The hospitality industry is a broad category of career segments that includes hotels and lodging, restaurants, special event planning, clubs, theme parks, cruise lines, casinos, and tourism. The multi-billion-dollar industry depends on the leisure time and disposable income of people around the globe. A hospitality unit, such as a restaurant, hotel, or amusement park, consists of multiple departments. These departments can be facility maintenance and direct operations (servers, housekeepers, porters, kitchen staff, bartenders, management, marketing, and human resources, etc.)
At IUP, the Management Department offers a distinct range of career paths for its students to explore. Our alumni fulfill many of the different management positions available in the hospitality industry. In order to be prepared for these career opportunities, we teach, mentor, and advise our students with the necessary combination of educational courses and appropriate work experiences. In order to continually provide our students with the required professional qualifications, our department has comprised an exceptional group of hospitality management professionals into our Industry Advisory Committee (IAC). These individuals represent the same hospitality segments our alumni seek careers in and provide invaluable information to keep our educational processes current and effective.
The members of this committee connect and collaborate on shared hospitality interests, trends, and workplace experiences. They play a vital advisory role in advancing our department's educational services to better prepare our students.
The IAC provides a unique forum for our faculty and industry leaders to establish collaborative opportunities within the industry. This rewarding partnership benefits the IAC members and faculty, but— most importantly—it benefits our students.
The IAC has established strong, long-term mentoring relationships between our members and our students. The distinct advantage is that our students have direct contact with the IAC members. Many career management opportunities and internships arise directly from the personal interaction our students have with these members.