Hospitality Management

Financial statements are an essential tool for business decision making. In this course, financial statement users’ needs and decisions will be examined, and the principles of the accounting cycle will be explored. Specific elements of financial statements will be examined, and the related accounting principles will be discussed. Financial statement analysis and internal control evaluation will supplement and support the exploration of financial reporting.

Effective communication is crucial in today's business landscape. This course is designed to equip students with essential business communication skills. The objective is to enhance students' ability to communicate professionally and adeptly in diverse business settings. Key components of the course include developing fundamental research skills, honing critical reading and writing abilities, crafting structured business reports, delivering compelling oral presentations, and employing interpersonal communication techniques to effectively convey messages and forge robust relationships.

Microeconomics examines how individuals, firms, and societies use their scarce resources to attain economic goals, and how different economic systems try to solve this central problem of scarcity. Students will learn how individuals make consumption decisions and how firms determine how much to produce and what price to charge for products/services given their costs and the market structure of the industry they operate within. The topics of public sector economics, labour market fundamentals, environmental economics, and income inequality are also examined.

Rooms Division Operations covers all aspects of guest relations and customer service related to the accommodation industry. Topics range from the evolution of the industry to reservations, telephone skills, sales techniques and arrivals and departures, The course includes front desk agent's hands on experience using the Opera property management system. Security and guest safety are also reviewed.

Today, food and beverage professionals must be experts in the technical aspects of serving customers if employee satisfaction, performance and the success of the restaurant are to be enhanced. This section provides the hands-on training portion of the food and beverage program. This course provides a combination of theoretical and practical situations, which enable the student to acquire a basic knowledge of dining room service. Students can expect to participate in lunch and/or dinner service at Ernest's.

The purpose of this course is to develop an appreciation for the relationship between the kitchen and other support areas in a food service establishment. Students learn about food storage and kitchen equipment, cooking methods as well as health and sanitation. Kitchen design, menus, staffing and inventory are also discussed.

The principal role of a manager is to achieve desired organizational outcomes through people. Students will discover principles that will enable them to recognize and influence human behavior in organizational settings. Utilizing a variety of models and frameworks, students will learn to support, develop, and motivate others to achieve individual, group/team, and organizational goals.

In Introduction to Tourism the student will learn about the tourism industry and its economic value. The student will learn the importance of the five tourism sectors and each sector's responsibility to the tourist. Customer service philosophy, travel patterns and trends will be emphasized.

Hospitality is a fast paced dynamic industry with unique challenges. Progress up the management ranks is rarely a linear path. Students must prepare for a number of roles along the way. Hospitality Career Management examines the variety of careers that make up the hospitality industry and helps students develop their personal career management strategy.

Tourism, like most modern industries, is controlled by a wide array of information systems. This course examines electronic communication tools ranging from traditional business office software to specialized travel applications that collect and disseminate data. Of equal importance is the ability to communicate with guests, staff and managers through verbal and written means. The activities focus on how to use various types of software, written documents and oral presentations to provide managers, staff as well as customers with relevant information.

Hospitality Management Accounting focuses less on bookkeeping and more on how to use information to make sound business decisions. Students develop an understanding of financial statements and how to interpret the data. Profit ratios, pricing strategies and cost management are also investigated. Control systems are discussed along with budgeting and break-even analysis. Equal emphasis is placed on food and beverage and accommodation sectors.

This course applies the principles of labour costing and productivity measures to the rooms division of an accommodations property. Realtime accounting functions, occupancy projections and dynamic scheduling procedures are incorporated into a comprehensive operational management strategy.

Effective control of food and beverage costs can determine the viability of a foodservice business. This course examines the issues involved in costing and pricing menus, purchasing, storing and producing meals and drinks in a way that enhances profit. Labour cost and menu analysis are also discussed.

Food and Beverage Operations Management incorporates a practical examination of wine, beer and distilled spirits by the use of comparative samplings. Students’ operational knowledge is further augmented through a study of international cuisine and meal consumption, menu merchandising and restaurant layout and décor.

The concept of revenue management is common within the hospitality industry. The process involves estimating customer count and adjusting prices to deliver the highest profitability. Yield management was originally developed by airlines and used widely within hotels; the strategy is applicable to any hospitality business. This course explains the steps in creating a successful revenue management strategy.

Event Management is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism and hospitality industry. There is a wide range of activities that fit into the event category from small meetings to multi-day festivals. This course focuses on the planning and preparation components that are common to all events large and small. This course carries dual credit potential between the Hospitality Management Diploma and the Event Management Certificate.

The course is an introduction to services marketing with an emphasis on the hospitality industry. Students study terminology of traditional marketing as well as the unique characteristics of the tourism product. This knowledge is applied to issues such as SWOT analysis, integrated marketing communications and the role of destination marketing organizations.

Hospitality Regulations and Legislation examines business compliance in its many forms. Knowledge of legal obligations is fundamental, but far from the only guidelines that play an important part in the hospitality industry. The course outlines legal topics such as contracts, liability, negligence, Innkeeper's Act and labour standards. In addition, it covers occupational health and safety regulations, Workers Compensation, and food safety. While the content does not replace the need for corporate legal counsel, it informs students of liability issues and reduces exposure to potentially expensive lawsuits.

The Hospitality Human Resource course provides students with an in-depth look at the human resource manager's role as it relates to leadership, management, employee training, development and evaluation.

This research based course allows students to study an aspect of the tourism or hospitality industry in depth. Practical business problems from local companies, or tourism challenges on a national or international scale create a variety of topics for students to choose from. Students develop applied research skills and hone their creative problem solving abilities.