Hospitality & Tourism Management and Parks & Leisure Services
(Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking) Scenario
CAREER SELECTION SCENARIO
This scenario introduces you to an activity on how to make an informed career choice.
The purpose of this assignment is for you to learn how to improve your decision-making
skills by discovering how to become more discipline in thinking through your
conclusions.
The Faulkner Town Center Case Study
Faulkner Town Center is located at the northern edge of Steinbeck-on-the-Sea. The
Town Center is adjacent to the 3,000 acres Henry David Thoreau Park, a joint venture
made possible by a consortium of public, not-for-profit and commercial leadership in
the community. The park is schedule for its grand opening in six months.
The Henry David Thoreau Park will be anchored by these three entities:
Fitzgerald Luxury Development: Is under construction on the park’s west boundary
along the state’s sparkling Gulf coast is a luxury hotel and spa resort. The resort
features five championship golf courses, 16 beautifully maintained clay tennis courts,
three swimming pools, including the Orwell monster pool with water slides, 75 aces of
lakes for fishing, miles of jogging and cycling trails and a nature walk. Restaurants will
offer a variety of memorable cuisines from casual to formal atmosphere.
The conference and event center features 300,000 square feet of unique indoor and
outdoor space. It is unmatched in its ratio of conference space to sleeping rooms. The
campus-style resort will offer one of the largest exhibit halls in the state. From arrival
through departure Fitzgerald’s private-area and group activity options are designed to
insure a stress-free experience.
Hemingway Foundation: The foundation is recognized as the voice of conservation in
the United States. It began as a grassroots organization to protect parks, open space
and urban forestry in communities throughout the U.S. Since its founding in 1984, the
foundation has grown to more than 850,000 individuals as members, representing all
50 states. The foundation has protected more than twenty-three million acres of land.
It operates more 300 conservation projects annually making it the largest program in
the nation. The foundation addresses all threats to conservation involving climate
change, fire, fresh water, forests, invasive species, and marine ecosystems.
Hemmingway’s unique programs include park maintenance vacations, families Go
Hiking guided series, and partnerships with schools and other youth organizations.
Members’ activities include a variety of outdoor extravaganzas packed with fun for all
ages; like hiking, rock climbing and kayaking. Outreach programs include workshops
from predicting weather to urban gardening for special needs youth.
Faulkner Town Center Parks and Recreation: Parks and recreation is an essential
element of a healthy vibrant community. It provides individual, social, and economic
value. The Faulkner parks and recreation’s sustainability strategies has position them
as a 21st century leader. The community relies on Faulkner Town Center’s parks, open
spaces, and recreation programs for many benefits, ranging from the pursuit of health
HFT-LEI Assignment Profile for ARC
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to fitness and well-being.
Headquartered at the Henry David Thoreau Park, the Parks and Recreation department
operates a range of parks, urban forestry, open space, facilities, programs and services
devoted to providing a variety of health, recreation, and education opportunities.
Opportunities offered enrich the lives of all people, and provide special focus for at-risk
youth, people with disabilities, immigrant and refugee populations, seniors, minorities,
and families.
Employees of this public agency constantly seek new and innovative ways to help serve
their residents and the public, including:
2,100
225
90
124
6
14
10
7
35
15
5
22
181
2
1
1
3
2
3
5
2
Total Open Space Community Acres
Parks (two with overnight accommodations of 600 spaces)
Athletic Fields (12 lighted baseball and soccer fields)
Neighborhood Play Areas
Swimming Beaches
Miles of Shoreline
Fishing Piers
Golf Courses (two with full dining services)
Miles of Boulevards
Community Centers
Indoor and 3 Outdoor Pools
Wading Pools
Outdoor Tennis Courts
Tennis Centers
Community Aquarium
Conservatory
Museum
Historic Sites (two with 500 sleeping accommodations)
Performing and Visual Arts Facilities and conference Centers
Environmental Learning Centers
City Cemeteries
In our scenario you are about to complete your Hospitality and Leisure internship in two
months. Soon you will graduate with honors from the local community college with
distinction. This is an exciting time for you and cannot wait to move on in your career.
Your dilemma: You have received three job offers plus you are considering returning to
college for an advanced degree. How will you make a clear and decisive decision?
OFFER
Position
Annual Salary
Health
Benefits
Vacation
Retirement
Savings
Fitzgerald
Activity Coordinator
$36,000
Employee Pays 20%
Hemingway
Recreation Leader
$26,000
Employee Pays 50%
Faulkner
Program Supervisor
$29,000
100% employer Paid
Three Weeks
Employer-sponsored plan
after 24 Months
Two Weeks
defined benefit
pension plans
Average Work
Hours per
week
Work Contract
unlimited
One Week
403(b) or 457(b)
plans for permanent
hires
55
Annual Performance
HFT-LEI Assignment Profile for ARC
Government Grant
45
Full-time
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Supervision
Perks
Culture
Opportunities
Sector
Review
High structure with low
support
Unlimited travel, free
hotels
Formal Business
Competitive
Commercial
Low structure with
high support
works in the field
Family Oriented
Limited
Non-Profit
Employment
Low structure with
low support
Conferences,
workshops
Youthful and Fun
Seniority
Public

Your college professor tells you to just accept a job and get some experience.
Although you believe this is good advice as you still feel you need additional
experience in real work settings. You are unsure what the best direction for your
career is and spending more time in the field will help you arrive at smart career
choice.

Your father’s business partner advises you to begin you career at the highest salary
level possible. He says this will set the tone for a higher salary at your next
position. This suggestion is good as you have some huge outstanding college loans
coming due following graduation.

On the other hand your best friend is encouraging you to go after a career that
deals with environment issues. Sustainability as a moral responsibility is important
to you. Plus all the trends are pointing to employment growth in the green jobs.
However you might be able to achieve a similar satisfaction through volunteering at
the local parks department while assuming full-time employment.

A fourth option is to return to school to earn your master’s degree.
All four options are attractive to you. What should you do?
Consider these questions when arriving at your choice:
1.
Define this problem in your own words. (Communication)
2.
Compare and contrast the available solutions within the scenario. (Analysis)
3.
Select one of the available solutions and defend it as your final
solution. (Problem-solving)
4.
Identify and describe any weaknesses in your selected solution. (Evaluation)
5.
Make suggestions on ways to improve/strengthen your solution. You may include
information not described in the scenario (e.g., resources you’ve read outside of
class). (Synthesis)
6.
Reflect on your own thought process after completing the assignment.
(Reflection)
[The Assessment of Critical Thinking (ARC) Scoring Template (Rubric) below is a scoring tool used to
assess your performance on essays, projects, and other assignments. The different categories allow
your instructor to specify the level of performance expected.]
HFT-LEI Assignment Profile for ARC
Page 3 of 5
SPC’s Assessment of Critical Thinking (ARC) Scoring Template
Rater (scorer) name: _____________________________Paper ID: _____________________Date: ____________________
Performance
Element
I. Communication
Define problem in
your own words.
II. Analysis
Compare & contrast
the available
solutions.
III. Problem Solving
Select & defend your
final solution.
Exemplary
(4)
Identifies the main idea
or problem with
numerous supporting
details and examples
which are organized
logically and
coherently.
Proficient
(3)
Identifies the main idea
or problem with some
supporting details and
examples in an organized
manner.
Uses specific inductive
or deductive reasoning
to make inferences
regarding premises;
addresses implications
and consequences;
identifies facts and
relevant information
correctly.
Thoroughly identifies
and addresses key
aspects of the problem
and insightfully uses
facts and relevant
evidence from analysis
to support and defend
potentially valid
solutions.
Uses logical reasoning to
make inferences
regarding solutions;
addresses implications
and consequences;
Identifies facts and
relevant information
correctly.
HFT-LEI Assignment Profile for ARC
Identifies and addresses
key aspects of the
problem and uses facts
and relevant evidence
from analysis to develop
potentially valid
conclusions or solutions.
Developing
(2)
Identifies the main
idea or problem with
few details or
examples in a
somewhat organized
manner.
Emerging
Not Present
(1)
(0)
Identifies the main idea Does not identify the
or problem poorly with main idea or problem.
few or no details or
states the main idea or
problem verbatim from
the text.
Uses superficial
reasoning to make
inferences regarding
solutions; Shows
some confusion
regarding facts,
opinions, and relevant,
evidence, data, or
information.
Identifies and
addresses some
aspects of the
problem; develops
possible conclusions
or solutions using
some inappropriate
opinions and
irrelevant information
from analysis.
Makes unexplained,
unsupported, or
unreasonable inferences
regarding solutions;
makes multiple errors
in distinguishing fact
from fiction or in
selecting relevant
evidence.
Identifies and addresses
only one aspect of the
problem but develops
untestable hypothesis;
or develops invalid
conclusions or
solutions based on
opinion or irrelevant
information.
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Does not analyze
multiple solutions.
Score
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
Does not select and
defend a solution.
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
Last Revised: 4/27/2009
Rater (scorer) name: _____________________________Paper ID: _____________________Date: ____________________
Performance
Element
IV. Evaluation
Identify weaknesses in
your final solution.
V. Synthesis
Suggest ways to
improve/strengthen
your final solution.
VI. Reflection
Reflect on your own
thought process.
“What did you learn
from this process?”
“What would you do
differently next time to
improve?”
Exemplary
(4)
Insightfully interprets
data or information;
identifies obvious as well
as hidden assumptions,
establishes credibility of
sources on points other
than authority alone,
avoids fallacies in
reasoning; distinguishes
appropriate arguments
from extraneous
elements; provides
sufficient logical support.
Insightfully relates
concepts and ideas from
multiple sources; uses
new information to
enhance final solution;
recognizes missing
information; correctly
identifies potential effects
of new information.
Identifies strengths and
weaknesses in own
thinking: recognizes
personal assumptions,
values and perspectives,
compares to others’, and
evaluates them in the
context of alternate points
of view.
HFT-LEI Assignment Profile for ARC
Proficient
(3)
Accurately interprets
data or information;
identifies obvious
assumptions, establishes
credibility of sources on
points other than
authority alone, avoids
fallacies in reasoning;
distinguishes
appropriate arguments
from extraneous
elements; provides
sufficient logical
support.
Accurately relates
concepts and ideas from
multiple sources; uses
new information to
enhance final solution;
correctly identifies
potential effects of new
information.
Developing
(2)
Makes some errors in
data or information
interpretation; makes
arguments using weak
evidence; provides
superficial support for
conclusions or
solutions.
Emerging
(1)
Interprets data or
information
incorrectly;
Supports conclusions
or solutions without
evidence or logic;
uses data,
information, or
evidence skewed by
invalid assumptions;
uses poor sources of
information; uses
fallacious arguments.
Not Present
(0)
Does not evaluate
data, information, or
evidence related to
final solution.
Inaccurately or
incompletely relates
concepts and ideas
from multiple sources;
shallow determination
of effect of new
information on final
solution.
Poorly integrates
information from
more than one source
to support final
solution; Incorrectly
predicts the effect of
new information on
final solution.
Does not identify
new information for
final solution.
Identifies strengths and
weaknesses in own
thinking: recognizes
personal assumptions,
values and perspectives,
compares to others’,
with some comparisons
of alternate points of
view.
Identifies some
personal assumptions,
values, and
perspectives;
recognizes some
assumptions, values
and perspectives of
others; shallow
comparisons of
alternate points of
view.
Identifies some
personal
assumptions, values,
and perspectives;
does not consider
alternate points of
view.
Does not reflect on
own thinking
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Score
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
Last Revised: 4/27/2009