Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Program Receives National Accreditation

This honor, granted to only one other college in the SUNY system, recognizes excellence in the areas of: mission and objectives; evaluation and planning; administration and governance; curriculum; faculty/instructional staff; student services; and activities and resources.

This accreditation follows the accreditation of SBE by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business International, which was the first to be earned by a comprehensive college in the SUNY system. Both these accreditations recognize the importance of faculty quality, scholarship, assessment and diversity in a modern management curriculum.

John Ettling, president of SUNY Plattsburgh, said he was very pleased that the HRTM Program successfully achieved accreditation on its first attempt. He said that this was a testament to the leadership, the faculty and staff, and to the strength of the program.

"To earn accreditation, a program must demonstrate a steadfast commitment to quality," said Ettling. "Our students can take pride in the fact that their degrees come from a school recognized within the profession for maintaining the highest standards.  More than ever, graduate programs and employers are admitting and hiring students from accredited programs.

"It is gratifying to know that the HRTM faculty, facilities and curriculum are considered among the best by the hospitality industry. I congratulate them on this impressive achievement."

Some of the points specifically mentioned by the ACPHA accreditation team include the high quality of Samuel D's, the student-operated restaurant (open to the public for reservations on Thursday evenings during fall and spring semesters), and the positive comments from the students interviewed by the team.

"While accreditation requires a continuous focus on programmatic quality, this constant scrutiny by an external body does create a certain discipline and emphasis that translates into strong and competitive programs. Accreditation is hard work, but work that is most valuable for our students," said Dr. Colin Read, dean of SBE.

The accreditation has been granted for seven years and will result in a reaccreditation visit in 2014.

For more information on the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Program at SUNY Plattsburgh, contact the Admissions Office at 518-564-2040 or visit the Web at http://web.plattsburgh.edu/academics/hrtm
 
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