Foodservice and lodging management doctorate now offered online
The inaugural members of the Foodservice and Lodging Management distance doctoral program discuss research articles and prepare presentations with Susan Arendt (second from right), assistant professor in apparel, educational studies, and hospitality management (AESHM), in MacKay Hall. Students are (clockwise from Arendt): Barry Bloom, Chicago; Michael Quinn, Harrisonburg, Va.; Richard Maloney, Oakdale, Calif.; Amir Durrani, Los Angeles; Eric Brown, Ames, Iowa; Louis Gornick, Champaign, Ill; Donna Quadri-Felitti, New York; and Carol Klitzke, Onalaska, Wis. Robert Bosselman (not pictured), professor and chair of AESHM and program co-developer, anticipates that most of the class will graduate by May 2012.
By
Scott Schrage
The Department of Apparel, Educational Studies, and Hospitality Management (AESHM) is reaching out to industry leaders and educators across the country by introducing a new distance education version of its doctoral program in foodservice and lodging management.
The program, which combines online courses with annual summer classes on the Iowa State campus, encompasses all aspects of the hospitality management industry. The eight members of the program’s inaugural class completed their first courses in Ames this June before returning to their respective hometowns, which include Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
“We thought the idea of reaching out to individuals who might not otherwise come to Iowa State – or even be associated with Iowa State – was a good one,” said Robert Bosselman, professor and chair of AESHM and co-developer of the doctoral program. “We knew that there was a supply of candidates that we could go after, and there’s nobody else really doing this right now.”
Bosselman noted that while several of the current students teach at smaller universities, many are seasoned professionals who have experienced great success in their industry. He observed that one student reached the highest levels of the lodging profession and now “wants to give back to the industry that gave him so much,” while another is an executive with a major food corporation who oversees more than 700 accounts nationwide.
The inaugural class has already impressed Bosselman with its dedication to the program. Six of the eight students took all 13 available credits during their three-week stay in Ames, a schedule that required them to attend weekend courses and routinely spend up to 10 hours daily in the classroom.
“That’s real commitment,” said Bosselman. “These people are all very, very motivated. They basically say, ‘This is what I have to do; here’s how I’m going to do it.’”
Bosselman said the intensive summer courses are an important component of the program because they help facilitate the relationships that will prove essential to effectively communicating across great distances.
“By coming here, they see us face to face,” said Bosselman. “We establish that bond of what is important in graduate education. Then when they do go home, they know who they’re working with and feel comfortable picking up the phone or e-mailing us.”
Though hospitality management programs on the coasts benefit from their proximity to large hotel and restaurant hotspots, Bosselman believes Iowa State’s location makes it ideal for the distance education format. In addition to negating cross-country trips for students, its position in the Central time zone may make online class discussions easier to conduct in real time. Bosselman and program co-developer Anne Marie Fiore – along with fellow faculty members Susan Arendt, Lakshman Rajagopal, and Tianshu Zheng – are working with the College of Human Sciences’ Office of Distance Education and Educational Technology to streamline these experiences for students.
While Bosselman has already begun formulating plans to expand the doctoral program, he believes the class of eight is a perfect fit for the current faculty. He compared the program’s first year to the “soft opening” strategy utilized by new businesses that want to iron out kinks before expanding their operations.
“I’ve been talking with the students and asking them about their ideas, and they’ve been very good about sharing what they want to see as a class,” Bosselman said. “The faculty are really getting a lot [out of this] already.”
Once a solid foundation has been built, the professional networks that current and future students have established should allow the program to rely primarily on word of mouth to boost its numbers, Bosselman said.
“As I look out on the horizon,” said Bosselman, “I can see where we could quickly go from eight student to 12, 12 to 16 – and from there, who knows?”
Regardless of its size, Bosselman emphasized that the program is aiming high by focusing on quality. Accordingly, two students’ proposals have already been accepted for presentation at an international conference later this year.
“Our goal is very simple: We want the program to be considered the very best in this country and around the world,” Bosselman said. “We’re not there right now, but we’re laying the foundation for that, and we’ve already made some good inroads. My sense is that, within five years, this program is going to be considered one of the best.”
Becoming the Best
“Our goal is very simple: We want the program to be considered the very best in this country and around the world. We’re not there right now, but we’re laying the foundation for that,” said Robert Bosselman, professor and chair of apparel, education studies, and hospitality management.
Bosselman is the co-developer of a new online version of the foodservice and lodging management doctoral program, which consists of both online courses and annual summer sessions on the Iowa State campus. The inaugural class of eight students, who hail from locations ranging from Los Angeles to Chicago to New York, spent three weeks in Ames this June before returning to a variety of professional and teaching positions in hospitality management. Bosselman expects three-quarters of the inaugural class to graduate by May 2012.
