Hospitality Management - Event Management

Program Codes: BAHMEM
Bachelor of Arts

Introduction

The Statler Department of Hospitality Management (HM) offers baccalaureate degrees with a unique blend of classroom theory and Hospitality Industry field experience. The Department of Hospitality Management was developed at Mercyhurst over 48 years ago in response to a growing demand for professionals in this field. Since 1992, the HM program has held accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA).

The accredited Statler HM curriculum has been designed to provide the essential management abilities needed by professional management in this global, highly specialized and diversified industry. In addition, Statler HM students are provided with hands on experiences and numerous opportunities to practice their hospitality skills in appropriate and challenging environments. The Statler Department of Hospitality Management facilities include a commercially equipped food service facility in the Center for Academic Excellence which includes the Marriott lab kitchen, the Marriott restaurant/Café, and the Café Diem coffee shop. Other facilities included in the Statler Department of Hospitality include an actual Hilton Specified guest room/ housekeeping lab (the Hilton Corporation Hotel lab), and the Statler Technology Center, a state of-the-art smart classroom dedicated in honor of Ellsworth Milton Statler, America’s premier hotelier. The Statler Department of Hospitality and its facilities have been partially funded and supported by the Statler Foundation. Additionally, Mercyhurst’s Statler Department of Hospitality Management partners with a regional country/golf club, offering students hands-on experiences in club management.

Mission Statement
The Statler Department of Hospitality Management fosters and promotes the spirit of hospitality consistent with the Mercyhurst mission of service to others and the community. In keeping with the founding vision of Mercyhurst, hospitality students are prepared for industry leadership through a balance of liberal studies, business, and hospitality industry specific course work. This balanced approach to higher education nurtures scholarship, creativity, communication and responsible stewardship for the global hospitality community. Hospitality industry course work and world class internships, supported by the Walker College of Business and Management core business curriculum, provides the hospitality student with a strong foundation in accounting, finance, and management, while building leadership, critical thinking skills, and problem.

Program Student Learning Outcomes
The Statler Department of Hospitality Management includes learning outcomes and guidelines that have been established by the HM faculty, hospitality industry leaders, accreditation, and world-class hospitality corporate management training programs. Students are expected to:

  • Demonstrate an acquisition of skills related to technical systems used in hospitality industry divisions.
  • Apply basic marketing concepts to industry promotion in all areas of concentrations.
  • Accurately complete and understand financial data related to areas of the accredited hospitality management curriculum.
  • Apply knowledge of critical thinking to functional areas of the hospitality industry to identify, analyze and solve business problems in those functional areas.
  • Demonstrate learned standards of professionalism while applying basic principles and theories of management while working independently and with others.
  • Apply classroom theory to experiential settings in the lab and through cooperative, in the field, learning experiences.

Service Practicum Requirement
A service practicum (200 hours) is required for all students regardless of transfer or class status and must be fulfilled prior to graduation. Seventy-five percent of the requirement must be completed internally within the department or in department sponsored functions. The remaining twenty-five percent may be completed outside of the department with the chair’s approval. Upon completion of the required practicum hours, three credits may be granted in the final term. Details are available in the HM department office regarding specific requirements of this program. It is the student’s responsibility to read the service practicum policy to make certain they are in compliance and to schedule practicum hours in a timely fashion.

Student in Good Standing Policy
The HM Department reserves the right to terminate enrollment for students who fail to meet academic, professional and personal standards. The academic standard addresses GPA and class attendance; the professional standard includes service hours and work experience; and the personal behavior standard encompasses ethical issues on and off campus, in any setting that may reflect negatively on the student and/or the program. The department reserves the right to admonish and expel any student who has been found in serious violation of any of these tenets, which are held in the highest regard. Student in Good Standing policy documents can be obtained in the Hospitality Management office.

Student Trips
It is expected that students participating in department sponsored trips will follow all rules as outlined in the Event Attendee Policy Guide (posted in HM Department). The faculty reserves the right to approve all attendee participation based on such criteria as grade level, academic standing and student performance. Students must read and sign an agreement in order to be allowed to participate in trips. Students must complete two terms in the department and be in good standing to be allowed to participate in department sponsored trips. A qualified student (one who has departmental permission or earned at least 60 credits or has taken at least 6 HM courses) may choose to intern during the summer or to leave campus during the regular academic calendar year to obtain valuable management experience.

HM Major/Concentration - Bachelor of Arts Requirements
All HM majors must carry a minimum 2.5 GPA in major courses, overall, to meet departmental and certification requirements. Any special programs and/or certificate offerings under the supervision of the HM Department must meet similarly stipulated requirements. HM Department requirements can supersede university requirement(s) and may be modified at any time. Student majors who fail to earn a grade of C or higher in an HM course or concentration course must repeat the course. If the student does not receive a C after repeating the course, a decision will be made by the chair regarding permission to retake the course or possible termination from the major.

Transfer Students
Students transferring into the HM Department from another college or department are governed by the Mercyhurst transfer policy. The transfer policy stipulates that no major course with a grade below a C will be accepted,at least one half of the credits required by the HM Department (31 credits) must be completed at Mercyhurst (unless otherwise specified by articulation agreement), no HM course or departmental offering may be taken on a passfail basis, all transfer students are subject to the same requirements as the traditional student majoring in the HM curriculum, and all transfer students must complete the 200 required practicum hours prior to HM academic program completion. The HM Department will accept a maximum of 50 community service hours from the student’s transfer institution.

Sophomore Review
The HM Department requires students to meet sophomore review board criteria during their second year of the program. The details of these procedures are on file in the HM office and are available at any time. It is the responsibility of the student to meet eligibility requirements, as set forth by this process, and to prepare adequately for this review. The department chair makes a final recommendation, based on a careful review by department faculty/staff, for an HM sophomore to pass with distinction, pass, pass pending, probation, or fail. A designation below pass pending requires a meeting with the department chair and/or faculty to discuss problem areas or specific concerns. A final letter is sent to each student confirming his or her status upon completion of the review board process. A failed sophomore review will result in the student’s dismissal from the major. If a student is placed on probation, he/she will have one term to make the mandated improvements. If this does not occur, the department will have the right to dismiss the student from the major. As part of the review board process, each program participant is encouraged to work (as time permits) in hospitality-related operations both on campus and elsewhere in addition to practicum hour requirements as detailed in the practicum hour policy guide (available in the HM Department Office).

Department Scholarships
Annually, the HM Department makes several scholarship awards available through a variety of outside/departmental endowed scholarships. Specific scholarship awards are governed by the criteria detailed in the university catalog under restricted scholarships. Senior and faculty service awards are also granted on the basis of merit as determined by the faculty of the department.

Core Professional Education
The HM degree is designed to develop well-rounded individuals through a balance of liberal arts, hospitality courses and business courses. All hospitality major concentrations require the successful completion of 54 credits in HM Core Professional Education courses. Students are required to take Statistics, Macroeconomics and Spanish (other language selections upon approval) as part of the Hospitality Core Curriculum. No hospitality major courses are permitted to be taken on a pass/fail basis. All majors are required to complete the courses below in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Arts degree.

Minor Program
The Statler Department of Hospitality Management will allow non-hospitality majors to gain entry level knowledge of two main areas of the Hospitality Industry including Hotel Operations and Food and Beverage Management. Completion of the minor, plus 50 department related service hours, will qualify the student for employment recruitment by department corporate and industry partners. No minor course may be taken on a pass/fail basis and a GPA of 2.5 or higher must be maintained in all HM minor courses.

Minor Course Requirements
HRIM 100 Intro to Hospitality Management 3 credits
HRIM 101 Applied Service Methods 1 credit
HRIM 110 Sanitation and Safety 2 credits
HRIM 201 Hotel Room Operations 3 credits
HRIM 212 Purchasing for the Hospitality Industry 3 credits
HRIM 234/235 Introduction to Food Service Management 4 credits
HRIM 260 Hospitality Marketing and Sales 3 credits
HRIM 380 Hospitality Law 3 credits
One Department Elective from the HM department recommended list of electives or other HM concentrations  3 credits

Summer Abroad
Opportunities to study and travel abroad are available and may include study in Ireland, Switzerland, Greece, Costa Rica, Italy, Australia and more. Details are available in the chair’s office or the Study Abroad Office.

Transfers
The HM Department recognizes many other fine institutions and hospitality programs. Future HM students may transfer into the program during any semester. The department makes every attempt to make the transition into the HM department as expediently and efficiently as possible. Students transferring from institutions outside Mercyhurst are governed by the University Transfer Policy (see Transfer Policy in the University Catalog). One half of all HM classes must be completed at Mercyhurst in order to satisfy degree requirements.

Organizations - Eta Sigma Delta (ESD)
Eta Sigma Delta is the international hospitality and tourism honor society for academically outstanding students in the hospitality field. It is affiliated with CHRIE (Council on Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Education) in which Mercyhurst maintains membership. To be eligible for membership in the Mercyhurst Chapter of ESD, a student must be a junior or senior and rank in the top 20 percent of the HM class. ESD members participate in various activities during the year such as community service projects, fundraising for the ESD Chapter Scholarship, and working on a variety of special projects in conjunction with the chair’s office.

Hospitality Management Association (HMA)
HMA is a service organization which assists the department in its various endeavors. Students participate in educational enrichment opportunities (for example student sales blitz activities with nationally recognized chains and field trips) which aid in the enhancement of their knowledge of the hospitality industry. Working closely with the faculty and staff, fundraising events are scheduled throughout the year to benefit a variety of club and department activities. This student organization sponsors the annual senior dinner where HM graduation certificates and faculty awards are given.

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)
The PCMA student chapter was formed to increase management awareness of meetings and conventions, to broaden their scope of activity, refine their educational pursuits, and to expand the training base for students interested in the meeting and convention field.

Departmental Memberships and Affiliations
Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA)
Council on Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Education (CHRIE)
National Restaurant Association (NRA)
American Hotel and Motel Association (AH and MA)
Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)
Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI)
Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
The Statler Foundation

Program Outcomes:

The Statler Department of Hospitality Management includes learning outcomes and guidelines that have been established by the HM faculty, hospitality industry leaders, accreditation, and world-class hospitality corporate management training programs. Students are expected to:

  • Demonstrate an acquisition of skills related to technical systems used in hospitality industry divisions.
  • Apply basic marketing concepts to industry promotion in all areas of concentrations.
  • Accurately complete and understand financial data related to areas of the accredited hospitality management curriculum.
  • Apply knowledge of critical thinking to functional areas of the hospitality industry to identify, analyze and solve business problems in those functional areas.
  • Demonstrate learned standards of professionalism while applying basic principles and theories of management while working independently and with others.
  • Apply classroom theory to experiential settings in the lab and through cooperative, in the field, learning experiences.
Program Requirements:

HM Major/Concentration - Bachelor of Arts Requirements

All HM majors must carry a minimum 2.5 GPA in major courses, overall, to meet departmental and certification requirements. Any special programs and/or certificate offerings under the supervision of the HM Department must meet similarly stipulated requirements. HM Department requirements can supersede university requirement(s) and may be modified at any time. Student majors who fail to earn a grade of C or higher in an HM course or concentration course must repeat the course. If the student does not receive a C after repeating the course, a decision will be made by the chair regarding permission to retake the course or possible termination from the major.

Service Practicum Requirement
A service practicum (200 hours) is required for all students regardless of transfer or class status and must be fulfilled prior to graduation. Seventy-five percent of the requirement must be completed internally within the department or in department sponsored functions. The remaining twenty-five percent may be completed outside of the department with the chair’s approval. Upon completion of the required practicum hours, three credits may be granted in the final term. Details are available in the HM department office regarding specific requirements of this program. It is the student’s responsibility to read the service practicum policy to make certain they are in compliance and to schedule practicum hours in a timely fashion.

Core HM Professional Education

Event Management Concentration

OR

One course from the HM department recommended list of electives or other HM concentrations.

Students must complete 6 credit hours of Internships (taken in any combination)

HM Department Recommended List of Electives

By permission, an advanced language course above the first level may be accepted for one elective

0
Click here to see this course group.
Degrees & Certificates
Course Descriptions