Hotel Management, AS

The lodging industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the nation. In the more than 50,000 hotels and motels in the U.S.A., nearly four million rooms are available each day. Gross annual income exceeds $20 billion dollars. In the first year at Gateway Community College, students study the various aspects of the lodging industry. In the second year, emphasis is placed on practical management experience. As part of the course requirements, students participate in a 400-hour work experience/internship program. For individuals who want to continue their studies following graduation, courses in this program are transferable to similar programs at four-year colleges and universities.

Students in this program will be required to:

• Lift and transport food and other culinary products, equipment, small wares and utensils around the kitchen
• Lift and transport trays with hot and cold plated food, small ware and other items
• Use knives and other commercial cooking and food service equipment
• Maneuver in a commercial kitchen, dining room and related facilities
• Use commercial cleaning and sanitizing equipment and materials
• Handle a variety of food items including meat, fish, poultry, produce, dairy products and flours
• Follow local Board of Health and safety protocol

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, graduates should be able to:

• Identify, organize, plan, and allocate resources in such hotel operations as time, materials and facilities, money, and human resources
• Process reservations, register guests, process guest departures, and assist in resolving guest problems
• Describe functional relationships among hotel divisions and departments
• Perform night audit procedures
• Summarize developmental and operational components of the following industries: airline, surface travel, cruise, and hotel, resort and other lodging businesses
• Identify and implement systems and processes for room status changes, front office posting, telephone/pbx, bank maintenance, cash transactions, and security and guest keys
• Identify major geographical areas in terms of tourism generation
• Effectively work as a member of a team, serve clients and customers, teach others new skills, exercise leadership behavior, negotiate, and work with others from diverse backgrounds
• Identify such current trends in the lodging industry as delivery systems and functions
• Operate effectively, suggesting appropriate modifications of existing systems to improve products or services and develop new or alternate systems
• Demonstrate ethical behavior and self-management in personal and professional activities
• Perform basic mathematical computations accurately and appropriately, especially with regard to hotel and guest accounting, night audits, and cost controls for hotel and food operations within the hotel
• Describe and apply basic marketing, sales, and merchandising methods in hospitality operations

Graduates of the Hotel Management program at GCC are qualified for employment as supervisors in small hotels and inns as trainees and assistants in large hotels, and as salespersons and front office agents. Students in this program are responsible for purchasing uniforms, books, and knives. A physical examination and travel to internship / work experience sites are required. As part of the course requirements, students participate in a 400-hour work experience program. Individuals who wish to continue their studies following graduation may transfer courses in this program to similar programs at the baccalaureate level. For more information, call the Hospitality Management Program Coordinator, Stephen Fries, at (203) 285-2175 or e-mail at (sfries@gatewayct.edu).