Mission

The College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, in Niagara University’s liberal arts tradition of broadly educating students for a global environment, instills character and values required for responsible decision- making in personal and professional activities. The liberal arts core develops skills in communications, critical thinking, ethics, interpersonal relationships, leadership, and technology that are applied in the professional courses of the college adding to Bachelor of Science Degrees in Hotel and Restaurant Management and Tourism and Recreation Management.

The college is dedicated to providing a current and high quality education in preparing students for careers in the world’s interdependent lodging, food service, tourism, and recreation-related industries. The professional curriculum and co-curricular activities of the college support this objective by integrating technology, leadership, and practical experiences within a global industry context. The college, within the scope of its educational mission, strives to obtain the resources necessary to maintain a leadership role in integrating technology across the curriculum. All students encounter practical learning opportunities through a required industry experience requirement, broad co-op opportunities, and course work that integrates theory with practice. The college, striving to achieve true internationalization of the curriculum, is a national leader in study abroad.

The students are the first priority of the college, guiding all our actions. Teaching is our primary focus, and faculty enrich the learning experience through professional and scholarly activities. We engage our students in career planning activities, enhance students’ marketability, and strive to maintain a 100 percent student placement rate.

Goals

The College of Hospitality and Tourism Management of Niagara University, established in 1968 as the first program in the world offering a bachelor’s degree in tourism, provides a curriculum and learning environment that gives students a variety of experiences and skills necessary to assume leadership positions in today’s fast-changing hospitality and tourism industry. Taking advantage of the university’s location near one of the world’s major tourism and hospitality centers, the college offers B.S. degrees in hotel and restaurant management, tourism and recreation management, and sport management. The curriculum provides a comprehensive body of knowledge about the hotel, restaurant, sport, recreation, and tourism industries, preparing students for the rich variety of job opportunities offered by the world’s single largest industry.

The college’s primary mission is to prepare students for successful careers by creating a physical and intellectual environment in which they have the opportunity to grow, are challenged to realize their full potential, and are guided by faculty mentors with insight and understanding as they prepare for their careers. Our placement rate consistently approximates 100 percent with over 90 percent of our graduates working in their major. The college strives to improve placement opportunities available to its students.

Contributing toward the goal of a quality applications-oriented program are the college’s broadly educated and industry-experienced faculty members, each of whom is firmly grounded in his or her own discipline, yet sensitive to the importance of other fields. The college seeks out opportunities to partner with local, regional, national, and international entities to whatever extent may be feasible. The college sponsors professional conferences, provides seminars for the industry, assists local industries through classroom projects, has its own career fair, has an active alumni association with a mentorship program, and offers a Carnival Cruise Lines course.