HTM 455 - Hospitality Financial
Fall 2015 Management
Instructor:
Jeff Campbell
ka-lei-do-scope – from the Greek kailos (beautiful)
edios (form). an endless variety of patterns.
a succession of changing phases or actions –
shifting information, values, etc.
Office Hours:
By appointment. Contact me at: j.jeffrey.campbell@gmail.com
Course Description
This course is designed to equip students with a solid understanding of the day-to-day
management of Hospitality industry financial information and to refine their ability to
think and reason “on their feet” in economic terms. Particular attention will be paid to the
Operating Statement and techniques for improving performance in the most critical
areas of cost, investment and top-line sales. This course is intended as a culminating
experience in terms of the student’s accumulation of financial expertise and the selfconfidence to deploy it effectively.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Explain and expound upon the basic structure of Restaurant, Hotel and Casino
Financial Statements and discuss their intrinsic differences in performance and
financial dynamics.

Demonstrate a basic mastery of Restaurant, Hotel and Casino financial metrics and
reports and the ability to mobilize an individual organization and/or brand affiliation to
improve them. Areas of focus will include: Gross Margin Management,
understanding the Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement, Labor Management,
Capital Projects, Capital Expense planning and the management of financial
performance by exception.

Demonstrate comfort in managing, interpreting and effectively acting upon the full
range of internal financial reports and information available to Hospitality decisionmakers by successfully completing a series of case studies and in-class projects that
will challenge their grasp of the concepts covered throughout the semester. Students
will be expected to defend their points-of-view in these exercises “on their feet” and
under pressure.
Competencies
HTM 455 provides students opportunities to develop the following competencies of the
HTM Kaleidoscope Competency Model:
Business Savvy
Planning
Numberwise
People Savvy
Interpersonal Communication
Networked
Self Savvy
Professionalism
Time Management
Resources
Kremer, Chuck, Rizzuto, Ron and Case, John; Managing By The Numbers: A
Commonsense Guide To Understanding And Using Your Company’s Financials;
Perseus (2000); ISBN 0-7382-0256-8
Blackboard
Computer-based learning, using Blackboard, will be a part of the class. All
students should get a Blackboard account and visit the HTM 455 course site
every Tuesday before class. Visit http://courses.sdsu.edu. Students will obtain
weekly announcements, download materials, and turn in online assignments
here.
Structure and Assessment
In addition to reading the required text, students are required to actively
participate in a variety of activities designed to practice their self savvy
competencies. In addition, students must satisfactorily complete their online
portfolio as a condition of graduation.
Quizzes
30%
Final Case
(Team)
In- Class
Exercises
30%
5%
HTM 455
Lectures &
Discussions
(In-class)
Mid-Term
Exam
30%
5%
Final Case: Team Presentation
30% of the final class grade will be based upon Student Team Presentations of a
solution to a Case Study requiring the development of a comprehensive Game
Plan for the improvement of the financial performance of a designated Hospitality
concept. This Case will be the culmination of the course and will demand the
integration of all of the various managerial techniques and disciplines to which
the students will have been exposed during the semester. The case will
culminate in a 10-15 page written report and a 15:00 oral presentation delivered
by selected team members.
Mid-Term Exam
30% of the student’s grade for the class will be based upon his/her grade on the
Mid-Term Exam.
Quizzes
Students will generate 30% of their final grade based upon their scores on the six
quizzes that will be offered during the semester.
Quiz questions will be based upon class lecture material, guest lectures, and the
content in in-class exercises and discussions.
In-Class Exercises
5% of the student’s final grade will be based upon their participation in and
performance on the regular in-class exercises featured in HTM 455.
Engagement and Class Discussion
5% of the final grade will be based on other in-class discussions and activities.
Appropriate participation includes preparation, engagement in class discussions,
sharing personal experiences and treating guest lecturers with attention and
respect. Punctuality will also count.
Grading
Evaluation
Final Case Study (Teams)
Mid-Term Exam
Quizzes
In-class Exercises
Engagement and Class Discussions
94 and above
90-93
87-89
84-86
80-83
A
AB+
B
B-
77-79
74-76
70-73
60-69
Below 60
Weight
30%
30%
30%
5%
5%
C+
C
CD
F
Academic Integrity
The faculty and staff demand the highest levels of academic and professional
integrity in all work at San Diego State University and especially in the HTM
program. Positive leadership cannot exist without integrity and your actions
determine your level of integrity. Plagiarism, cheating on exams or any other type
of academic dishonesty, will be referred directly to the Office of Student Rights
and Responsibilities for disciplinary action.
.
Optional Industry Experiences
You will have opportunities throughout the semester to get involved in the
industry. San Diego professionals in the HTM industry are solidly behind the
HTM degree program and will offer job shadows, training sessions, meetings,
and other mentor opportunities throughout the semester. Students are
encouraged to make contacts early, learn about the tremendous array of
opportunities in the field, and engage themselves in practical experiences to
complement the classroom experiences.
As part of this opportunity, we will have guest lecturers from the Hospitality
Industry – or other fields of endeavor – as part of the semester’s program. You
are encouraged to prepare ahead of time for any such occasions and be ready to
take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and to interact with these
guests.
Meeting Standards

To receive full credit for assignments, they must be submitted on time in a
complete and error-free fashion (e.g. typos). All assignments are due at the
beginning of class on the due date specified in the attached course outline.

I will be available to discuss papers and presentations with you before they
are due. I can be used as a “sounding board” for your ideas and outlines and,
as time allows, I will be happy to read rough drafts and make suggestions.

All papers and presentations will be graded based on content (how deeply
you have thought about the topic, integration of your experiences with course
concepts, communication of insights, accuracy of concept application, etc.)
and presentation (organization, grammar, spelling, style, etc.). Remember,
you will be evaluated on both what you say and how you say it.

No make up exams will be given after the fact. If you know for certain you
cannot make an exam, please see me prior to the test day.

Please inform me if any special circumstances arise for you during the
semester. That is, if you are having difficulty in class due to extenuating
outside circumstances, please talk to me as soon as possible so we can
minimize the effects of these circumstances.
Remember, HTM is all about exceeding expectations!