A Comparative Study of Hospitality Education Essay

This research looks at the existing standard of hospitality institutes curriculum with special reference to the culinary syllabus in India and proposes various measures to reduce the gap between education imparted by hospitality institutes and the industry expectations from students. This research highlights the need of hospitality education revolution which needs to be upgraded, to be at par with global education standards. The results of this analysis can be used to identify and streamline the standardization process of hospitality education across India. The culinary syllabus has to be prepared with the right combination of faculty and industry experts to strike the right balance between demand and supply. The anticipated outcome of this research is to establish such a hospitality curriculum which should comprise and reflect a selection of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes relevant and valued by the profession, subject disciplines and by the wider society. Keywords: Culinary Institute, Hospitality Education OBJECTIVES 1. To scrutinize if there is a need for better culinary syllabus than the existing one. 2. To assess if there is a gap between theory and practice, offered by academicians and acceptance by industry professionals. 3. To identify if relevant faculty have adequate educational qualifications RESEARCH PROBLEM 1. Non existence of standardized uniform quality culinary syllabus (theory and practical). 2. Faculties education and industry experience co-relates with students learning process. INTRODUCTION GLOBAL SCENARIO In many countries, the traditional approach has largely been modified towards a more integrated approach to curriculum planning and design. An integrated approach is still subject centered but transcends the traditional subject boundaries. At culinary arts training institutes globally, new and exciting ideas are taking shape. Food styles have moved so fast in the past few years that it is difficult to keep pace with the changing gastronomic trends across the globe. Le Cordon Bleu operates the world’s most comprehensive network of hospitality institutes where students spend plenty of time learning the fundamentals that set French cuisine apart and much attention is given to world cuisine and modern culinary techniques. The Art Institutes is a North American chain of educational centers. The International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA) Dubai is a world-class vocational school that teaches a mix of Continental and regional culinary methods. As a student, you’ll go beyond basic culinary practices and cooking skills to learn leadership tactics and skills that you can put to use in a multicultural professional setting. Johnson and Wales University founded at Rhode Island in 1914 relies on the latest industry input to stay grounded in emerging culinary breakthroughs without abandoning time-tested techniques. The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is one of the most prestigious culinary institutes in the US. At the core of the CIA learning curve is an astonishing 1,300 hours of hands-on training in ultra-modern kitchens and bakeries. INDIAN SCENARIO Hotel Management & Catering Technology courses were introduced in Mumbai, India in 1954. National Council was the institution which regularized and gave shape & recognition to these courses later in 1982 by the Ministry of Tourism for coordinated growth and development of hospitality management education in the country. As the first internationally recognized training school for professional culinary arts in India, the Culinary Academy of India is a leader on the Subcontinent. It’s located in the city of Hyderabad. This is a co-relational research with an attempt to analyze the best possible syllabus of Food Production subject taught to under graduate students across India after an in-depth comparison of selected sample size. The sample size method used here is a non probability sample where in I have used my judgment to select universities within India that offer good quality education. The sample size studied represents the best universities to make accurate estimates of the best possible syllabus for Food Production. REVIEW OF LITERATURE This is an essential preliminary task to acquaint with the available body of knowledge in the area of food production syllabus. To broaden the knowledge base in my research area, several syllabus of the following mix of central, state, deemed and private universities across India and abroad were taken into consideration. Syllabus reference from North India: – Ignou, Amity University, Punjab Technical University & AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) Syllabus reference from West India: – Mumbai University, IHM – Aurangabad, Nagpur University & Ycmou (Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University) Syllabus reference from South India: – Manipal University, Anna University, Christ University & CAI (Culinary Academy of India) Syllabus reference from East India: – IIHM, West Bengal University of Technology. International Syllabus of the best culinary institutes: – LCB (Le Cordon Bleu), CIA (Culinary Institute of America), Cornell, FCI, University of Huddersfield – U. K. , & Queen Margaret. Literature reviews of UGC publications, scholarly text books and research papers published in Cornell Sage Publications have been referred for a deeper understanding of the topic. DATA COLLECTION The data for this research is collected through various sources: PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHODS ?Mail Questionnaire Method ?Discussions with peers ?Telephonic Interviews with industry experts ?Observation Method SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION METHODS? Review of previous research papers from Research Journals ? Scholarly culinary Text Books ?UGC publications Reports and Newsletters ?Culinary institute Websites ?Reference of National Council for Hotel Management RTI Act. DATA ANALYSIS ?The data for this research is analyzed through the use of pie charts. DATA INTERPRETATION ?Faculties are interested to enhance their educational qualification because faculty lacks the necessary educational qualifications. ?Faculties would like to get trained in industry to learn latest hospitality trends because faculty lacks the necessary industry experience. ?Hospitality institutes want industry professionals to conduct specific workshops to acquaint students with actual industry procedures. ?There is scope for a better culinary syllabus to be at par with global standards. FINDINGS As per UGC’s 11 Five Year Plan: Continuous updating and revision of curricula is something which must be deeply ingrained in the academic culture of a university. Each individual university must ensure that the curricula development exercise leading to major revision in course contents and curricula is taken up every three years. ?Uniform academic calendar across all institutions of higher education has already been urged upon by the UGC. Universities need to streamline their examination process such that the results are declared in a time-bound manner and no student suffers in his/her career mobility and academic progression due to delays in declaration of results and issue of mark sheet. When planning a course, teachers and course developers need to think about their learners’ needs in terms of the broad context of undergraduate education. Strategies of curriculum development Any curriculum needs to be developed in the light of the organization or context in which it is going to be delivered. If a teacher is developing a small part of a course or programm, then this must fit (in terms of approach, level and content) with the overall course. If a new course is being designed and developed then there are a number of approaches that can be taken and issues that need to be addressed to meet the needs of all stakeholders involved. CONCLUSION ?There is an urgent need for revision and up gradation of existing culinary syllabus in India. ?To minimize the gap between industry and academics, industry professionals should conduct guest sessions in hospitality institutes to teach and update latest hospitality trends. ?Faculties must upgrade their educational qualifications and must engage in research. ?Proposal of a standardized uniform quality culinary syllabus across all hospitality courses in India. SUGGESTION What should be monitored? ?Student recruitment and selection processes Do the candidates meet the selection criteria? Do the criteria provide students who are appropriate for the course? ?Teaching staff Are the teachers available, motivated and capable of teaching the new course? Have any training needs for teachers been identified and addressed? ?The teaching and learning process How is the written curriculum translated into practice? Are the teaching and learning methods appropriate? Is the balance between different types of learning mode appropriate in achieving the stated outcomes? ?Assessment Are the assessments appropriate in terms of level, reliability and validity and do they discriminate between assessing skills, knowledge and attitudes? Are the regulations and procedures appropriate and are they being followed? ?Learning resources Are the recommended books and journals and other teaching materials available? Is access to the library and other resources adequate? ?Performance standards Are the minimum performance standards being reflected and achieved? Thus an ideal syllabus should comprise and reflect a selection of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes relevant and valued by the profession, subject disciplines and by the wider society. BIBLIOGRAPHY Curriculum Review: How Industry Views Hospitality Education †¢Michael M. Lefever and Glenn Withiam Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, August 1998; vol. 39, 4: pp. 70-78. The Future of Hospitality Education: Meeting the Industry’s Needs †¢Raymond J. Goodman, Jr. and Linda G. Sprague Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, August 1991; vol. 32, 2: pp. 66-69. Hospitality Education at the Crossroads †¢Robert C. Lewis Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, August 1982; vol. 23, 2: pp. 12-15. Who Teaches Hospitality Education? A first-of-its kind survey reveals who the prototypical hospitality educator is †¢Denney G. Rutherford Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, August 1982; vol. 23, 2: pp. 38-41. Higher Education for the Hospitality Industry †¢Robert F. Lukowshi, †¢Ray Budde, †¢and Norman B. Cournoyer Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, August 1974; vol. 15, 2: pp. 14-21. Another view of the future of hospitality education †¢David V. Pavesic Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, December 1991; vol. 32, 4: pp. 8-9. Encouraging Creativity in Hospitality Education †¢Dennis H. Ferguson and Florence Berger Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, August 1985; vol. 26, 2: pp. 74-76. Hospitality Faculty: A Motivational Challenge †¢Jerald W. 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