Recently, all six full-time faculty members from the Hospitality and Restaurant Administration Department at Missouri State University earned the Certified Hospitality Educator distinction awarded by the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. This rigorous program is designed to help faculty strengthen their students’ critical thinking skills and ability to learn and retain course content.
Self-study materials were followed by an intense three-day workshop in which faculty studied educational theory and high-impact instructional methods. A two-hour examination was administered at the conclusion of the workshop, and faculty then submitted videos of an actual class in which they demonstrated their classroom techniques in action.
Melissa Dallas, Department Head, realized first-hand that this designation was much more than a lapel pin and a certificate. “It was an arduous process that positively affected they way all of us teach. Our ultimate goal was to become even better educators, and our students are certainly benefitting,” Dallas noted.
The Certified Hospitality Educator designation is internationally recognized by the hospitality education community and is recommended by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education, the Club Managers, and the American Culinary Federation. Recertification is granted every five years to faculty who have participated in on-going professional development activities, continuing education, industry-related service, and educational service.
Melanie Grand, Stephanie Hein, and Carl Riegel attended a workshop in Little Rock, Arkansas and Dan Crafts, Melissa Dallas, and Abbe Ehlers attended one in Ypsilanti, Michigan.