In Favor of Hospitality-Management Education

Despite the almost one-hundred-year history of hospitality-management education; the hundreds of well-established two-year, four-year, and graduate programs worldwide; and the hundreds of thousands of graduates those programs have prepared for careers in the industry, hospitality-management education’s merit and place in higher education are still questioned at times, to the dismay of hospitality educators the world over. This article delineates several features of hospitality management that make these programs valuable and unique and provides compelling arguments in its favor. The arguments include: 1) courses tailored to the hospitality industry, the world’s largest industry; 2) focus on small-business management as well as corporate enterprises; 3) emphasis on services and service management, not manufacturing; 4) programs and coursework focused on people management, which it at the core of the hospitality businesses; 5) unique focus on the specific issues of food and beverage management, the largest component of the hospitality industry; and 6) transferability of graduates’ knowledge and skill sets, which are in high demand among other service industries. While business programs focus on the fundamentals of management and production, hospitality- management programs prepare graduates who are aware of general management principles and are particularly well-versed in managing the guest experience and employees in a service environment.

The effects of content-based ESOL instruction on the overall English proficiency of foreign -born college students

This study investigates the effects of content-based ESOL instruction on the overall English proficiency of foreign-born college students. Based on various psychological and social factors which affect second language acquisition, it is suggested that the techniques of content-based instruction, while focusing on subject matter, allow the learners to overcome the language barrier by neutralizing their subconscious defense mechanism, thus attaining greater proficiency.^ Two groups of Miami-Dade Community College ESOL students were chosen as subjects for this study: a control group composed of students from the North and Wolfson campuses, where the ESOL program is based predominantly on structural or structural-functional approach, and an experimental group of Medical Center campus students, where content-based instruction is incorporated into curriculum. Ethnicity, gender, age, and other differences in the population are discussed in the study.^ The students' English Placement Test (EPT) scores were used as covariate, and the scores on Multiple Assessment Programs and Services (MAPS) test as dependent variables. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was applied to test significant difference between the means. The results of the analysis of data indicate that there is a consistent difference in the mean performance of the Medical Center campus ESOL students demonstrated by their scores on MAPS. Although neither ethnicity, nor gender of the subjects has affected the outcome, age had a contributing effect. The implications of these findings suggest that content-based instruction facilitates greater overall English proficiency in foreign-born college students. ^

Risk -taking propensity of faculty, administrators, and academic department heads at a large, urban, multi -campus community college

This research was undertaken to explore dimensions of the risk construct, identify factors related to risk-taking in education, and study risk propensity among employees at a community college. Risk-taking propensity (RTP) was measured by the 12-item BCDQ, which consisted of personal and professional risk-related situations balanced for the money, reputation, and satisfaction dimensions of the risk construct. Scoring ranged from 1.00 (most cautious) to 6.00 (most risky).^ Surveys including the BCDQ and seven demographic questions relating to age, gender, professional status, length of service, academic discipline, highest degree, and campus location were sent to faculty, administrators, and academic department heads. A total of 325 surveys were returned, resulting in a 66.7% response rate. Subjects were relatively homogeneous for age, length of service, and highest degree.^ Subjects were also homogeneous for risk-taking propensity: no substantive differences in RTP scores were noted within and among demographic groups, with the possible exception of academic discipline. The mean RTP score for all subjects was 3.77, for faculty was 3.76, for administrators was 3.83, and for department heads was 3.64.^ The relationship between propensity to take personal risks and propensity to take professional risks was tested by computing Pearson r correlation coefficients. The relationships for the total sample, faculty, and administrator groups were statistically significant, but of limited practical significance. Subjects were placed into risk categories by dividing the response scale into thirds. A 3 x 3 factorial ANOVA revealed no interaction effects between professional status and risk category with regard to RTP score. A discriminant analysis showed that a seven-factor model was not effective in predicting risk category.^ The homogeneity of the study sample and the effect of a risk-encouraging environment were discussed in the context of the community college. Since very little data on risk-taking in education is available, risk propensity data from this study could serve as a basis for comparison to future research. Results could be used by institutions to plan professional development activities, designed to increase risk-taking and encourage active acceptance of change. ^

A comparison of the self -esteem of freshman community college students enrolled in remedial and regular academic programs

This study examined relationships among self-esteem, remedial academic placement, ethnicity, gender, and enrollment status, using a nonexperimental, ex post facto research design. Participants were 113 freshman community college students attending Broward Community College in South Florida. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (Adult Form) was used to measure the self-esteem of the participants. The results of this study indicate a significant difference between the mean self-esteem levels of the students enrolled in remedial academic classes (m = 66.08) and those enrolled in regular academic classes (m = 73.97). An independent samples t-test at the.05 significance level indicated that regular students were found to have higher levels of self-esteem than remedial students (t(112) = 2.14, p =.03). Two-way analyses of variance of placement status by ethnicity, of placement status by gender, and of placement status by enrollment status on self-esteem were also conducted. Interactions between placement status and the other factors were not found to be significant (p $>$.05). However, a significant main effect for ethnicity was found (p $<$.05). The results indicated that white students had a mean self-esteem level (m = 75.30) significantly higher than non-white students (m = 62.76, p =.002).^ The results of this study suggests that many community college students have problems related to self-esteem. Further research should be conducted on remedial and minority college students using a larger sample size and additional variables, such as socio-economic status. ^

Curricular perceptions of adult education at National Chun -Chin University, Chia -Yi, Taiwan

This research was conducted in Chia-Yi, Taiwan to study the needs of adult education participants to determine the factors necessary to provide direction for the development of university adult education curriculum and supportive government educational policies. Factors researched were characteristics of the adult learner, theories of adult learning, demands of adult education, and implications of university adult education as the theoretical foundation for the development of specific curriculum development efforts. The study investigated adult learning needs and their relationship with demographic variable. Analyzing the needs of adult education participant and the relative factors through a survey resulted in recommendations for the development of adult education program plans, content of curriculum, and teaching. Research questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequencies, chi square, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc analysis. ^ The study showed that most participants in these adult education activities were under forty, middle class, of above average educational levels, and either living or working in the city. People who were older, of lesser social and economic positions, with lower educational standards, and living/working in the country, did not participate as much in adult education opportunities. Recommendations included that in the planning or setting up of adult education activities, attention be given to all the possible barriers or problems that are likely to occur in people's participation, e.g., motivation, interests, content of courses, teaching methods, willingness of participation, qualification of teachers, time, funds, locations, and so on. It is suggested that the resolution of these problems can significantly increase the participation of adult education. ^

An interview study of community college student perspectives on service -learning

Over the past two decades, the community college in the United States has boasted a leadership role in the movement to make education community-based and performance-oriented. This has led to an intensification in attempts to search for more innovative means to make education more experiential and relevant to students' lived experiences. ^ One such innovative program that holds promise to meet this challenge is service-learning. This paradigm attempts to relate the academic education in the classroom to community-based problems, which fits in neatly with the community-based characteristics of the community college. It promises to link ideas developed in the classroom and their practical application within the community through guided reflection. It is designed to enhance and enrich student learning of course material by combining citizenship, academic subjects, skills, and values. ^ Though many studies have been carried out in regard to the outcomes of service-learning through quantitative means, relatively few qualitative studies are available, and those available have primarily studied traditional students at four-year residential colleges or universities. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study non-traditional students' perspectives at the community college level. ^ The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the perspectives of five students at Broward Community College, Central Campus, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The following exploratory questions guided this study: (1) What elements constitute these students' perspectives? (2) What variables influence their perspectives? (3) What beliefs do these students hold about their service-learning experience which support or are contrary to their perspectives? ^ This ethnographic interview study was conducted over a period of twelve months and consisted of three interviews for each of the five participants. The analysis of the data was conducted following the stringent principles of ethnographic research which included constant comparative analysis. The interviews were tape recorded with the participants' permission, transcribed verbatim, and organized into categories for in-depth understanding. Furthermore, these categories were developed from the data collected and an organizational scheme for understanding and interpreting of these perspectives emerged. The researcher, as well, kept a reflective journal of the research process as part of the data set. ^ The results of this study show the need for a better grasp of the concepts of service-learning on the part of all involved with its implementation. In spite of this, all of the participants displayed gains to a greater or lesser degree in personal growth, academic skills, and citizenship skills. ^

The impact of the Florida state -mandated Basic Skills Exit Tests at Miami -Dade Community College

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the Florida State-mandated Basic Skills Exit Tests (BSET) on the effectiveness of remedial instruction programs to adequately serve the academically underprepared student population. The primary research question concerned whether the introduction of the BSET has resulted in remedial completers who are better prepared for college-level coursework. ^ This study consisted of an ex post facto research design to examine the impact of the BSET on student readiness for subsequent college-level coursework at Miami-Dade Community College. Two way analysis of variance was used to compare the performance of remedial and college-ready students before and after the introduction of the BSET requirement. Chi-square analysis was used to explore changes in the proportion of students completing and passing remedial courses. Finally, correlation analysis was used to explore the utility of the BSET in predicting subsequent college-level course performance. Differences based on subject area and race/ethnicity were explored. ^ The introduction of the BSET did not improve the performance of remedial completers in subsequent college-level courses in any of the subject areas. The BSET did have a negative impact on the success rate of students in remedial reading and mathematics courses. There was a significant decrease in minority students' likelihood of passing remedial reading and mathematics courses after the BSET was introduced. The reliability of the BSET is unacceptably low for all subject areas, based on estimates derived from administrations at M-DCC. Nevertheless, there was a significant positive relationship between BSET score and grade point average in subsequent college-level courses. This relationship varied by subject area and ethnicity, with the BSET reading score having no relationship with subsequent course performance for Black non-Hispanic students. ^ The BSET had no discernable positive effect on remedial student performance in subsequent college-level courses. In other words, the BSET has not enhanced the effectiveness of the remedial programs to prepare students for later coursework at M-DCC. The BSET had a negative impact on the progress and success of students in remedial reading and mathematics. ^

Predicting the in-term persistence of community college English-as-a-second-language students

The English-as-a-second-language (ESL) community college student population has increased notably in the past decade, but a decreasing number of these students are completing courses, programs, or degrees (Erisman & Looney, 2008). These students come to college with unique background experiences, and once in college, deal with challenging linguistic, academic, and social integration issues. Though they are not linguistically homogenous, and they do not have a common purpose, ESL students share the common goal of attending community college to learn to speak English (Szelényi & Chang, 2002). Course completion is a primary measure of progress toward that goal, and is therefore an issue of concern for both ESL students and community colleges, which continue to be the access point for language-minority students progressing into higher education (Laden, 2004).^ The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that predict in-term persistence of community college ESL students. A mixed methods research design consisting of two phases was utilized, and participants in this study were ESL students enrolled in a large community college in south Florida. Phase 1 students completed the Community College ESL Student Questionnaire (CCSEQ), which collected demographic data and data on entry characteristics, academic integration, and social integration. Discriminant and descriptive analyses were used to report the data collected in Phase I. Phase 2 students were a matching cohort of completing and non-completing students who participated in semi-structured interviews at the end of the term. Data collected in the interviews were analyzed thematically, using a constant comparative method as described by Glaser and Strauss (1967).^ Students’ self reported demographic data, background characteristics, goal commitment, and integration factors on the CCSEQ showed no significance between the students who completed the term and the students who did not complete the term. However, several differentiating themes emerged from the interview data, which indicated differences in goal commitment and integration between the two groups. The focus of non-completers on getting good grades rather than completing the course, and the commitment of completers to the goal of finishing the class in order to go forward, both raise questions for future research studies.^

A comparison of upper division performance of community college transfer students to native university students

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that no differences existed in the upper division performance of academically excellent community college transfer students when compared to native university students. The relationship of enrollment patterns such as skipped terms, dropped terms, summer session utilization, college of major, credits attempted, credits received, test scores, and current status were also studied.^ The data were collected through a hand analysis of 673 student transcripts which provided the information for a database designed specifically for this study. The subjects were 229 transfers from Miami-Dade Community College and 444 natives from Florida International University. The students all began their studies in the lower division in the Fall term of 1982, 1983 or 1984 and eventually transferred to the upper division at FIU. This longitudinal study followed the upper division performance and enrollment patterns through the Spring term of 1991.^ Data analysis included chi-square for all categorical and numerical variables; t-tests were performed for the numerical variables. Correlation coefficients, Two-Way Analysis of Variance and Three-Way Crosstabulations were also used when indicated. There were significant differences among the upper division performance of community college transfer students and native university students for the graduation rate and the GPA range. A significant difference was also found between the math and essay CLAST scores, number of summer terms utilized, number of terms to graduation, current enrollment status, and credits attempted and received for the groups. ^

The effectiveness of an intelligent tutoring system on the attitude and achievement of developmental mathematics students in a community college

This study examined the effectiveness of intelligent tutoring system instruction, grounded in John Anderson's ACT theory of cognition, on the achievement and attitude of developmental mathematics students in the community college setting. The quasi-experimental research used a pretest-posttest control group design. The dependent variables were problem solving achievement, overall achievement, and attitude towards mathematics. The independent variable was instructional method. Four intact classes and two instructors participated in the study for one semester. Two classes (n = 35) served as experimental groups; they received six lessons with real-world problems using intelligent tutoring system instruction. The other two classes (n = 24) served as control groups; they received six lessons with real-world problems using traditional instruction including graphing calculator support. It was hypothesized that students taught problem solving using the intelligent tutoring system would achieve more on the dependent variables than students taught without the intelligent tutoring system. Posttest mean scores for one teacher produced a significant difference in overall achievement for the experimental group. The same teacher had higher means, not significantly, for the experimental group in problem solving achievement. The study did not indicate a significant difference in attitude mean scores. It was concluded that using an intelligent tutoring system in problem solving instruction may impact student's overall mathematics achievement and problem solving achievement. Other factors must be considered, such as the teacher's classroom experience, the teacher's experience with the intelligent tutoring system, trained technical support, and trained student support; as well as student learning styles, motivation, and overall mathematics ability.

An interview study of community college student perspectives on service-learning

Over the past two decades, the community college in the United States has boasted a leadership role in the movement to make education community-based and performance-oriented. This has led to an intensification in attempts to search for more innovative means to make education more experiential and relevant to students' lived experiences. One such innovative program that holds promise to meet this challenge is service- learning. This paradigm attempts to relate the academic education in the classroom to community-based problems, which fits in neatly with the community-based characteristics of the community college. It promises to link ideas developed in the classroom and their practical application within the community through guided reflection. It is designed to enhance and enrich student learning of course material by combining citizenship, academic subjects, skills, and values. Though many studies have been carried out in regard to the outcomes of service-learning through quantitative means, relatively few qualitative studies are available, and those available have primarily studied traditional students at four-year residential colleges or universities. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study non-traditional students' perspectives at the community college level. The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the perspectives of five students at Broward Community College, Central Campus, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The following exploratory questions guided this study: 1. What elements constitute these students' perspectives? 2. What variables influence their perspectives? 3. What beliefs do these students hold about their service-learning experience which support or are contrary to their perspectives? This ethnographic interview study was conducted over a period of twelve months and consisted of three interviews for each of the five participants. The analysis of the data was conducted following the stringent principles of ethnographic research which included constant comparative analysis. The interviews were tape recorded with the participants' permission, transcribed verbatim, and organized into categories for in-depth understanding. Furthermore, these categories were developed from the data collected and an organizational scheme for understanding and interpreting of these perspectives emerged. The researcher, as well, kept a reflective journal of the research process as part of the data set. The results of this study show the need for a better grasp of the concepts of service-learning on the part of all involved with its implementation. In spite of this, all of the participants displayed gains to a greater or lesser degree in personal growth, academic skills, and citizenship skills.

The effect of sexist attitudes on the perception of visual artists by community college and university students

This study compared the effects of sexist labeling on the perceptions of visual artists by the community college and university students and determined their sex role orientation. The 370 students were shown five slides of an artist's works and were given six versions of an artist's biography. It contained embedded sexual labeling (woman, girl, person/ she, man, guy, person/he). The Artist Evaluation Questionnaire was administered to the female and male community college and university students that required the students to evaluate the female and male artists on several aspects of affective and cognitive measures. The questionnaire consisted of 9 items that had to be rated by the participants. In addition, the students filled out the Demographic Questionnaire and the BEM Sex Role Inventory, titled the Attitude Questionnaire. The Analysis of Variance testing procedures were administered to analyze the responses. The results disclosed gender differences in students' ratings. The female artist's work, when the artist was referred to by the neutral sexual label, "person", received significantly higher ratings from the female students. The male students gave the female artist her highest ratings when she was referred to by the low status sexual label, "girl". Both sexes did not express statistically significant preferences for any of the male sexual labels. Gender difference became apparent when it was found that female students rated both sexes equally, and their ratings were lower than those of the male students. The male students rated the female artist's work higher than the work of the male artist. The analysis of the sex role inventory questionnaire revealed the absence of the feminine (expressive) and masculine (instrumental) personalities among the students. The personalities of almost all the students were androgynous, with a few within the range of the near feminine, and a few within the range of the near masculine. The study reveals that there are differences in perception of sexual labels among the community college and university students.

The impact of the Florida state-mandated basic skills exit test at Miami-Dade Community College

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the Florida State-mandated Basic Skills Exit Tests (BSET) on the effectiveness of remedial instruction programs to adequately serve the academically underprepared student population. The primary research question concerned whether the introduction of the BSET has resulted in remedial completers who are better prepared for college-level coursework. This study consisted of an ex post facto research design to examine the impact of the BSET on student readiness for subsequent college-level coursework at Miami- Dade Community College. Two way analysis of variance was used to compare the performance of remedial and college-ready students before and after the introduction of the BSET requirement. Chi-square analysis was used to explore changes in the proportion of students completing and passing remedial courses. Finally, correlation analysis was used to explore the utility of the BSET in predicting subsequent college-level course performance. Differences based on subject area and race/ethnicity were explored.

Risk-taking propensity of faculty, administrators and academic departament heads at large, urban, multicampus community college

This research was undertaken to explore dimensions of the risk construct, identify factors related to risk-taking in education, and study risk propensity among employees at a community college. Risk-taking propensity (RTP) was measured by the 12-item BCDQ, which consisted of personal and professional risk-related situations balanced for the money, reputation, and satisfaction dimensions of the risk construct. Scoring ranged from 1.00 (most cautious) to 6.00 (most risky). Surveys including the BCDQ and seven demographic questions relating to age, gender, professional status, length of service, academic discipline, highest degree, and campus location were sent to faculty, administrators, and academic department heads. A total of 325 surveys were returned, resulting in a 66.7% response rate. Subjects were relatively homogeneous for age, length of service, and highest degree. Subjects were also homogeneous for risk-taking propensity: no substantive differences in RTP scores were noted within and among demographic groups, with the possible exception of academic discipline. The mean RTP score for all subjects was 3.77, for faculty was 3.76, for administrators was 3.83, and for department heads was 3.64. The relationship between propensity to take personal risks and propensity to take professional risks was tested by computing Pearson r correlation coefficients. The relationships for the total sample, faculty, and administrator groups were statistically significant, but of limited practical significance. Subjects were placed into risk categories by dividing the response scale into thirds. A 3 X 3 factorial ANOVA revealed no interaction effects between professional status and risk category with regard to RTP score. A discriminant analysis showed that a seven-factor model was not effective in predicting risk category. The homogeneity of the study sample and the effect of a risk encouraging environment were discussed in the context of the community college. Since very little data on risk-taking in education is available, risk propensity data from this study could serve as a basis for comparison to future research. Results could be used by institutions to plan professional development activities, designed to increase risk-taking and encourage active acceptance of change.