Instructor: Dr. Rich Patterson, R.D.
Office: Academic Complex, 209C
E-Mail: rich.patterson@wku.edu
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
Course Information Website: http://people.wku.edu/rich.patterson/CFS-313-410/index.htm

Office Hours

As posted during the fall and spring semesters. During the summer semester, specific office hours will not be maintained. However, e-mail and phone messages will be checked regularly. If you need immediate assistance, leave a message with a phone number and time you can be reached and I will return your call as soon as possible. In an emergency, you can leave a message with the department secretary during normal business hours.

Course Description

This course provides a forum where students can acquire entry level knowledge and skills in the hospitality industry while in a performance setting. Students apply the knowledge and skills acquired at Western in an appropriate hospitality establishment approved by the instructor.

Prerequisites

Sophomore standing, HMD-171, HMD-251

Required Text

None

Course Objectives

Terminal Performance Objective:To provide a forum where students can apply the management concepts learned in class and to acquire the hands-on experience necessary to qualify for an entry level position in hotel, restaurant/food service and/or tourism management.

1. Acquire entry level practical experience within a business environment in the hospitality industry.

2. Develop a more complete understanding of various hospitality managerial functions.

3. Develop the ability to analyze and propose solutions to business problems.

4. Develop a greater understanding about career options while defining personal career goals.

5. Develop an understanding of the activities and functions of hospitality managers.

6. Refine written communication skills.

Course Requirements

1. All students will meet with the course director during the semester prior to the practicum to complete an application form. All practicums must be approved, in advance, by the course instructor.

2. All students must go to The Center for Career and Professional Development (formerly Career Services) in DSU room 2001 to obtain a packet of forms for the practicum. No appointment is necessary since they offer walk-in hours (Monday through Friday) from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. A staff member will be available to meet with any student who has acquired an internship/practicum. The Center for Career and Professional Development staff will provide students with a packet of information which includes practicum application forms, evaluation forms, and an orientation on writing a resume and cover letter. If you are leaving Bowling Green for the summer/semester, you must meet with Career and Professional Development before you leave -- whether you have a job or not.

3. Each student is responsible for finding his/her own practicum site, however, the course director will provide as much help as possible. Career and Professional Development on campus is also a source for internship opportunities [http://www.wku.edu/career/].

4. The practicum must be completed during the summer semester unless the practicum site requires the student to do the practicum during the fall or spring semesters (for example some Disney practicums). An exception to this policy is for those students desiring to do their practicum in the meeting, convention, and exposition managment field with WKU Conferencing and Catering at the Knicely Center. WKU Confenencing and Catering will provide "practicum" experiences for up to two interns per semester and these practicums can be completed during either the fall or spring semester. Students must first obtain a practicum position with WKU Conferencing and Catering then obtain permission from the practicum director. All questions regarding this exception should be directed to the practicum director.

5. The practicum can consist of full-time or part-time employment. Full-time employment is defined as a minimum of 40 hours per week for a minimum of 8 consecutive weeks. Note that there are two minimums that must be met: (1) a minimum of 40 hours per week and (2) a minimum of 8 consecutive weeks. There are two part-time alternatives. The first alternative would be a minimum of 27-35 hours a week for 12 weeks or the second alternative is a minimum of 20 hours a week for 16 weeks. Note: Once you decide on one of the three alternatives above, you can't change without prior approval from the instructor. Regardless of whether you choose full-time or part-time, all totaled, you must complete a minimum of 320 hours to successfully complete the practicum.

6. All students must register for the course during the prescribed WKU registration period and pay applicable tuition and university fees. The practicum must be completed during the semester the practicum was registered for. Students may not register for the practicum in one semester and start it in another semester.
   
   Note: The practicum for the summer session will be listed as the last July/August session in the summer to give students ample opportunity to find and complete their practicum. However even though you are registered for a July/August session, the practicum actually starts in May -- the day after the spring graduation ceremony. If you have a job when school ends for the spring, you will start the practicum in May -- don't wait (unless you take a short vacation after finals). If you don't have a job, you will start the practicum as soon as you get one. Remember, the practicum is either 8, 12, or 16 weeks and you need time to complete it before classes start in the fall.

7. Students are required to attend all practicum meetings (if any) held by the instructor prior to starting the practicum. All students must attain a 100% on a multiple-choice exam in order to register for the practicum. The exam will be over the elements in this syllabus. There is also video tutorials available to help with understanding the requirements of the practicum.

8. If the student does not have a job, The Center for Career and Professional Development Center will help them put together a resume and cover letter and help them launch a job search. The instructor will also provide guidance on preparing a resume and cover letter at the student's request.

9. The student will develop objectives for the practicum and negotiate these objectives with the employer. These objectives must be submitted to the instructor and Career and Professional Development no later than the first report using the format provided by The Center for Career and Professional Development center. The original form is sent to the instructor -- faxes and photocopies are not acceptable. A photocopy or fax is also sent to Career and Professional Development. Keep a copy of your objectives for yourself -- you will need it to write your final report.

10. All students must provide the instructor and Career and Professional Development with a valid address, phone number and email address where the student can be reached during the practicum. The "Address and Housing Report" provided by Career and Professional Development is to be used for this purpose. The original form must arrive no later than the first report sent to the instructor -- this requirement is for everyone irregardless of where you do your practicum [faxes and photocopies of this form are not acceptable]. Send a photocopy or fax of this form to Career and Professional Development.

11. For students working full-time, a report must be written for each two-week period of the eight weeks of the practicum (a total of four bi-weekly reports). For students working part-time, a report must be written for each three weeks if you are working 27 - 35 hours per week or each four-week period if you are working 20 - 26 hours per week (a total of four reports). Whether you are working part-time or full-time, each report covers a minimum of 80 hours of work time.

12. The reports must be typed and should be at least 825-words in length (double spaced with 1" margins, 11 point font, using the Arial typeface -- no fancy, decorative or large type). The report must have a cover page with the following information: Your name, where you are working, the report number (e.g. Report # 1), the dates of the weeks covered by the report, the due date for the report and the number of hours you worked during the report period. See the examples below for the appropriate formats at the end of this syllabus. Note: The information on the cover page must not be included on the first page or any other page of the narrative report. Papers must be well written using good English composition and grammar. It is to be written in essay format -- not a conversational style nor a question and answer format.

    Included in the report should be a section on how you feel you are achieving your objectives. Topics to be included in the reports will include (but are not limited to) the following.

    1. Report Number One -- Description of the Operation
       1. Describe the owners of the business, chain affiliation and information about the chain and/or parent organization.

       2. Description of the location and local trading area

       3. Describe the business/venue where you are working including:

       4. For restaurants/food service operations
       1. Type of restaurant such as fast food, casual dinner house, etc.
       2. Square footage of the restaurant/food service
       3. Number of seats/booths, total capacity
       4. Approximate dollar volume per week/month (if available to the student)
       5. Food cost percentage, beverage cost percentage, labor cost percentage, amount of inventory on hand, etc.
       6. Number of people to operate the facility
       7. Any other information the student finds necessary to adequately describe the operation
       5. For hotels and lodging operations
       1. Type of lodging operation such as budget/economy, limited service, full-service, etc.
       2. Number of rooms
       3. Approximate dollar volume per week/month (if available to the student)
       4. Occupancy percentage, ADR, RevPar, number of rooms cleaned per housekeeper every day
       5. A brief description of services and amenities provided
       6. Number of people to operate the facility
       7. Any other information the student finds necessary to adequately describe the operation
       6. For tourism venues
       1. Describe the tourism venue including what it is
       2. Square footage if appropriate
       3. Indicate the number of guests per day, or any other "counts" that would be appropriate performance indicators for the venue
       4. Approximate dollar volume per day/week/month, as appropriate
       5. Cost of admission, entrance fees, etc.
       6. Number of people to operate the facility/operation
       7. Any other information the student finds necessary to adequately describe the operation
       7. Describe the function of the department/area where you are working and how it relates to the entire organization.

       8. Describe the function of your job in relation to the department as a whole.

       9. Discuss the flow of authority and the assignment of responsibility within the organization.

       10. What incidents have occurred while you were on duty? Who handled the incident(s) and how effective were they handled? If you were the manager, how would you have handled the situation?

       11. Provide your analysis of any relevant situation that occurs in the organization.

    2. Report Number Two -- The Physical Plant
       1. How large is the facility in square feet?

       2. What computer equipment to include hardware and software is used in the facility?

       3. Identify the brand names of all major equipment used in the facility? This would include kitchen equipment, guestroom furniture, washers/dryers etc.

       4. Identify the brand names and uses for all chemicals used in the facility?

       5. Discuss with the general manager the frequency that equipment and chemicals are ordered. How expensive are they?

       6. What incidents have occurred while you were on duty? Who handled the incident(s) and how effective were they handled? If you were the manager, how would you have handled the situation?

       7. Provide your analysis of any relevant situation that occurs in the organization.

    3. Report Number Three -- The Management Structure
       1. Who is the boss and who reports directly to him/her?

       2. What are the department or sections in the facility?

       3. Are there other supervisory or quasi-supervisory positions such as "lead server", trainer etc.?

       4. Which of the workers are most influential in the organization (informal leaders)?

       5. How much influence do these influential workers have?

       6. How does management deal with the informal leadership structure?

       7. What incidents have occurred while you were on duty? Who handled the incident(s) and how effective were they handled? If you were the manager, how would you have handled the situation?

       8. Provide your analysis of any relevant situation that occurs in the organization.

    4. Report Number Four -- Quality of Service
       1. How would you characterize the style of service in your organization?

       2. What are the good points regarding the service rendered to guests in your facility?

       3. What areas need improvement in the service delivery system in your facility?

       4. If you were the general manager, what would you do differently?

       5. Overall, how would you rate the quality of service received by the guests at your facility?

       6. What incidents have occurred while you were on duty? Who handled the incident(s) and how effective were they handled? If you were the manager, how would you have handled the situation?

       7. Provide your analysis of any relevant situation that occurs in the organization.

13. Reports will cover weeks beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday -- there are no exceptions. They are to be sent to the instructor as an attached file to an email message. All reports, including the final report, must be emailed -- do not fax, hand-carry or send reports in the regular mail. A total of four reports plus the final report will be submitted. All reports are to be emailed to the instructor no later than midnight the Thursday following the report period -- reports can come sooner, that is the latest time before being counted late. For example, if you are working full-time, your report period ends on the Saturday of the second week -- the report would be due no later than midnight on the following Thursday. These reports are NOT sent to Career and Professional Development.

14. The student must have a valid e-mail address where he/she can receive messages in case there is a transmission problem. Students are required to check their preferred email address at least once per day for messages from the instructor.

15. All reports must be either typed or saved in Word or Rich Text Format -- no other format is acceptable. I can only read Microsoft Word files -- not Works. If you use Works or any other word processor (which is not a problem) just be sure to save the file in Word (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text (.rtf) format. If you don't know how to do this, contact the instructor for assistance. Please note, if you send a file in Works or other non-approved format, it will not be accepted. Also, reports must be sent as an attached file, not typed in an e-mail message.

16. Keep a copy of all reports and forms until you finish the course and receive a grade for the course. When you send the file via email, set up a folder in your email account to store all messages with files attached until you receive a grade for the course. Hotmail account holders -- Hotmail will delete all messages in your sent file 30 days or older. If you want to keep a message that you have sent, you will need to transfer the file to another folder.
17. All students are required to submit a 1200-word final report (typewritten - double spaced) covering the entire practicum. This is the fifth and final report. The same report may be submitted to Career and Professional Development to fulfill their requirement. The report must be sent as an attached file to an email message -- do not use regular mail, hand-carry or fax the final report to the instructor. The final report is due two weeks after the fourth report for both full-time and part-time. For example, your fourth bi-weekly or monthly (part-time) report is due on a Thursday -- the final report is due on a Thursday two weeks after the due date for the bi-weekly or monthly report. Topics to be included in the final report might include (but are not limited to) the following:
    1. The degree to which you feel you accomplished your objectives.

    2. How your practicum contributed to your professional goals. Did your career goals change as a result of the practicum?

    3. Did what you learned in your practicum parallel what you learned at WKU?

    4. Have you acquired any special skills in the practicum that you didn't already have?

    5. What are some of the most important management skills you feel are a must for a successful hotel or restaurant manager?

    6. What are some personal characteristics which you feel are necessary for a successful hotel or restaurant manager?

    7. Summarize what you feel were the most important learning experiences during your practicum.

    8. From your experience and observations of the hospitality industry thus far, what changes can we make in the curriculum at Western which you feel would better prepare you for an entry level management position.

    9. Would you recommend this practicum site to another student in Western's Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Program?

18. The student is required to obtain an evaluation from his/her supervisor and submit the original form to the instructor within two weeks after the last complete week of the practicum (the same time as the final report). The evaluation form supplied by Career and Professional Development must be used for this purpose. Please note, the instructor must receive the original form of the evaluation -- the form that the supervisor actually filled out -- photocopies and faxes are not acceptable. A photocopy or fax of the evaluation must be sent to Career and Professional Development to fulfill their requirements. Students must also complete the "Data Report" which is your evaluation of the practicum experience. Both the original forms of the evaluation and the data report must be either mailed or hand-carried to the instructor to arrive no later than the final report.

19. If you wish to take a family vacation or become sick during the practicum, this is not a problem as long as your work supervisor approves your time off. It is your work supervisor, not the instructor, who approves any time off from the practicum. However, you must give the instructor advanced notice of the dates that you will be away from your practicum. This means that you notify the instructor BEFORE any absences, not when the instructor is questioning why your report was late. If you fail to notify the instructor of time off because of vacations or illness, any reports received late will be considered late.

20. If you should lose or quit your job during the practicum, you may start your practicum at a different location. However, if you change employers, you must start all over again with report one for the practicum -- not where you left off from the previous employer. The bottom line is that when you change employers, you lose the hours you had with that employer.