USF School Of Hospitality And Tourism Management Receives Accreditation
SARASOTA, Fla. (CW44 News At 10) – The University of South Florida announced Friday that its School of Hospitality and Tourism Management within the Muma College of Business has received professional and academic accreditation from the Accreditation Commission of Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA).
The accreditation, approved late last week, officially acknowledges the high academic and professional standards achieved by the school and affirms its standing among elite hospitality programs nationwide. "This valued recognition confirms that the programs offered through the school are innovative, relevant and result in graduates landing high-paying positions in this dynamic industry," said Moez Limayem, Dean of the Muma College of Business, which houses the school. "We could not be prouder of the gold-standard accreditation achieved by the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management."
The school, based at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, is already accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which accredits degree-granting higher education institutions – including USF – within 11 Southern states. Accreditation by the ACPHA, which is based in Oxford, Maryland, represents an academic and professional accreditation specific to college-level hospitality management programs.
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Approval of the school's application came after a lengthy and detailed review process that began two years ago and involved reporting and on-site visits by ACPHA evaluators, including the final visit in February. After a report was submitted to ACPHA commissioners who oversee the accrediting process, the school's accredited status was announced in a July 23 "congratulatory" letter to Pat Moreo, professor and dean of the hospitality school.
It was noted earlier in the review process that the school had met or exceeded 40 of the 41 ACPHA standards for accreditation. "This accreditation is particularly important for small programs such as ours because it assures students, employers and the industry as a whole that we are providing a top-level hospitality education to our students," Moreo said. "It's also important because it says that we are meeting and, in many cases, exceeding standards that are nationally recognized." The school, home to about 155 students, offers both bachelor's and master's degrees in hospitality management.
While based at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, its programs are offered at USF campuses in St. Petersburg and Tampa as well. Earlier this year, online educational site Study.com ranked the hospitality management program as No. 3 in the nation, citing its breadth of programming, business partnerships and on-site facilities. Those facilities include the Culinary Innovation Laboratory, a student-operated café and the M3 Center for Hospitality Technology and Innovation, a separately endowed research center that hosts academic conferences and workshops globally and publishes academic journals and other publications.
Additionally, the school regularly partners with top-level hospitality providers regionally to further enhance students' education, including the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota and Resort at Longboat Key Club, among others. "To say that I am proud of Dean Moreo and the faculty and staff of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management for this tremendous achievement is an understatement," said Karen Holbrook, regional chancellor for the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. "They have continued to put the needs of students at the forefront, and now, after an exhaustive and thorough review by the prestigious Accreditation Commission of Programs in Hospitality Administration, their efforts are being recognized nationally. This is an outstanding achievement."
To learn more about the USF School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, visit https://www.usf.edu/business/schools/hospitality-tourism-management/.
About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report's national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state's 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.
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