Mission, Vision, Values & Program Goals
MISSION
To provide outstanding community-focused hospitality and tourism professionals with dynamic management and leadership skills grounded in significant, contemporary industry experience.
VISION
To continue to be a premium, regional provider of Hospitality and Tourism education by emphasizing a contemporary curriculum, experiential learning and stakeholder engagement in a nurturing, student-focused environment.
WE VALUE
- Teaching Excellence
- Collaboration with Stakeholders (students, alumni, industry and community partners)
- A Unique Culture of Collegiality and Inclusion
- Applied Scholarship, Service and Life-Long Learning
PROGRAM GOALS FOR OUR STUDENTS
- Apply principles of leadership in employment and community
- Apply business principles to the unique characteristics and demands of the hospitality and tourism industry
- Demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in work habits and communication skills
- Demonstrate a high level of service quality in diverse settings / populations
- Analyze and solve problems using qualitative and quantitative tools
- Demonstrate mastery of selected human resource management skills via portfolio and presentation
What do students like about the HTM program at GVSU?
- Small class sizes (largest HTM class is approximately 30 students, the mean size is 25).
- An applied teaching philosophy (making sense of the theory to practice which is crucial in a professional major such as HTM).
- Flexibility in their academic plans (we will work one-on-one with students to customize a part of their HTM education to suit their individual career goals).
- Welcoming culture (all faculty are approachable and prioritize teaching and student development).
- Sound business underpinning to the curriculum (our students only have to take two classes (six credits) in the Business School to obtain a business minor).
- Three levels of academic support. Students work with an academic advisor, a faculty mentor and our internship coordinator to complement their classroom studies with sound practical internships.
- Faculty-led, study abroad opportunity to Costa Rica, and previous opportunities offered to the Cannes International Film Festival.
- A strong, professional relationship with faculty (faculty are engaged in student-led events and often seek to take students to professional conferences). The department has sponsored a number of students to accompany Professor Rood to the Resort and Commercial Recreation Association (RCRA) conference.
- Other related activities include class trips to vineyards, food production operations, hotel and convention center tours, faculty-led experiences such as attending the Munising Ice Festival, and other events. All these activities are designed to embrace our 'applied teaching and learning philosophy'.
- Active HTM student club.
This is just a sample of the many activities one can engage in. We encourage student participation as a way of enhancing educational development.
Please explore our website further for more examples and news on student involvement in these types of projects.
For questions, please contact us at [email protected].