A study co-authored by Dr. Chang Huh, associate professor of hospitality and tourism management at Niagara University, received the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education's Best Research Paper Award during an international conference held July 26-28 in Baltimore.
Huh and his co-authors - Drs. Myong Jae Lee and Margie Ferree Jones, professors at The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona - were recognized at the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education's Summer Conference & Marketplace.
Their paper, titled "Investigating Quality Dimensions of Hospitality Higher Education: From Students' Perspective," identified and evaluated the important quality attributes of hospitality higher education on a continuing basis. The trio's empirical research delineated quality dimensions of hospitality higher education from the perspectives of hospitality management students.
Among the study's findings:
•Juniors and seniors believe hospitality programs should prioritize assisting students with sourcing and funding both financial aid and scholarships, providing services for students with physical or mental challenges, and providing hospitality industry-specific career services.
•It is of great importance to monitor students' physical or mental challenges in school and/or the workplace, and accommodate their needs with institutional support.
•Offering a variety of courses through several delivery formats can increase networking opportunities with industry professionals and, thus, can make students more marketable when they are looking for a job in the hospitality industry.
•No matter what year of study students are in, financial aid and scholarships, the presence of student organizations or student chapters of professional industry organizations, practical learning access to professional certificates, and live demonstration facilities seem necessary to provide students in U.S. hospitality higher education with a high-quality experience.
ICHRIE is a nonprofit professional association that provides programs and services to continually improve the quality of global education, research, service and business operations in the hospitality and tourism industry. Its annual conference brings together hundreds of scholars, industry professionals and graduate students from across the globe to discuss contemporary topics in the hospitality and tourism industry.
To learn more about Niagara University's College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, call 716-286-8279 or visit
www.niagara.edu/hospitality.
