Western Carolina University
Hospitality and Tourism Program Assessment Plan
Department of Management and International Business
College of Business
Assessment Plan for 2006-2007
Primary Contact Name/Information
Cynthia S. Deale, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Hospitality & Tourism, Department of
Management & International Business, 220 Belk Hall, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee,
North Carolina 28723, 828-227-2148, deale@email.wcu.edu
Mission of Western Carolina University
Teaching and learning constitute the central mission of Western Carolina University. The
University seeks to create a community of scholarship in which the activities of its members
are consistent with the highest standards of knowledge and practice in their disciplines.
The commitment of the community to service, research and creative activities complements
the central mission and extends the benefits of its scholarship to society. As a major public
resource for western North Carolina, the University assists individuals and agencies in the
region through the expertise of its faculty, its staff, and its students.
Department Mission Statement
The Department of Management and International Business creates and disseminates
leading-edge knowledge in the management of organizations that operate in the domestic and
global economy. We realize these activities by recruiting and supporting faculty who are
regular contributors to the foundation of knowledge in management practice and education.
We prepare students for meaningful employment in the profession, contribute to the
development of the University, support community development and economic progress, and
contribute to the advancement of the profession.
Hospitality & Tourism Program Mission
The mission of the Hospitality and Tourism program is to prepare its graduates for
management careers in hospitality and tourism through excellent teaching, learning, research,
creative endeavors, and service to the university, the industry, and the community.
Statement on Alignment of Program Mission with the University and College Mission
The hospitality and tourism program focuses on educating undergraduates to work as
managers in the industry. This program focus is in line with the university and the
departmental missions. Western Carolina University’s central focus is on teaching and the
Department of Management seeks to prepare students to be managers in the business world.
The hospitality and tourism program, the Department of Management and International
Business, and the university also all seek to contribute to scholarship through a variety of
activities including research, creative endeavors, and service to the university, the industry,
and the community.
The Goals of the Hospitality & Tourism Program
The major goals of the program are to provide students with a high quality hospitality and
tourism business management degree that offers students the following:
1) An understanding of hospitality and tourism business practices and theories
2) The knowledge and application of hospitality and tourism concepts
3) Experiences that allow students to become future hospitality and tourism industry leaders
and good citizens through personal growth and self reflection.
Intended Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will successfully complete an internship in hospitality or tourism.
2. Students will be able to define and use hospitality and tourism vocabulary terms and
concepts
3. Students will demonstrate effective citizenship abilities
4. Students will be able to apply business and hospitality and tourism industry skills such as
Management, marketing, research, and planning skills.
5. Students will demonstrate knowledge of effective hospitality and tourism management
practices.
6. Students will demonstrate knowledge of effective hospitality and tourism supervision,
leadership, and team work skills.
7. Students will demonstrate effective communication skills in hospitality and tourism
management.
Intended Student Learning Outcomes, Experiences, & Methods of Assessment
Intended Student Learning Outcome
Students will successfully complete an internship in hospitality or tourism.
Curricular and/or Co-Curricular Experiences
Completion of a 300 hour internship or work experience in hospitality or tourism.
Students will work in a hospitality and/or tourism setting in a paid or unpaid internship.
Students are responsible for finding internships that suit their own career needs.
The internship should ideally be completed between the junior and senior year after the
completion of the majority of the degree requirements.
Methods of Assessment
The internship will be assessed through the following:
a. Internship Evaluation Instrument – Employee evaluation to be completed by
the internship supervisor (employer) at the end of the semester (see the
attached instrument). Every student will be evaluated.
b. Written report of the internship—report written by the student and evaluated
by the faculty supervisor (see the attached report guidelines). All students will
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complete the report and the reports will be evaluated by the faculty
supervisor.
Intended Student Learning Outcome
Students will be able to define and use hospitality and tourism vocabulary terms and
concepts
Curricular and/or Co-Curricular Experiences
Students will complete the HT 130 Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism course
Students will complete a 300 hour hospitality and tourism internship
Methods of Assessment
Students will be assessed in the following manner:
a. Student knowledge of hospitality and tourism vocabulary terms and concepts will be
determined by a passing grade of 75% or greater on the Hospitality and Tourism
Vocabulary Terms and Concepts Exam. The exam will be completed by all students
and evaluated by the instructor of the HT 130 class (See the accompanying hospitality
terminology test).
b. Written report of the internship—report written by the student and evaluated by the
faculty supervisor (see the attached report guidelines). All students will complete the
report and the reports will be evaluated by the faculty supervisor.
Intended Student Learning Outcome
Students will demonstrate effective citizenship abilities
Curricular and/or Co-Curricular Experiences
Students will complete a service learning experience related to hospitality and tourism.
The experience can occur during a variety of classes such as HT 130 (Introduction to
Hospitality & Tourism), an elective such as HT 232 (Quality Service), or a variety of other
courses. Alternatively the experience can take place through involvement in a service learning
project with an organization such as the Eta Sigma Delta hospitality honor society, or another
hospitality or tourism club.
Methods of Assessment
Students will be assessed on their able to demonstrate effective citizenship abilities
through the following:
a. Participation in a significant service learning project related to hospitality and tourism—
defined by the hospitality & tourism faculty
b. A student reflection paper completed by every student who completes a service
learning project in hospitality and tourism. The reflections will be evaluated by the
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instructor or club/group advisor involved in the project and the experience will be
discussed between the student and the instructor
Intended Student Learning Outcome
Students will be able to apply business and hospitality and tourism industry skills such as
management, marketing, research, and planning skills.
Curricular and/or Co-Curricular Experiences
Students will complete a significant project related to hospitality and tourism planning.
The project will be completed in the HT 436 (Tourism Planning) class.
Methods of Assessment
Students will complete a significant project related to hospitality and tourism planning and
student projects will be assessed by faculty using specific criteria (Please see the example
guidelines attached and note that the exact guidelines for this project are still being
formulated).
Intended Student Learning Outcome
Students will demonstrate knowledge of effective hospitality and tourism management
practices
Curricular and/or Co-Curricular Experiences
Students will gain knowledge and experience of effective hospitality and tourism management
practices through their successful completion of course work and participation in hospitality
and tourism organizations and events
Methods of Assessment
Students will be assessed in a variety of ways including:
a. Successfully passing final examinations in HT 339 (Food & Beverage Cost Control)
And HT 432 (Hospitality Supervision), and at least one HT elective course (See the
accompanying Food & Beverage Cost Control Final Exam for HT 339)
b. Internship Evaluation Instrument – Employee evaluation to be completed by the
internship supervisor (employer) at the end of the semester (see the attached
instrument). Every student will be evaluated.
Intended Student Learning Outcome
Students will demonstrate knowledge of effective hospitality and tourism supervision,
leadership, and team work skills
Curricular and/or Co-Curricular Experiences
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Students will gain knowledge and experience of effective hospitality and tourism supervision
and leadership skills through their successful completion of course work and participation in
hospitality and tourism organizations and events
Methods of Assessment
Students will be assessed in a variety of ways including:
a. Successfully completing a project in HT 432 (Hospitality Supervision), and at least one
HT elective course (Please see the accompanying rubric for the HT 432 project).
b. Internship Evaluation Instrument – Employee evaluation to be completed by the
internship supervisor (employer) at the end of the semester (see the attached
instrument). Every student will be evaluated
c. Written report of the internship—report written by the student and evaluated by the
faculty supervisor (see the attached report guidelines). All students will complete the
report and the reports will be evaluated by the faculty supervisor.
Intended Student Learning Outcome
Students will demonstrate effective communication skills in hospitality and tourism
management.
Intended Student Learning Outcome
Curricular and/or Co-Curricular Experiences
Students will present knowledge and experiences of effective hospitality and tourism
management content through formal presentations given as part of their course work and
participation in hospitality and tourism organizations and events
Methods of Assessment
Students will be assessed through the following:
a. Formal assessment of an oral presentation to a hospitality and tourism class using an
oral presentation rubric
b. Peer feedback on an oral presentation in HT 436 (Tourism Planning) or another HT
course
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