This course is the online version of CFS-171 (Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry). For this course, it is strongly recommended that all students read the FAQs at least once in the beginning of the semester and then refer back to them as questions arise. The information contained in this section can help the student to get the most out of this course and perhaps solve a few problems and relieve a little anxiety regarding the course. For questions that are not answered in this section, please send an e-mail message to the instructor at the address indicated below.

1. How does this online course work?
2. Who can take this course and what are the prerequisites?
3. Who should not take a course via the Internet?
4. What are the requirements for the course?
5. What will it take to be successful in this course?
6. When are assignments due?
7. How will I be evaluated?
8. How do I sign up for the course?
9. If I need help or have questions, how do I contact the instructor?
10. What are the office hours of the instructor?
11. How and when do I take exams?
12. How do I establish an e-mail account?
13. How do I send homework, papers and projects to the instructor?
14. Do I need to own a computer to take this course?
15. What are the system requirements for the computers for this course?
16. What Internet browser should I use?
17. How do I obtain a user name and password?

1. How does this online course work?



This online course does not meet in the classroom and is available 24 hours a day 7 days per week. Students can work on the course when it is convenient for them and thereby easily accommodate their other obligations such as on-campus classes, employment, child care etc. However, the course is very structured since there will be specific deadlines that students must meet and scheduled exams. Students will be expected to devote approximately 2½ hours per week online -- this is in addition to the time it will take students to read the textbook, do homework, write papers, and to do the course project. Since there is no "lecture" in this course, it will require much more reading and writing than the typical classroom course. The 2½ hours online will be in place of attending class and will involve completing Internet exercises, reading class notes, industry news, supplemental readings, and participating in class discussions on the discussion board. This class is totally online -- students will never meet in a classroom for this class.

2. Who can take this course and what are the prerequisites?



This course is a lower level course (100 level) and there are no prerequisites so virtually anyone can take the course. However, this course is designed for those students who:


• are enrolled in a Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management (HRTM) major
• are enrolled in a Hospitality Management Associate Degree program
• are enrolled in either the Food Service Management, Lodging Management and/or Tourism minor
• wish to take this course at Western and transfer it to a hospitality program at another university
• just wish to learn more about the hospitality industry as a potential career field

Students outside the major are more than welcome to take the course but they must realize that all readings and projects are directed specifically at the hospitality industry.

All students must be able to read and write English, fluently.

3. Who should NOT take a course via the Internet?



• Students who don't have routine access to the Internet. You will need to devote approximately 2½ hours per week, online -- in addition to the time it takes you to read the textbook. You do not need to own your own computer, but you must have a computer available to you to complete your assignments.
• Students who are just looking for a "bunny" course. This course will require you to devote time to read, submit homework, take exams, surf the net, and complete a semester project. Read through the course syllabus to see if this course is for you.
• Students who don't do well reading and following directions. This course is "text" based which means instead of hearing things, you must read them. All instructions and procedures for this course are in the written format. If don't like to read and/or have a tendency to "blow off" reading assignments, the online version of this course may not be for you.
• Students who don't read and follow directions well. This course is text based which means instead of hearing things, you must read them. All instructions and procedures for this course are in the written format. If you don't like to read and/or have a tendency to "blow off" reading assignments, the online version of this course is not for you. A portion of your final grade is derived from your ability to read and follow directions (attention to detail).
• Students who procrastinate and/or wait until the last minute to do things. Everything in this course will be delivered via the Internet which many times is slow and unstable. If you wait until the last minute and you cannot access the information you need, you will not be able to complete your assignments by the due date and you will be downgraded. Note: WKU performs system maintenance on their CourseInfo server everyday from 2:15 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. The course materials may or may not be available during that time.
• Students who do not work well independently. You will be on your own with this course. You will need to have the initiative to complete all reading assignments and do the work required and have it ready by the due date. There will be no one to remind you of the tasks that need to be completed.
• This course is also offered in the classroom during the Fall semester. If you feel that the online format is not for you, please consider switching to the classroom format next semester.




4. What are the requirements for the course?



Basically, the course will entail extensive reading and writing to include: designated chapters in the textbook, reading other materials provided by the instructor, surfing designated websites, reading industry news items, participating in class discussions via the discussion board, completing homework assignments, completing a semester project which is to shadow a manager in the hospitality industry and, of course, exams. Students must also pay attention to the details required by the course (for example, the subject line on homework email messages) since "attention to detail" will play a role in the formulation of your final grade. For more definitive information, see the course syllabus.

5. What will it take to be successful in this course?



To be successful in this course, students must read all the assigned material, turn in homework and project assignments on time, participate frequently in class discussions on the discussion board, and study for exams. This will entail spending about 2½ hours per week online -- which is above the time it will take to read the textbook and study. If you fail to turn in homework assignments or participate on the discussion board, you will receive a grade of "zero" for the assignement -- this will impact your final grade.

6. When are assignments due?



Homework assignments for this course will be posted no later than midnight on Mondays. The homework will be due the following week by midnight on Tuesday. Assignments can be turned in before the due date but will lose points for every day or part of a day the homework is late (including weekends, holidays etc.) according to the following schedule: 1 day late loses 10 points, 2 days late loses 30 points, 3 days late loses 70 points. After three days, unsubmitted assignments such as homework and papers will be assigned a grade of "zero". Homework may be turned in late (it is to the student's advantage to turn it in late rather than accept a zero) but three days after the due date, it will not be accepted. Save all homework/assignments in case there is a technical problem and your homework is lost. If the instructor does not receive your homework, you can resubmit it without having to recreate it. All homework assignments must be submitted on the course website as described in the course syllabus. Note: There is no grace period for discussion boards -- a grade of zero will be assigned for postings not made by the due date.


7. How will I be evaluated?



Students enrolled in this course will be evaluated based on performance on four exams, weekly homework assignments, a semester project, and participation/professionalism on the discussion board and in email communications and attention to detail. For more definitive information, see the course syllabus.

8. How do I sign up for the course?



Students can enroll in this course two ways.


• Students Enrolled at WKU -- Any student enrolled at WKU can register for the course the same way you would for any course over Topnet. Just go to Topnet and follow the instructions. If there are two sections of CFS-171 listed, section 750 is the online section. Be sure to sign up for the right section. If you are unsure, ask the instructor either in person or via e-mail.


• Kentucky Virtual University (KYVU) -- You can sign up for this course through the KYVU. For more information, go to the KYVU website.



9. If I need help or have questions, how do I contact the instructor?



Even though the class does not meet in a traditional classroom, there are several ways to communicate with the instructor. They are as follows:


• E-Mail -- The first and best way is by E-Mail. My email address for all correspondence regarding this course is: hospitality.classes@gmail.com [all lowercase letters and no spaces]. Use this email address for ALL correspondence regarding this course. Be sure to include the course number (CFS-171) as the first item on the subject line for all correspondence followed by a written subject for the email message (for example: CFS-171 -- Question regarding the homework for Week 5). For issues unrelated to the course such as appointments for advising, please use my WKU email address.
• Telephone -- My phone number is 270-745-4031. If I am not in the office, leave your name, phone number, message and best time to reach you on my voice-mail and I will return your call as soon as I can.
• Fax -- My fax number for this course is: 270-745-3999.
• In Person -- If you are on or near the WKU campus, you can always come to my office which is located in the Academic Complex, Room 209C. If at all possible, please contact me in advance to make sure I will be in the office when you arrive.




10. What are the office hours of the instructor?



Office hours for both my office in the Academic Complex and for this online course are posted on my webpage and on my office door. Students should send an e-mail message to the instructor setting up an online appointment in the chat room if his office is not convenient. It would be best if the student made appointments during regularly scheduled office hours.

11. How and when do I take exams?



Exam dates will be established in the beginning of the semester. Each exam will be given during designated weeks from a Monday thru Thursday. Exams are not administered on Fridays. For students who have access to the WKU campus, exams will be administered in the testing center in Garrett Conference Center (Room 108) -- by appointment only. For students who reside too far from WKU to come to campus, the instructor will assist you in arranging a place which is convenient. [Note: The Glasgow campus can also administer exams if that is more convenient for you.] More complete instructions on making appointments and exam testing can be found on the course website under "Exam Information". Please read this section carefully since you will be responsible for its contents.

12. How do I establish an e-mail account?



An E-Mail account is required for this course since you must check for messages and/or announcements at least once per day. It is highly recommended that you use your WKU account for this course, however, you may use any other email account that you check regularly. If you currently have an E-mail account at home through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as AOL, InsightBB, Netzero, Earthlink, at work, etc. these accounts are fine as well. You may also use one of the "free" web based accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail. Whatever account you choose to use, you are responsible for maintaining the account in good working order.

Please be aware that if you use a Hotmail account (as well as some of the other "free" web based accounts), they have some annoying practices like automatically deleting messages from your "sent" folder after 30 days. Since you should keep all correspondence/homework you send to the instructor for the entire semester, it is recommended that you move those messages to another folder so they don't get deleted.

If you use an email address other than WKU's as your preferred email address, be sure to configure your WKU account to automatically forward all messages to your preferred email address. TopNet assumes that your WKU account is your primary account so all official messages will be sent to that account. If you have your messages forwarded to your preferred account, you will receive all official messages from WKU and faculty. Be sure to configure your WKU email account so that all forwarded messages are deleted from Western's server so you don't go "over quota".

If you use an account that has an aggressive "spam" control feature, be sure to include the course email address (hospitality.classes@gmail.com) on your "allowed" list so messages sent by the instructor will reach you. You are responsible for maintaining your email account so that it will accept messages. If you go "over quota" and my message is returned to me because you are "over quota", I will send it once again the next day. If the second message is returned, I will not attempt to send it again but you will be responsible for the contents. Also, be sure to check your "Junk Mail" or "Bulk Mail" folder since the spam controls may mistake my messages as spam.

If you change your email address, you must notify the instructor immediately. To notify the instructor, send an email message from the NEW email account -- not the old account.

13. How do I send homework, papers and projects to the instructor?



• Homework -- Homework should be submitted to the instructor via the course website in accordance with the instructions in the course syllabus. Be sure to read and understand the directions for submitting homework since you are responsible for submitting homework on time.
• All email messages must have a subject which indicates the topic of the email -- do not leave the subject line blank. The first item on the subject line must be the course number -- CFS-171. For example, a subject line might be: CFS-171 -- Questions regarding the dates for Exam 1.
• The semester project should be typed in either Microsoft Word (preferred) or Word Perfect and attached to an e-mail message. This is the only document that is sent to the instructor as an attached file, unless specified otherwise. If you use Microsoft Works, you must save the file in Microsoft Word format before you send it. I cannot read MS-Works files. For instructions on how to save a Works file in Word format go to: http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson/works.htm.
• For this course only, use the following e-mail address: hospitality.classes@gmail.com
• Please do not hand deliver, fax or mail homework to the instructor -- EVERYTHING must be posted on the course website or sent via email.




14. Do I need to own a computer to take this course?



No, you are not required to own a computer to take this course. However, you must have access to a computer which can communicate over the Internet. This computer could be on campus, at work, at a friend's house etc. You should have this computer available to you at least 2½ hours per week to do your assignments and to check your e-mail daily. You should also have the capability to compose and print documents.

15. What are the system requirements for the computers for this course?



You should have a system with at least a Pentium chip, and a 56 kbs modem. Slower systems [486's] and slower modems will dramatically increase [triple or quadruple] the time you will need to spend online and are not acceptable. Campus computers have a "direct line" with Pentium CPUs so they will be the fastest.

16. What Internet browser should I use?



You may use any browser that is available to you. However, if you get some bizarre results when viewing the webpages for this course, you may need to upgrade or change to a different browser. Consult the instructor if you have problems. Note: Internet Explorer, FireFox, and Opera all have been tested and work with this course.

17. How do I obtain a user name and password?



All the webpages for this course are restricted to those individuals enrolled in the course with the exception of this webpage, the course syllabus and the introductory page which are in the public domain. Students can logon to the Course Website and follow the directions. Basically your username is the name before the "@" sign on your WKU email address and your password is the same one you use to access your WKU email account. If you have taken a course over the internet at Western already, you can use the same username and password that you used the last time you logged on to a course.