Lisa Sisson

Essential Hospitality Management Competencies: The Importance of Soft Skills

To meet the needs of the rapidly changing hospitality industry educators must continually investigate which competencies are essential for graduates to possess and revise the curriculum to meet these needs. The purpose of this study was to determine the essential competencies and to determine whether differences exist between competencies needed by managers in lodging, food and beverage, and meeting and event management. Of the competencies deemed essential, 86% were soft competencies. Between functional work areas, no difference in importance was found for 76% of the competencies. The results indicate that programs should stress teaching hospitality students soft competencies in favor of hard competencies.

Food Recovery Program at Farmers’ Markets Increases Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Food Insecure Individuals

ABSTRACT Food recovery programs are an increasingly popular method to decrease the amount of food waste in the United States while increasing healthy food access for food insecure individuals. One such program is the Heartside Gleaning Initiative that began in 2014 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The program partners with low-income volunteers to collect fresh produce from farmers’ markets for redistribution. From June to October 2014, 17,000 pounds of fresh produce was provided to low-income individuals and food pantries. A survey of participants indicated high usage of the produce and high satisfaction with the gleaning program. This program confirms that gleaning is a viable method of reducing barriers to accessing produce for food pantries and food insecure individuals.

Becoming an Engaged Department: Scaffolding Community-Based Learning Into the Hospitality and Tourism Management Curriculum

ABSTRACT Universities are embedding and formalizing community-based learning opportunities into their ethos, evolving toward a model of working with community partners in mutually beneficial long-term relationships. This process is being undertaken in pursuit of enriched scholarship, enhanced teaching and learning, and the development of educated citizens with strong democratic values and civic responsibility who can address critical societal issues and contribute to the public good. This article explores one university’s hospitality and tourism management department’s integrated approach to formally adopting a scaffolded curriculum. These programmatic changes provide a model for becoming an engaged department and partnering with the industry to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.