x 50 points,) 50 - Final Project Presentation (1 x 100 points) 100 - Final Paper (1 X 100 points) 100 - Syllabus Quiz (1 x 10 points) 10 e. Term Project Total 1000 *Points do not reflect weighted value expressed as a percentage of the total grade. 4 9. Grading Scale Students are reminded of the university regulations regarding the allocation of grades. A student’s overall performance in this subject shall be graded as follows: For more information please refer to the link to the undergraduate catalog web page https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx. Percentage or points earned in class Letter Grade / Grade Point 90%100% A 87%89% B+ 83%86% B 80%82% B- 77%79% C+ 73%76% C 70%72% C- 67%69% D+ 63%66% D 60%62% D- 4.0 3.33 3.0 2.67 2.33 2.0 1.67 1.33 1.0 0.67 Below 60% E 11. Course Policies EMAIL ETIQUETTE You are expected to communicate in a professional manner. Email communication should be courteous and respectful in manner and tone. Do not send emails that are casual or demanding. Please include your last name and the course number (LEI 3360) in the subject line of all emails. Please use a proper greeting in your email, e.g. Dear Dr. Dunn. Please do not expect an immediate response via email (typical response time will be within one to two business days, but I usually respond sooner). If your email question is sent at the last minute (e.g. shortly before an assignment is due) it may not be possible to send you a response before the due time. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES The Dean of Students Office provides individualized assistance for students with documented disabilities. Services are based upon student need and impact of their specific disability. There is no requirement for any student to self-identify as having a disability. However, students requesting classroom accommodations must register with the Dean of Students Office and provide the appropriate documentation verifying their disability. The Dean of Students Office determines what is and is not appropriate documentation. Examples of accommodations that are available to students include, but are not limited to, registration assistance, approval of reduced course load, course substitutions, classroom and examination accommodations, auxiliary learning aids, additional course drops when disability related, and assistance in other university activities. The designated coordinator for compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the Assistant Dean of Students responsible for Students with Disabilities Programs, P202 Peabody Hall, 392-1261 (Voice), or 392-3008 (TDD). https://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/. 5 THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA “ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE” In adopting this Honor Code, the students of the University of Florida recognize that academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students who enroll at the University commit to holding themselves and their peers to the high standard of honor required by the Honor Code. Any individual who becomes aware of a violation of the Honor Code is bound by honor to take corrective action. The quality of a University of Florida education is dependent upon the community acceptance and enforcement of the Honor Code. …We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment” Violations of the Academic Honesty Guidelines shall result in judicial action and a student being subject to the sanctions in paragraph XIV of the Student Conduct Code. The conduct set forth hereinafter constitutes a violation of the Academic Honesty Guidelines (University of Florida Rule 6C1-4.017). For further information regarding the honor code at the University of Florida, please visit the website of the Dean of Students: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/academic.php EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTION “Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on 10 criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu.” UF SPECIAL SERVICES Phone number and contact site for university counseling services and mental health services: 3921575, or by going to http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/Default.aspx. The University Police Department: 392-1111 or 9-1-1 for emergencies GETTING HELP If you are having difficulty with the course material, please email the Professor and/or visit the Health and Human Performance Subject Guide at the UF Library: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/cm/hhp/hhp.html. Or contact the sport, tourism and recreation subject librarian: http://apps.uflib.ufl.edu/staffdir/SubjectSpecialist.aspx. Dean of Students Office: Do you need help resolving a conflict or would you like access to the student code of conduct? Visit the Dean of Students site: https://www.dso.ufl.edu/ Counseling and Wellness Center: http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/ Online Computing Help Desk- e-Learning Support Services: http://helpdesk.ufl.edu/ 12. Suggested Course Calendar This course has been purposefully designed to allow you to move through the modules at your own pace. In order to stay on track with lectures, assignments, and readings however, it is suggested that you follow the accompanying course schedule. 6