Hotel and Restaurant Management

Hotel and Restaurant Management

Demand continues for well-trained managers in the hospitality field. Intense growth is expected to continue in this fast-paced people industry. In the past five years the region has welcomed eight new hotels. Additionally, construction for new lodging, dining, and entertainment establishments is taking place now. Interesting food and beverage operations have always been a hallmark of the Ithaca and Finger Lakes area, while institutional food and environmental service operations provide stable careers with the region’s colleges and health services industries.

The hotel and restaurant management degree prepares students for supervisory positions in hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality-related organizations. The degree also benefits from the College’s innovative Farm to Bistro concept – the College will operate an organic farm adjacent to campus and provide produce to the College’s downtown Ithaca restaurant and culinary center, Coltivare. Tompkins Cortland Community College is proud to have alumni and students in many hospitality operations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Over its 35-year history, the program has trained some of the area’s best entrepreneurs and managers. Some successful alumni are in management positions with The Waldorf-Astoria, Hyatt, Darden Restaurants, and The Cherokee Country Club of Atlanta (one of the premier private clubs in the U.S). The program includes an internship for on-the-job training at hotels, convention and visitors bureaus, restaurants, wineries, meeting planners, and institutional dining operations.

Course requirements for a degree in hotel and restaurant management may be completed in class or online. Program faculty offer a variety of in class, experiential field study, and online coursework to assure participants of solid general education. There are also opportunities for study abroad. In addition, short courses including proctored exam for certification in Food Safety and Alcohol service from the National Restaurant Association known as SERVSAFE, round out the completion of the degree program. Individuals who are seeking these credentials are welcome to register for these classes.

Careers on Career Coach

The hotel and restaurant management program prepares students as management generalists ready for hospitality positions at the management-trainee and mid-management levels. Positions include Food Service Managers, Lodging Managers, Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners, Chefs and Head Cooks, Gaming Services Workers, Customer Service Representative.

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Explore more career options: A.A.S.

Program Chair

Susan Stafford

Professor, Hotel and Restaurant Management

Sue Stafford brings 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry to her position in the classroom as chair of the Hotel and Restaurant Management, Culinary Arts, and Wine Marketing Degree Programs. She was also instrumental in the development of the farm to bistro concept, which features an organic farm on campus that provides fresh produce to the College's downtown Ithaca restaurant and culinary center, Coltivare.

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Transfer Options

Although the A.A.S. degree curriculum is intended as a career-seeking program, graduates have successfully transferred to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Specifically, Niagara University and Florida International have welcomed many of our Hotel and Restaurant students, where an agreement and solid transfer relationship exists. Students have also transferred to Morrisville State College, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Rochester Institute of Technology, and University of Central Florida. Students may pursue a bachelor’s of science degree from Delhi College of Technology/SUNY on the Tompkins Cortland Community College campus.