see also
Sophomore/Junior/Senior · 3 weeks (June 21 - July 12) · 3 credits
This first-class introduction to hotel operations is taught at Cornell's world-renowned School of Hotel Administration, currently ranked number one in the world for hospitality management. During the program, you'll:
- explore the world’s largest and most dynamic industry,
- develop your business, management, and leadership experience; and
- refine your computer, communication, and analytical skills.
The hospitality industry—which includes hotels, resorts, restaurants, food service businesses, casinos, cruise ships, clubs, transportation, and tourism—is a 3.5 trillion dollar, high-growth service-industry within the global economy. It touches everyone. Through presentations, case studies, research, guest speakers, computer simulations, and more, this program will introduce you to the scope of the hospitality industry, to the major players, and to the market forces at play in this competitive field.
First, you'll develop a framework for understanding the hospitality industry. You'll examine the primary business models and ownership structures in the industry and identify the values that drive luxury, mid-price, budget, traditional brand, franchise, and independent hotels. You'll also become familiar with the operating strategies and structures of some of the largest hotels--including Wyndham Worldwide, InterContinental, Marriott International, Accor, Choice, Hilton, Best Western, Starwood, Carlson, and Hyatt--and examine a variety of food and beverage companies.
Next, you'll focus on an individual hotel operation to learn more about hotel departments and their management, people, functions, and influence on the guest experience. To understand how revenues and expenses are managed, you'll review a “typical” full-service hotel’s financial statement.
Finally, you'll use the acclaimed CHESS Hotel Simulation to operate a virtual 250-room hotel. Through this advanced simulation you'll learn how to maximize your hotel's revenues and profits while also meeting the needs of your guests and your shareholders. To conclude the course, you'll analyze your hotel's financial information and present a business plan.
Throughout the program you'll develop professional and effective oral and written business communication skills, learn to write a concise and well-organized business report, and practice Microsoft Office 2007 skills in our state-of-the-art computing lab. You'll also hear about hospitality careers and the real challenges and rewards of working in this exciting industry.
This program is taught by faculty from Cornell's School of Hotel Administration. "The Hotel School" is the first school in the U.S. to offer college-level education in hospitality management and is the only hospitality program in the Ivy League. It focuses on preparing students for career success at the higher levels of management as well as producing successful entrepreneurs.
"Hotel Operations Management" combines elements from several required freshmen courses at The Hotel School. The instructors, Reneta McCarthy, academic director, and Mark McCarthy, between them have four degrees from The Hotel School, twenty years of operations experience in the hospitality industry, and an additional twenty years of teaching experience at The Hotel School.
To be eligible for this program, you must have completed your sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school by June 2008.
Course:
You'll be enrolled in Hotel Operations Management: Tactics for Profitability (HADM 1101)
This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the theory and practice of management in the hospitality industry as defined through leadership, managerial communication, and business analysis. It comprises four components:
- Hospitality Industry Overview and Trends
- Hotel Operations: Tactics for Profitability
- Computing: Microsoft Office 2007
- Computing: CHESS Hotel Simulation
This course meets Mondays through Fridays, 8-5 p.m. Faculty office hours and teaching assistant help sessions will be announced.
Credit note: The use of this course to fulfill basic core requirements or to grant academic credit is solely at the discretion of the university or college that admits you as a degree candidate.
Computing labs in the Hotel School support Windows PCs only. (Unfortunately, they do not support Macs.)
Academic director
“The Hotel School is an amazing place where students who are passionate about service businesses or entrepreneurship excel. Our students learn strategies and techniques to enhance their lifelong business, management, and leadership skills while refining their computer, communication, and analytical skills. As lecturers at The Hotel School, Mark and I are focused on educating the next generation of leaders for the world’s largest and most dynamic industry. If you have ever been interested in learning more about the hospitality industry or have entertained the idea of attending the only Ivy League school that offers a BS in Hotel Administration, you owe it to yourself to apply for this program.” ~ Reneta McCarthy
Academic director Reneta McCarthy is a lecturer at the School of Hotel Administration where she joined the faculty in 1995. She teaches “Introduction to Hotel Operations,” “Introduction to Casino Operations,” and the “Hotel Ezra Cornell” course. She is committed to experiential learning, a method she incorporates into her coursework. Reneta began her career at Marriott International, where she worked as a housekeeping manager and then as director of services in the full-service hotel division. She later transferred to Courtyard Hotels, by Marriott, where she became one of the youngest general managers of a Courtyard property. Reneta returned to Cornell in 1992 to begin work on her master’s degree, and a year later became the director of rooms at The Statler Hotel. She earned a B.S. degree from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in 1984 and a Masters of Professional Studies degree from the Hotel School in 1995.
Additional faculty
Mark McCarthy has been an instructor at the School of Hotel Administration in the areas of information technology and operations management since 1998. His focus is on reducing the resistance, fear, and complacency inherent to the introduction of technology in the workplace. In addition to teaching the freshman requirement “Business Computing,” he also teaches upper-level electives in Excel modeling and database management. His wealth of operational experience includes seven years of managing private clubs, which solidified his food and beverage and special-event planning background; four years in the front office of a three-star hotel property; working for a beverage catering company; and running a bed and breakfast. He earned both his B.S. and M.M.H. degrees from the Hotel School.
Required textbooks
To be announced.
Check out a typical day
Graduation
Students and their families are cordially invited to join the "Hotel Operations Management: Tactics for Profitability" faculty for a special recognition ceremony from 10 - 11 a.m., Saturday, July 12 in the Statler Hotel. Students will receive a Cornell University Summer College certificate and have a chance to say goodbye to their fellow classmates and faculty. Attendance is not required for this event, but it is a nice way to conclude the program activities.