Hotel Online Special Report

advertisement
School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at 
Northern Arizona University Offering New Major: International Hospitality Management
Flagstaff, AZ - Students at School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University have a new way to get well-grounded before spreading their wings for careers in the hospitality industry. HRM debuts a new major beginning next fall: the International Hospitality Management major. The major is the only one of its kind in the nation, which may prove a selling point both domestically and internationally. 

Bert Van Hoof, assistant dean of the HRM school, says the program�s appeal is not just for those who want to work abroad. �The reality is that most major U.S. hotels, whether they�re in Chicago, San Francisco, or St. Louis - have staffs - and guests who are diverse internationally. This major will give its graduates a bigger experience base from which draw, because we�ve built in at least one semester abroad and emphasized the international aspects of marketing and economics.� 
 

Galen Collins, associate dean, said the choice of two majors �adds value to our program. It really depends on the student�s focus and end-goals. Some students will like the extra emphasis on foreign language skills or the idea that they will spend at least one semester studying at one of our partner schools in Europe, Australia, Mexico-or even Macao. Others may prefer our original major, which has more electives and fewer required courses.�

Industry recruiters have reacted positively to the new major, as have international internship partners. �Students in the international hospitality management major must take a one-semester internship. We don�t insist that they do it abroad,� says Van Hoof, �but our international internship partners are excited about the possibility of seeing more of our students.� 

Another strong point of the new major is 



Flagstaff, AZ: Nava Singam, General Manager of the Inn at NAU, stands with students Loungo Moilwa and Eunhill Oh beneath clocks from around the world. The Inn�s lobby features the clocks to show the diversity of the students and staff at the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University-and the industry at large.
that it was developed using existing resources at HRM and the College of Business Administration. No new classes will need to be developed. 

There�s also the possibility that students will move through the major in a cohort, which can increase feelings of camaraderie. �Because the curriculum in this major is pretty structured, most students will be taking the classes together, in the same sequence. The cohort idea, of a student having many of the same classmates in each of several classes, is a plus because it can create a natural bond among the students� says Van Hoof. �They develop an identity as a team, and that�s a dynamic that fits in well with the hospitality industry.� 

The industry has already taken note of the work ethic and professionalism found among HRM�s graduates and has turned to it to fill a management vacuum. Tourism and hospitality enterprises continue a growth mode that has persisted for nearly a decade. Between now and 2005 it is projected that demand for lodging executives and food-and-beverage executives will grow by 30%. Growth in the amusement and recreation sector will be even more aggressive, at a 40% growth. HRM�s Students are recruited so heavily that more than 90 percent of its graduates receive multiple job offers. Within six months of graduation, 97 percent of the students registered with NAU�s Career Services have accepted employment. 

�With this kind of growth,� says Van Hoof, �It�s no wonder so many students are interested in our degree. We can only expect that by offering them the choice of two majors, we�ll attract even more attention from both students and recruiters.� 

###
Contact:
Marilyn McDonald, M.Ed., CHE
Coordinator of Public Information
School of Hotel & Restaurant Management
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ  86011-5638
[email protected]
520-523-1916
Also See: Ex-Firefighter Gives $260,000 to Northern Arizona University Hospitality Management Program / Mar 2000 

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search

Home | Welcome! | Hospitality News | Classifieds | Catalogs & Pricing | Viewpoint Forum | Ideas/Trends
Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.