The vision of the Austin Community College Programs of Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism and Meeting and Event Management is to offer hospitality education that is second to none on a local, state and national field by providing students with the opportunity to achieve their educational objectives. The programs seek to serve as a positive force for economic, social and technological development by reaching out to a diverse community of students and business organizations in our region. The programs will stress quality consistent with the most prestigious of business schools and hospitality education programs, accreditation standards, academic rigor, and continuous improvement in teaching, research and service.  Graduates of this program (either with an Associate of Applied Science Degree or Advanced Skills Certificate Degree) will be qualified to successfully fill a multitude of positions in the hospitality industry including administrative and managerial assignments. The purpose of the program is to: *Prepare students to successfully enter a four-year institution offering Hospitality Management instruction. *Prepare students to enter the workforce as potential managers within the hospitality industry.

Our programs advance the economic, social and technological well being of the Austin region and the success of our students, faculty, and business community. Research and service activities are designed to complement and create a synergy with teaching. This synergy enhances student learning, the knowledge and competence of our faculty, and our relevance to the business community.

The philosophy of our programs is strongly entrenched in a shared-governance environment of excellence in instruction and research that addresses the needs of our stakeholders. We believe this environment can best be achieved through collegiality, academic freedom, faculty-student interaction, and respect for diversity. Inherent in our philosophy and crucial to the success of our students are high classroom expectations with a faculty actively engaged in research and professional development. We believe that faculty should be empowered to experiment with innovative teaching and instructional design methods. Further, we believe our college should be a place where faculty, staff, students and the community create and share ideas so as to enhance the learning experience. Our programs embrace internal and external assessment and critique of our programs as a means to achieve continuous quality improvement.

Our programs achieve and will maintain this vision by a determined focus on the following objectives;

·         To provide quality, progressive, and applied education with a primary focus on the current needs of the hospitality industry both within the region and the nation through use of special topic courses, offerings of continuing education courses, development of online platforms of programs and courses and strategic review of integration and application of current curriculums every other academic year.

·         To promote the significance of education within the hospitality industry by maintaining board positions through the American Association of Travel Agents, Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education, Meeting Professionals International and the International Special Events Society.

·         To promote technology in learning and applied practices within the hospitality industry and educational environments by the development of classroom presentations through PowerPoint and online platforms, use of web platforms for instruction and increased use of course components utilizing online and software based teaching materials.

·         To promote a learning environment that values service learning by applied course components designed to teach service to the community.

·         To promote and nurture outreach programs and continuing education within the hospitality business community and to create new programs in Beverage Management, Club Management and Entrepreneurship within the next 5 years.

·         To enhance relationships with industry leaders through active Advisory Board participation.

·         To promote active recruiting efforts and partnering on the high school level through current Tech Prep and dual credit programs.

·         To develop a valued link with alumni through an alumni association and online web platform.

·         To develop, promote, and teach academic programs to the local and state hospitality industry.

OUR MISSION

To fulfill its mission, the Programs of Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism and Meeting and Event Management will pursue four essential goals:

·     To educate in the fields of Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism and Meeting and Event Management

To actively seek out those who may benefit from a community college education

To revitalize the relationship with the community at large

To grow selectively to achieve distinction

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE by GOAL

 To educate

The Austin Community College Programs of Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism and Meeting and Event Management are committed to the facilitation of student learning in undergraduate and continuing education programs.  The programs will continue to provide an educational environment that leads students to independent thought, creativity, mastery of the fundamentals, and knowledge of the applications essential to a productive professional and personal life in the hospitality industry.

To actively seek out those who may benefit from a community college education

The Austin Community College Programs of Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism and Meeting and Event Management will be distinguished by the quality of scholarship produced by its faculty and students.  This scholarship will enhance the reputation and visibility of the programs, while enhancing the students' educational experience and advancing the hospitality industry.

To Revitalize the Relationship with the Community at large

The Austin Community College Programs of Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism and Meeting and Event Management value the promotion of hospitality industry in the Austin area.  The programs are committed to preserving this value of the hospitality industry as well as serving the industry and the Austin Community College community by being a leader in the promotion of the culture of hospitality that is inherit in Austin.

Grow Selectively to Achieve Distinction

The Austin Community College Programs of Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism and Meeting and Event Management recognize the challenges of today's evolution in higher education.  The programs are dedicated to a continued organizational evaluation, which will maintain its positive impact on the students, the college, community, and industry it serves.