Dubrovnik, Croatia | BS Hospitality & Tourism Management | Assessment of Learning

Core Learning Goals & Objectives

Program Goal #1: Operations and Management: Students demonstrate understanding of fundamental aspects of hospitality operations and management  

  1. Use operating metrics to analyze operations of a hotel and recommend managerial actions to improve operations.
  2. Demonstrate and apply knowledge of food safety principles in the operation of a restaurant.
  3. Describe the roles of key participants in a typical hospitality project and how they interact to manage and complete projects.

Program Goal #2: Financial Tools: Students demonstrate knowledge and ability to successfully use financial tools to hospitality industry problem-solving.   

  1. Use hospitality financial statements such as the income statement and the balance sheet to identify opportunities and challenges for a business.
  2. Explain and calculate key operating metrics including RevPAR, check averages, labor cost/hour, occupancy, and recognize the impact of fixed and variable components of costs.
  3. Identify and manage the drivers of costs and profits in a typical F&B operation.
  4. Demonstrate the ability to estimate and manage costs in the operations of a restaurant or a hotel.

Program Goal #3: Marketing and Strategy. Students demonstrate understanding of fundamental aspects of hospitality marketing and strategy.   

 Formulate strategies using various tools including service blueprinting and value chain analysis to optimize customer experience.   

  1. Formulate strategies using various tools including service blueprinting and value chain analysis to optimize customer experience.
  2. Diagnose and measure the success of implemented customer experience design and processes.
  3. Using branding to define and create memorable luxury customer experiences.
  4. Conduct market studies and feasibility analyses.
  5. Connect F&B operations, management, and practices to organizational outcomes including guest satisfaction and profitability.

Outcomes Data

We have compiled data to assess competency objectives through our BS Hospitality and Tourism Management program courses, These course serves as a comprehensive tool for evaluating progress toward our key objectives and AACSB accreditation standards, as it is a mandatory requirement for all undergraduate students. We have outlined various assessment methods across different areas of the course, which allow us to collect data and measure performance against established benchmarks.

See program outcomes data here: Dubrovnik, Croatia | BS Hospitality & Tourism Management

Closing the Loop & Continuous Improvement

When program objective assessments are submitted, the submission form includes a section for a "closing the loop" discussion. This allows for reflection on potential adjustments that could be made to enhance the ongoing improvement of the BS Hospitality and Tourism Management program. These discussions, along with other efforts, have highlighted areas where changes could be implemented.

Student performance

  • The Hospitality & Tourism Management Advisory Board met on an annual basis with the program faculty and suggested the following improvements: Improve the experiential learning activities for students within the program both at the course and program level. Explore industry trends and identify opportunities for curricular learning. Missing skills of newly hired employees in the industry were discussed and how these skills might be better developed through the curriculum. Increase co-op opportunities for international students to better facilitate educational exchange opportunities between the Rochester and Croatia campuses. Skills needed within an AI workplace.  These suggestions were mapped by the program to program learning goals and objectives to facilitate an orderly adoption of these potential improvements.

Potential changes to assessment methods

  • Program Goal 5: Operations and Management was assessed with all students meeting the benchmark. Changes in HSPT 225 Hospitality and Tourism Management Fundamentals were made to the course, leading to a stronger emphasis on defining participant and group roles, leading to a number of guest speakers with real world examples.
  • Program Goal 6: Finance Tools was assessed with all students meeting the benchmark. Numerous changes were made to enhance the difficulty level of HSPT 485 Restaurant and Event Management: a more robust budgeting and forecasting module was created, a more detailed financial analysis component was added to the requirements, and project requirements were strengthened with a revised point allocation.

Program Goal 7: Marketing and Strategy was assessed in HSPT 495 Capstone with all students meeting the benchmark. Significant changes were made to the project requirements, including a new module emphasizing gaps, expectations, and perceptions of the customer experience, new project milestones were introduced and more emphasis was placed on customer feedback loops and analysis.