FACS-171 -- Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry
Spring 2012 -- Online Section


Instructor: Dr. Rich Patterson
Office: Academic Complex, 209C
E-Mail: hospitality.classes@gmail.com
WKU Homepage: http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson
Personal Webpage: http://www.food-guy.com
Office Phone: 270-745-4031 -- FAX: 270-745-3999
Department Secretary: 270-745-4352

Office Hours

Monday 12:30 - 3:30, Tuesday 2:00 - 4:00, Thursday 9:00 - 1:00, and Friday 12:30 - 1:30. You can schedule an appointment with me online at Tungle Me -- http://www.tungle.me/richpatterson. The website shows all the times I am available each day so you can choose a time convenient for you. Making an appointment is fairly easy but here is a short tutorial on how to make an appointment in case you need help -- http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson/Tungle/tungle.htm.

Course Description

Study of the evolution of the hospitality industry and how it is currently stratified. Organizational systems, management and career opportunities/salaries will be examined. Hospitality service management is viewed from both a consumer and business perspective. (3 credit hours)

Purpose of the Course

This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the hospitality industry to include career opportunities, restaurant management, hotel/lodging management and tourism. Students looking for careers in restaurants/food service operations; hotel/lodging operations; and/or any organization involved in travel and tourism will find that this course provides the background necessary to understand how the hospitality industry functions.

Prerequisites

None

Required Text

Barrows, Clayton W., Powers, Tom, and Reynolds, Dennis. Introduction to the Hospitality Industry, Eighth Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc, New York, 2012. (ISBN: 978-0-470-39916-3) Click Here for a Picture of Textbook Cover and Online Textbook Sources or copy and paste this web address in your browser -- http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson/CFS-171/Webpage/171textbook.htm

Course Objectives

Terminal Performance Objective: The student will be able to describe the various segments of the hospitality industry and discuss issues currently confronting each segment.

  1. Discuss consumer needs in the hospitality industry and the services required to fulfill these needs.

  2. Analyze the various components of the hospitality industry and describe how they interrelate.

  3. Discuss the issues and trends facing the hospitality industry today.

  4. Describe the operational and management structure for various types of hospitality facilities.

  5. Discuss basic management concepts and provide an opportunity for students to formulate a managerial frame of reference.

  6. Discuss career paths and professional challenges characteristic of the hospitality industry.

  7. Describe the interrelationship of travel, tourism and the hospitality industry.

  8. Discuss the concept of service management and its impact from both a consumer and business perspective.

  9. Identify current events which will have an impact on the hospitality industry.

Method of Instruction

  1. Homework Assignments
  2. Class Notes
  3. Chapters in the Textbook
  4. Class Discussions via Discussion Board
  5. Current Hospitality Industry News
  6. Supplemental Readings in Hospitality Management
  7. Case Studies
  8. Student Projects

Course Requirements

  1. ALL correspondence regarding this course must be sent to the course email address: hospitality.classes@gmail.com -- NOT my WKU email account. The subject line for all e-mail messages must always have the course number listed first in the following format: FACS-171 / Your Name / the topic of the email message. For example: FACS-171 / John Smith / Question about the Homework for Week 2. I will have students from other online courses sending email messages to this email address (some of you in more than one class) so the course number must always be first. Please don't assume I will recognize your email address and the class you are in.

  2. All students must send an email message to the instructor on the first day of the semester (January 23, 2012), from the email address you intend to use for this course and will check at least once per day, to check in and confirm that you are aware that you are in this online course. Students who fail to contact the instructor via email during the first week will not be allowed to remain in the course. Send this message to: hospitality.classes@gmail.com -- again, this is the only email address to use for anything related to this course. The subject for this email message must be: FACS-171 / Your Name / Checking In. Email messages with the wrong format for the subject line and/or sent to the wrong email address will be returned to the sender and you will be asked to resend the message correctly.

  3. This course syllabus contains the primary information for this course. However, the FAQ's, exam information and other written documents (email messages, announcements on the course webpage, "factoids", etc.) for this course also provide important course information which may not be duplicated in the syllabus. It is the responsibility of the student to read all documents related to this course and follow the directions/guidance provided. All policies and procedures for this course can be found under the "Start Here/Course Info." button on the course website. Students must read and become familiar with all of these documents. You will take an exam on these documents when you are finished reading them. You must attain a score of 100 on the exam and you will be given three attempts to attain a 100 during the first week of classes -- the exam is open notes so it should be fairly easy to do. If you do not attain a score of 100, you will lose twenty-five points off your "attention to detail" grade. Since part of your final grade will be "attention to detail", it is incumbent on you to be familiar with and follow all policies/procedures/requirements contained in these documents.

  4. After logging on to the course website, students must first read the announcement for the week. These announcements are typically short but provide important information regarding the course. Students are required to follow the directions indicated in the announcements -- these directions may not be duplicated anywhere else. Again, the "attention to detail" portion of your final grade will, in part, be determined by how well you read and follow written directions.

  5. Each week, assignments for the week will be posted no later than midnight on Mondays, however I try to have assignments posted on Sunday to give you extra time. The assignment page on the course website should be checked at the beginning of each week. The assignments will consist of a combination or all of the following:


    • Reading and studying a chapter in the textbook
    • Reading and studying class notes
    • Homework assignments (internet exercises)
    • Class Discussions (discussion board)
    • Supplemental readings
    • Industry news

    The homework assignment is typically due no later than midnight the Tuesday a week following the posting of the assignment unless otherwise specified (you will always have a full week to do the homework). Always check the "Assignments" page on the course website for the due date for homework assignments.

  6. Reading -- Each student will read and study the chapters assigned in the textbook and all additional readings (class notes, supplemental readings, industry news, etc.) according to instructions given on the "Assignments" page of the course website. Please note that exam questions will come from all readings -- not just the textbook and notes. After reading the announcements, always check "Assignments" to determine what is due for the week, and when it is due -- everything is testable.

  7. Homework -- Homework will be assigned throughout the semester. These homework assignments typically take the form of internet exercises, case studies, math calculations, etc. Each student will submit all assigned homework to the instructor no later than midnight on the Tuesday following the week it was assigned -- unless instructed otherwise. A "due date" will always be indicated on the "Assignments" page. Assignments can be turned in before the due date but will lose points per day or part of a day for each day the homework is late (including weekends, holidays etc.) according to the following schedule: 1 day late (up to 24-hours) loses 50 points, 2 or more days late (more than 24-hours) the homework will not be accepted and will be assigned a "zero". Homework may be turned in one day late (it is to the student's advantage to turn it in late rather than accept a zero) but 24 hours after the due time/date, it will not be accepted and will receive a zero. When submitting homework, please do not attach files on BlackBoard for your homework

    • To view and submit your homework, first click on the "Course Documents" button. Next click on the week you for which you are going to submit your homework. This will display the links for notes, news, supplemental reading and homework. You will see a bolded link which will say "Homework for Week 7" or whatever week number you are working on. If you click on that link, you will see the homework for the week. When you are ready to submit your homework, click on the link the says "Click Here to Submit Homework for Week 7". After you click on that link. you will see a "Comments" box -- this is where you will type in the answers to your homework (please do not attach files -- type everything in the textbox on BlackBoard). From here you have two options -- "Save" or "Submit". If you click "Save", this allows you to edit and add to the homework at a later date. However, if you just save it, the homework is not available for me to grade. If you click "Submit', you cannot edit or add to the homework it is sent to me for grading. You must "Submit" your homework before midnight on the due date or it will be considered late -- saving your homework is NOT the same as submitting it.

      Note 1: If you attach a file for your homework, you will automatically lose 10 points off the homework -- you will start with a 90 rather than 100. Again, please do not attach files.

      Note 2: Copy and paste your homework somewhere and save it before you submit it -- unfortunately you don't have the option to edit it again. If you make a mistake, I will need to "clear your attempt" which will wipe out everything you have done and you will have to start all over again unless you have saved it somewhere. It is best if you copy and paste from BlackBoard to Word rather than the reverse. If you copy and paste from Word, many invisible formatting codes that are embedded in the document go with it and can cause bizarre results in BlackBoard.

      • Once you have submitted your homework, you will see an "exclamation mark" in the check grades for the week. When I grade the homework, the "exclamation mark" will become a grade and you will also be able to see any comments I may have made. If you see an icon that looks like a small padlock, that means your assignment was saved but not submitted. You must submit your homework before the deadline in order for it to be considered on-time.

  8. Class Notes -- Class notes will be posted each week under the "Course Documents" category. Each student is responsible for reading and studying the class notes -- class notes are testable.

  9. Industry News -- Each week, industry news items will be posted under "Course Documents". Students are required to read these items and may be required to make comments regarding the item on the discussion board. Test questions are always taken from news items.

  10. Supplemental Readings -- Each week, additional readings will be posted which are related to the topics being studied in this class. Students are required to read these items and may be required to make comments regarding the item on the discussion board. Test questions are always taken from supplemental readings.

  11. Semester Project -- All students are required to complete a project which entails "shadowing" a manager in the hospitality industry for approximately 4-8 hours. The student will then write a minimum of a 1200-word report on what he/she observed and learned. The project is due no later than midnight on April 20, 2012. Send the project to the course email address (hospitality.classes@gmail.com) as an attached file. The subject of the email message must be: FACS-171 / Your Name / Semester Project. The project must be saved in Word (preferred) or rich text format. I cannot read Works files or files from other word processors so if you use Works or anything else as your primary word processor, you must save the file in Word or rich text format first before you send it. More specific guidelines on the shadow project are included at the end of this syllabus.

  12. Class Discussion -- Students are expected to participate in class discussions which will be held on the online discussion board. The discussions do not require students to be online at the same time. Students will read messages posted by other students and post their own comments before the deadline indicated by the instructor. BlackBoard allows me to see how often, how long, and when you log on to the discussion board. A portion of the student's grade will be determined by how frequently the student participates on the discussion board. Note: There are two discussion boards, don't get confused as to which one to use. Go to the Discussion Board Factoids under the "Start Here/Course Info" button on the course website for additional information. The DeskTop Diner Discussion is used for only two discussions -- to introduce yourself to the class during the first week of classes and for a general discussion on any topic of your choosing throughout the semester.

    After the first week, I will divide the class into three groups. You will only be required to post to and read the messages from your assigned group (you will find your group under the "Group Discussion Board" button after the first week). As an absolute minimum, you will be required post your answer to the discussion question no later than midnight on a Thursday, and to respond to at least three other students no later than midnight on the following Tuesday. Due dates will always be listed on the "Assignments" page for each week. Postings after midnight on the due date will not be accepted. There is no grace period for posting on the discussion board. If you don't post by midnight on the date it is due, the discussion will disappear from view and you will be assigned a grade of "zero". Please note that the intent of the discussion board is for students to read and respond to postings every day -- not just on the due date -- so the frequency of your participation will be tracked.

  13. Timeliness -- Assignments must be turned in before the deadline. Assignments turned in late will lose points for every day or part of a day the assignment is late according to the following schedule: up to 1 day late (up to 24-hours) loses 50 points, more than 1 day late (more than 24-hours after the due date/time), the homework will not be accepted and will be assigned a "zero". Note: Computer/e-mail problems on the day the assignment is due will not be accepted as an excuse for late assignments. The due date is the last day an assignment can be turned in -- it can be turned in anytime before that date. The operative concept here is -- Don't wait until the last minute before turning in an assignment.

    If you cannot access the course materials, either on the course website or via the links provided by the instructor, please contact the instructor via email as soon as possible. Sometimes there is a problem with the server where the course is located or websites go down for some reason and appropriate action cannot be taken unless a problem is identified. Don't assume that someone else has notified the instructor of the problem.

  14. Email Availability -- Students are required to check the email account they are using for this course at least once per day as part of the requirements for this course. Instructions, clarifications and other guidance are often provided via email. If you have an email account with a spam guard or other spam protection, be sure to configure it so that messages from the course email address [hospitality.classes@gmail.com] will be delivered to your inbox. Also, if you have a web account such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo etc. you will have a "Junk Mail", "Spam", or "Bulk Mail" folder. You will need to check these folders to be sure a message from the course email address didn't get routed to the "Spam/Bulk/Junk Mail" folder by mistake. Since I typically send email messages to everyone in the class (all in one message), they are sometimes mistaken for spam. If this should happen, be sure to configure your email account to assure it doesn't happen again.

    If your account goes over the limit (over quota), all email sent to your account will be returned to the sender. If a message from me gets returned because you are "over quota", I will attempt to send it one more time the next day. If the second message is returned, I will not attempt to send it again. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that s/he keeps their email account in good working order. Also, if you have an email account that has a setting that blocks all email from addresses not in your address book [such as AOL and Hotmail], be sure to put the course email address in your address book (or on the approved list) so you will always receive email messages from me.

    If you typically use an email address other than your WKU account as your primary [preferred] email address, you should consider configuring your WKU account so that it automatically forwards all email messages to your preferred account. All official messages from WKU and WKU faculty will go to your WKU address so it is to your advantage to have all messages sent to your WKU account forwarded to your preferred email address. Be sure to have the messages automatically deleted from your WKU account after they are forwarded so you don't accidentally go over-quota. If you go over-quota on your WKU account, all messages sent to that account will be bounced back to the sender without being forwarded.

  15. All course requirements must be completed -- they are not optional. Students who do not complete all requirements will receive an "incomplete" until all work is satisfactorily completed or a grade of "F", at the discretion of the instructor . Please note that an incomplete automatically becomes an "F" after a certain period of time. If you receive an incomplete, consult the university bulletin or the office of the registrar for more information on the deadline for clearing an incomplete.

  16. If for any reason you are having a problem or have concerns about the course, please email the instructor for assistance -- I am here to help you. If you need to drop the course, please notify the instructor as soon as possible so I can delete you from my roster -- WKU doesn't notify me when students drop.

Class Participation, Professionalism and Attention to Detail

  1. This course requires that you participate in class discussions. This means that you contribute to class discussions by relating your experiences, asking questions, making comments appropriate to the topics being discussed. Students will be assigned readings which will be discussed from time to time on the discussion board. In order for the discussions to be meaningful, each student must have read the assigned reading and make meaningful comments. Since class participation plays a role in your final grade, it is essential that you have not only read the assignment, but have drawn conclusions of your own from the reading. You will present those conclusions on the discussion board.

  2. When writing homework or posting on the discussion board, the proper use of English [spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.] is expected. Note: The discussion board is not "text messaging" so proper English is required.

  3. For this online class, participation is defined as completing assingments and taking exams. Merely logging on to the BlackBoard website is NOT considered participation in this class -- you must complete assignments/discussions/exams, etc. to be considered as participating. Please note that this policy is different than the generic policy issued by WKU.

  4. All students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner while online. Unprofessional behavior such as, but not limited to, the use of inappropriate language and/or rudeness toward any person will be considered a serious violation of this standard and will lower your grade accordingly. See Netiquette Guidelines for more information -- http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson/e-mail.htm

  5. Attention to detail means following the directions and guidelines provided in the syllabus, FAQ's, exam information as well as email messages, announcements, and other information published on the course web site. This would include, but is not limited to: having the appropriate subject line for email messages, name on homework, making an appointment to take exams in a timely manner, keeping email account operational, etc. Attention to detail plays a role in your overall final grade. The hospitality/tourism industry is a very detail oriented industry, so it begins here.

Exams

  1. There will be four examinations. Each exam will cover designated material from:

    • The textbook
    • Supplemental reading assignments
    • Class notes
    • Class discussions [on the discussion board]
    • Homework
    • Industry news

  2. The exams will cover only the material since the previous exam and/or as indicated by the instructor. Exams will be taken online during an "exam week" as indicated in this syllabus or as announced by the instructor. Please note that an exam week is Monday through Thursday only -- exams are NOT given on Fridays.

    • You must make an appointment to take exams at the online testing center which is located in Garrett Conference Center, Room 108 (DELO) at least 24 hours in advance of the exam if you live on or near Western's campus. The testing center will not allow students to make appointments for exams less than 24 hours before the exam day. To make an appointment do the following:

      1. Log in to TopNet as you normally do
      2. Click on "Student Services"
      3. Click on "Registration"
      4. Click on the "Online Exam Reservation" link at the bottom of the Registration page.
      The system will lead you through the process of making the reservation. Hopefully, only the dates established by your instructor for the exam will be shown. However this may not be the case so be sure to only select days that have been designated by the instructor. The system will confirm your date and time immediately and you will be able to print the confirmation page as a reminder.

      Be careful! Once you make your reservation and receive the confirmation you will not be able to change the reservation. Call 745-5122 to have the system reset if you make a mistake. You must then follow the instructions as before in TopNet to schedule your exam again. For more complete information, go to the DELO webpage at: http://www.wku.edu/testing/.

    • Arrangements can be made on TopNet to take exams at the Glasgow campus if that is more convenient. See "Exam Information" (http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson/271exams.htm) on the course website for details on how to make appointments. You must notify the instructor a minimum of a week in advance if you plan on taking the exam anywhere other than the testing center in Garrett, South Campus, or the Glasgow campus (see the exam information page for complete information).

    • You must have a picture ID with you in order to take the exam.


    • Students who do not attend classes on Western's campus will take exams at a test site in the vicinity of their residence. Those students should contact the instructor at least three weeks before the first exam to coordinate an appropriate test site. Proctored test sites could be a public library, any school (elementary, middle or high), college or university, businesses, military facilities, WKU satellite campuses in E'town, Owensboro, etc. as long as they have access to the internet and an individual who is willing to be responsible for proctoring the exam. If you plan to take your exam off-campus, DO NOT register for the exam on TopNet -- you will register only with the exam site you have chosen. You must provide the instructor with the name, phone number and email address of the person who will proctor your exam at least a week prior to the exam. You will not be permitted to take the exam off campus unless the instructor has been able to contact the proctor.

      For a listing of sites that have agreed to proctor exams for Western students, go to the following web address: (http://www.wku.edu/testing/ -- and click on "Find Other Test Sites"). Some of the sites listed have a fee involved with proctoring the exam. You are welcome to pay the fee but there are abundant "free" options available to you. Please keep in mind that you are not limited to the test centers listed on this web site, but if you want something different, it is incumbent on the student to find it. You are responsible for determining the hours of operation of your testing center and scheduling an appointment. All sites must be approved in advance by the instructor.

    • Make your appointment early since students from several other classes across campus will be "competing" for the same time slots and the testing center can only test a limited number of students at the same time [limited by the number of computers they have]. You will need to be flexible because when they reach their limit in a certain time slot, you will need to choose another time. It is to your advantage to make a reservation early. Whatever the case, you must make your reservation at least 24 hours in advance of the exam date or you will be blocked from making an appointment.

  3. Exams in this course are typically multiple choice, true/false, and/or short answer questions, however, there are two exams where mathematical calculations must be made. For the math calculations, you may use a calculator for the exam, however, cell phones are not to be used as a calculator.

  4. Students must take all exams during the designated exam week [again, Monday through Thursday only]. Students who miss exams for reasons other than those approved by the instructor, will automatically lose points off the make-up exam score for every day or part of a day the exam is not made up (see course requirements above). After one business day, the exam will be assigned a grade of zero and the exam cannot be made up. Students who fail to make an appointment to take their exam in a timely manner and require special accommodations will lose ten points off the exam if the exam is taken during the exam week, otherwise the schedule indicated in "course requirements" above will apply. Additional exam information can be found can be found at -- http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson/171exams.htm.

  5. Exam dates are as follows:* #

    • Exam 1-- February 20 - 23, 2012 (Chapters 1 - 4)
    • Exam 2-- March 26 - 29, 2012 (Chapters 5 - 8)
    • Exam 3-- April 16 - 19, 2012 (Chapters 9 - 11)
    • Exam 4-- May 7 - 10, 2012 (Chapters 12 - 14)

      * Exams dates are subject to change
      # Exams will be administered by appointment only in Room 108, Garrett Conference Center (DELO) for on-campus students and as agreed upon with the instructor for off-campus students.

Evaluation and Determining Course Grade

  • Exam 1 -- 14%
    Exam 2 -- 14%
    Exam 3 -- 14%
    Exam 4 -- 14%
    Semester Project -- 14%
    Homework -- 15%
    Class Participation, Professionalism and Attention to Detail -- 15%

    Note: This course uses a "weighted average" to calculate your grade based on the percentages above. Do not use the points indicated on BlackBoard to calculate your grade -- they are meaningless for this course.

  • The due date for the Semester Project is midnight on April 20, 2012. Papers submitted after this date will be considered late. Late papers will automatically lose points for every day or part of a day they are late -- 50 points off for up to 24-hours late, 0 points for more than 24-hours late..

  • When the final course grade is calculated, the numerical grade will definitely not round up if the student has a zero in anything related to this course. For example, if the student has a 69.4 average and took a zero for a homework assignment, discussion board or anything else, the final letter grade will be a "D". Had the student at least attempted to do the assignment and only received a 50% on the assignment, the final average would have been above a 70%. Please do not whine about your final letter grade if you chose to take a zero(s) for a homework assignment, discussion, or anything else related to the course.

  • The grade for this course will not be determined by effort i.e. how hard you had to work on the course requirements or how many hours you had to work. The grade will be determined based on achievement and performance -- your meaningful accomplishments.

  • Grades when submitted are final and will not be changed unless there was a computational error or other error on the part of the instructor. If you need a certain grade in this course to maintain or increase your grade point average, you must put the appropriate amount of effort into the class requirements to earn that grade. If you have trouble understanding some of the course material, be sure to contact the instructor for assistance.

Academic Honesty

The following list describes the types of academic misconduct that will not be tolerated in any way in this class:

  1. Cheating: Use of an unauthorized "aid" while taking a test, having another person take an exam or quiz in the place of the student, stealing an examination, using group work as an individual student's work, or unauthorized use of assistance from a lab or computer technician. Note: If a proctor at a test site sees/finds a paper, electronic device, or writing on a body part (e.g. hand, arm, leg, etc.) with course information during the exam, this will be considered as cheating and the student will receive a zero for the exam and possibly an "F" in the course. It is incumbent on the student to assure that all books, papers, notes, and electronic devices that contain course information are securely stored away -- there is a no tolerance in this area.

  2. Fabrication: Falsifying data in laboratory results, inventing information for a report, falsifying citations to sources of information.


  3. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Aiding another student in committing academic misconduct. This would include, but is not limited to, providing another student with answers for any graded assignment.


  4. Interference: Stealing, changing, destroying, or impeding another student's work. Impeding includes stealing, defacing, or mutilating resources to deprive someone the use of resources.


  5. Plagiarism: Using the ideas, words, or statements of another person without giving credit to that person. A student shall give credit to the works of others if the student uses another person's words, ideas, opinions, or theories or borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material unless the information is common knowledge.


  6. Online Courses: When taking an exam, only one browser window/tab can be open - the exam. If you have another browser window open or another browser tab open, this would be considered cheating regardless of what is in the second window/tab.

  7. Violation of Course Rules: Not following course rules as outlined in the course syllabus, other course documents, email messages, and as instructed on the course website.


“Students who commit any act of academic dishonesty may receive from the instructor a failing grade in that portion of the course work in which the act is detected or a failing grade in the course without possibility of withdrawal. The faculty member may also present the case to the Office of the Dean of Student life for disciplinary sanctions. ” -- See WKU Catalog, Catalog, 2011-2012, p. 29 for additional information. Please note that this policy relates to ALL aspects of the course to include homework, case studies, exams, quizzes, projects, discussion boards, etc. As a minimum, any person found to be cheating will receive a zero on the assignment, a zero for the professionalism grade and the incident will be reported to the Dean of Student life.

Student Disability Services

"Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, Student Success Center, in DUC Room A-201. OSDS telephone number is (270) 745-5004/V (270) 745-3030/TDD. Please do not request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services." -- See WKU Catalog, 2011-2012, p. 328 for additional information.

The Learning Center (TLC) (located in the Academic Advising and Retention Center, DUC-A330)

Should you require academic assistance with this course, or any other General Education Course, there are several places that can provide you with help. TLC tutors in most major undergraduate subjects and course levels throughout the week . To make an appointment, or to request a tutor for a specific class, call 745-6254 or stop by DUC A330. Log on to TLC’s website at www.wku.edu/tlc to find out more. TLC hours: M-Thur. 8am-9pm, Fri. 8am-4pm, Sat.-Closed, and Sundays 4pm-9pm.

General WKU Help Resources

This file lists other sources of help at WKU. It includes information on technical support, research tools, tutoring, etc. Click here for more information. -- http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson/FACS-271/Webpage/generalwkuhelps.html


FACS-171 -- Semester Project Guidelines
Shadow a Manager in the Hospitality Industry


  1. Each student will make contact with a manager in the hospitality industry and shadow that individual for a minimum of three (3) hours. This will entail being with the manager for the entire period to determine the duties and responsibilities of that individual. (Note: The time spent with the manager needs to be continuous.) A 1200 to 1600-word report (not counting the cover page or any attachments) will be written describing what was learned/observed during the shadowing time. See paragraph number 12 below for guidelines on how to format the paper.

  2. It is incumbent on the student to find a manager in the sector of the hospitality industry in which you are interested. You may use restaurants, hotels, hospitals, airline feeding, recreation, tourism etc. First make contact with a manager in the area of your choice. Explain to them the objectives of this project. Negotiate a time that is mutually convenient for both you and the manager. You want to find the time where you will see the most in terms of what the manager does. Remember, you need to be the one who is most flexible.

  3. There is no problem with two or three students shadowing a manager at the same time as long as the manager knows in advance and approves. Please keep in mind that all reports must be written independently -- you may not collaborate on reports (that would be considered cheating).


  4. When you do your shadow project, you are representing the Hospitality Management program at Western as well as yourself. As our representative, you must be professionally/appropriately dressed and demonstrate professional conduct at all times. Remember, the managers you are shadowing are potential future employers and they are evaluating you as well as our program.

  5. If you are already working in any segment of the hospitality industry, you may not choose a manager in your current place of work. For example, if you currently work or have a lot of experience in the hotel side of the industry, it is to your advantage to choose the restaurant side to do your project so you have the opportunity to learn more. Don't assume you will only like one side of the industry just because the majority of your experience is there. Once you commit to either hotel or restaurant and begin accumulating experience in that sector, it becomes increasingly more difficult and threatening to switch.

  6. You can also shadow a manager in a different sector of the same industry. For example, if your experience is in the quick service sector of the restaurant industry, you can choose a different sector such as a casual dinner house or fine dining manager to shadow. Whatever the case, you may not shadow a manager in the unit where you currently work.

  7. The objectives of this project are:

    1. To determine the roles and responsibilities of a general manager in the hospitality industry.
    2. To determine if the hospitality industry is the professional area for you.
    3. To determine if a given sector of the hospitality (either food and beverage or hotel/motels) is for you.
    4. To see what it takes to be a manager in the hospitality industry and to evaluate if you have what it takes.

  8. When you are spending time with the manager, keep in mind that he/she is also forming an impression of you. You may want to parlay this contact into a practicum/internship/job later on. Think about questions to ask before you go so you are prepared. Look sharp -- be sharp!

  9. Some areas to address in your report include (but are not limited to) the following. Address only the areas that apply to your situation. For example, "number of covers" applies to restaurants and "rooms occupied" applies to lodging operations.

      For approximately the first half page, you need to describe the operation where you are shadowing. This would include (as appropriate) some of the following information:

    1. Description of the location and local trading area -- who is their competition
    2. For restaurants/food service operations: The number of seats, average number of covers served per day/meal, approximate dollar volume per week/month, food cost percentage, beverage cost percentage, labor cost percentage, number of employees, number of managers -- as available to the student.
    3. For lodging operations: The average number of rooms occupied per day/week/month, RevPar, ADR, number of rooms cleaned per housekeeper, number of guests per occupied room, approximate dollar volume per week/month -- as available to the student.

      For the financial aspects, some managers may not want to share this information for proprietary reasons. Tell them that you don't need exact figures but approximate figures. If they are still reluctant to provide this information, ask them what they would consider good performance figures for an operation their size and/or what their target goals are.

    4. What are the typical problems they face in any given day
    5. What are the most critical problems they have to deal with on an ongoing basis
    6. Where do they have management jobs/opportunities in their organization
    7. What is their opinion of the restaurant/hotel/tourism industry as a place for employment and why
    8. What is their opinion of the future of the industry
    9. What are their typical daily responsibilities
    10. How many people do they supervise
    11. How many hours per week do they work
    12. What methods do they use to control costs
    13. Observe and evaluate the traffic flow throughout the organization -- comment as appropriate
    14. What do they like best about their job and why
    15. What do they like least about their job and why
    16. What personal characteristics and competencies should an individual have in order to make it in the hospitality industry

    Be sure to think about what you would want to know and learn before you shadow the manager. Have your questions ready and write down the answers so you don't forget them.

  10. When you write your paper, keep in mind that this project is intended to give you an in-depth look at what a manager in the hospitality industry does in a day. Be sure to capture this information in your paper. Also, do not use a question and answer format when writing your paper. This paper is an essay paper and should not be written as if you are talking to the instructor. Avoid using the words "I" and "you" in the paper.

  11. On a separate page at the end of your paper, list the complete name of the manager you shadowed, his/her title, name of the business where the manager works, business address, and the business telephone number where the manager can be reached. If this information is not included with the paper and I have to ask for it, you will lose five point from your grade.

  12. Paper Format Checklist

    • The paper should be typed in Word or saved as a Word or Rich Text Format document (either .doc, docx. or .rtf is fine). Using another word processor such as Works is fine, just save your document as a Word or Rich Text Format file. I cannot read Works files so please don't send a file in Works format. You will then ATTACH the file to an email message and send it to the instructor. Do not "copy and paste" the paper into an email message -- it must be attached as a complete file. The subject of the email message must be: FACS-171 / Your Name / Semester Project. If you do not know how to attach a file or how to save a Works file in Word format, contact the instructor for assistance.

    • The paper is to be typewritten double-spaced with 1" margins on each side (top, bottom, left and right). Note: if you use Word 2003, the default margins are set for 1.25 inches so they must be adjusted. To adjust the margins, never, ever use the little sliders at the top of the editing page. Click on the word "File" at the top left of the screen, then "Page Setup" and then fix the margins there.

    • You must use the Arial type-face only -- no other font-faces are acceptable. Also, the font size must be 11 points -- no bigger or smaller. Note: Word typically defaults to Times New Roman, 12 points -- you must change the defaults for this paper.

    • Your paper must include a cover page with a title for your project (the cover page is the first page in the file -- not the last), name of organization where you shadowed the manager, your name and date. DO NOT type any "cover page" information such as your name, title of the paper, etc. on the first page of the paper. The typed paper begins on the first line of the page after the cover page.

      • Papers should be written using good grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling since English usage will count 25% of the grade on the paper. 75% of the grade will focus on how much you learned from your observations.

    • Short papers will detract from the content grade so be sure you have at least 1200 words with the correct margins and font size. For example, a paper that is only 1000 words instead of 1200, starts at a grade of 83% instead of 100%.

    • On a separate page at the end of the report, include the following information: The actual date and hours you shadowed the manager; and the name, title, place of work, address, and phone number of the manager. This page is considered an attachment and not counted as part of the paper. If this information is not included with the paper, the paper will not be graded until the information is received. Five points will be deducted from the paper's grade if this information is not included as part of the original file.

    • All papers must be sent to the course email address as an attached file. Do not type the paper in the email message itself -- it must be an attached file.

    • Please note, if I have to adjust the margins, font-face, font-size or any formatting problems with the paper, you will automatically lose five points off the grade for each item I have to change.


    • The project is due no later than midnight on April 20, 2012. Send the project to the course email address (hospitality.classes@gmail.com) as an attached file. The subject of the email message must be: FACS-171 / Your Name / Semester Project. Only one file may be attached -- the cover page and any attachments must be in one complete file -- do not send the cover page or any attachments as a separate file, everything must be in one file.


The schedule and procedures in this course, as outlined in this syllabus, are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances and/or as deemed appropriate by the professor.


Date last Modified: January 9, 2012