Hospitality Management &Tourism

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Hospitality Management and Tourism provides an undergraduate programme which leads to the award of a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Hospitality Management and Tourism.  The B.Sc programme is designed to prepare students for the professional and academic careers in all the areas of Hospitality Management and Tourism. The programme is distinctive in its design, integrating practical and theoretical learning to give the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in the rapidly evolving hospitality and tourism environment. This is achieved by providing a broad based, qualitative and analytical background deemed necessary for success in the professional, business and academic spheres of life. The programme aims at contributing significantly to the supply of the needed high-level in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT

OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT AND TOURISM

The idea to establish the Department of Hospitality Management and Tourism in the Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Port Harcourt was cultivated by some Faculty members. The idea was based on the realization that the Hospitality and Tourism industry is fast growing with attractive potentials which creates the need for training of graduates in the discipline. This thought corroborates the Federal Government’s initiative to develop the Hospitality and Tourism industry in order to enhance the foreign exchange earning capacity of the economy.

In reaction to this noble idea, the Faculty mandated a Committee to write a proposal for the proposed Department.  On the 7^th of September, 2007, a committee to develop the programme was constituted. The committee submitted its report which includes the mission, philosophy, objectives and curriculum of the programme. The report was harnessed to form a proposal which the Faculty presented to the Senate for approval. The proposal was approved by the senate on 3^rd of December, 2009 at its 353^rdmeeting (extra-ordinary), authorizing the establishment of the Department of Hospitality Management and Tourism.

On July 16, 2010, the pioneer Co-ordinator, Dr C.A Eketu, was appointed to commence Administrative and Academic activities of the new Department, which is situated at the GoodLuck Jonathan Building, Faculty of Management Sciences.

Philosophy

The philosophy of the Bachelor of Science Degree programme in the Department of Hospitality Management and Tourism, is to educate men and women in order to make them professionals in modern business management in the emerging Hospitality and Tourism industry locally and internationally, through the provision of research based knowledge that will aid in the promotion of the rich potentials in the industry in Nigeria.

Aim

1. To produce a high level manpower for the Nigerian Hospitality and Tourism Industry.
2. To produce graduates capable of imparting knowledge on Hospitality Management and Tourism.

• To produce graduates with distinctive skills and knowledge necessary to pivot the attractive tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria.

1. To provide applied research based support to government agencies and firms in the tourism and hospitality industry.
2. To equip graduates with the appropriate theoretical know-how to advance the development of tourism and hospitality as an emerging knowledge area.
3. To produce high level man-power for the Nigerian Hospitality and Tourism industry.
4. To produce graduates capable of imparting knowledge on hospitality management and tourism.

Structure of B.Sc (Hospitality Management and Tourism) Degree programme

The Department runs this programme of four years for its Bachelor’s Degree. The Degree programme is designed to meet and exceed the minimum academic standards set by the National Universities Commission (NUC). It has the following provisions:

General Studies Courses

These are University-wide courses, taken in the first year of the degree programme. They are designed to improve the basic intellectual arm communication skills of the students, and to promote a continuous awareness and understanding of the contemporary society as well as- the historical and cultural origins of the people of Nigeria.

Foundation Courses

These are basic courses in the Faculty of Management Sciences, that teach the principles and tools of Management problem analysis. These courses include at least one course in each functional area of management plus courses in economics, mathematics, statistics, computer science and data processing. These courses are taken by all students in the Faculty at appropriate levels.

Community Service Course

This is a field project directed towards service to the community or to the University and is an integral part of all degree programmes. The objective of the project is to involve both staff and students in a practical way with some of the problems of society as well as with efforts to provide solutions to them, and to inculcate and develop in staff and students, a consciousness of their responsibilities to Society and the satisfaction of rendering service to others. The project, which is practical in nature, requires the application of some of the skills being acquired in the degree programme to service the community and generally involve manual work. It is credit-earning and an essential requirement in all degree programmes.

Departmental Major courses

These are courses in the students major field of interest. The majority of the courses are offered in the last two years of the programme.

Undergraduate Admission: Entry Requirements.

The minimum entry requirement into the Undergraduate Programme of the Department of Hospitality Management and Tourism shall be the General Certificate
of Education WASC, NECO SSC (or equivalent) with credit in five subjects obtained at not more than two sittings. These five subjects must include English Language, Elementary Mathematics and Economics. Admission into the programme shall normally be through the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination (JAMB) and Uniport Screening. There shall normally be no “direct entry’ into the second year of the degree programme. The combinations of each department are specified in the JAMB BROCHURE.

Registration of Courses

The period for normal registration is the first week of each academic year, excluding the orientation week.

The period for late registration is the second week of the first semester of the academic year. Late registration will attract a surcharge penalty.

Course registration is the responsibility of the student’s department. The Head of department signs for all the courses registered.

In registering students, the parent department ensures that students register for all previously failed courses in which the programme requires a pass, and meet the prescribed  requirement for each course registered;
Furthermore, that the total credit units registered are not less than 5 or more than 24 per semester

Any registration completed after the time specified will be null and void and will not be credited to the student even when he/she has taken and passed an examination in the course.

Students are not allowed to sit for examinations in courses for which they
registered. Such actions are fraudulent and culprits will be appropriately disciplined.

Any genuine request for late registration must be made in writing to the Head of Department, and a late registration fee, whose amount is reviewed each year in line with the cost of living, must be paid to the Bursary. Form for late registration will be given out only when the appropriate receipt is documented on the form.

A list of students registered for each course should be kept. This list should be displayed for one week immediately after the close of registration for necessary corrections.

The parent faculty and the parent department retain one copy each of this list and forward three copies to the Teaching Faculty to be distributed as follows: One to the Faculty, one to the Department and one to the Course Lecturer. This list becomes the authentic register for the course examination.

For all students- the following forms are returned, to the Academic Office: MIS-0l (SF) for fresh student, MIS-02 (Course Registration Form) and MIS-04 (Fee FQ1).

Students should be encouraged to join their professional associations, but the dues for such association should not be tied to registration forms.

Application for adding or dropping a course must be ‘made on the prescribed ADD/DROP Form and certified by the Registrar after obtaining the approval of the Heads of Department concerned, not later than four weeks before the examination in each semester. Any change of course made by altering the registering form will be null and void.

Deferment of Admission

Candidate who is offered admission and is qualified at the time, but is unable to take-up the offer at the required time may have the admission deferred. This request must be made in writing stating reasons, and forwarded through the Head of Department of the approved course/programme for which admission was offered.

To qualify for consideration for transfer to the programmes in Management Sciences after the completion of the first Academic Year, a student shall be required to obtain a CGPA of four points above at the time of application.

Auditing of Courses

Students may attend a course outside their prescribed programme. The course shall be recorded, in their transcript only if they have registered for it with the approval of the Head of their Department and the Dean of their Faculty and taken the prescribed examination. An audited course shall not be used in calculating the CGPA.

Change of Degree Programme

A student who has been admitted to a degree programme on satisfying minimum requirements for entry into the University as well as course requirements for the Faculty and Department shall not normally, be allowed, to change until he/she has completed the first academic year in the degree programme. A student shall be allowed to change Faculty or department to that in which the programme specified by the Scholarship Award is available, provided that he/she meets the requirements of the Faculty or Department to which a change is desired.

Application to change Faculty fall formally be made by the student concerned through the Head of the resent Department and Faculty, who recommends to the Faculty Board on a prescribed form (in quadruplicate) obtainabtê1rom the Faculty. Duly completed copies of the Change of programme Form shall be forwarded to the Committee of provost and Deans for Approval and to the Registrar for certification. Thereafter, the Registrar shall retain a copy and forward a copy each to the two Heads, the respective Deans and the student concerned Intra-Faculty transfer should be done by the Faculty Board and the Committee of Provost and Deans informed.

To qualify for consideration to transfer to the professional programmes in Medicine, Engineering and Management Sciences a student shall be required to Obtain a CGPA of 4 points Or above at the time-of application.

lnter-University Transfer

A student from another University may seek a transfer to any of the programmes of the University of Port Harcourt. Such applicants must write, enclosing relevant credentials and transcripts of academic records, to the Registrar, who shall normally refer the request to the appropriate Head of Department the applicant’s official transcript. The Head of Department, after considering the application, shall make an appropriate recommendation – through the Dean to the Committee o provost and Deans. The decision of the Committee of provost and Deans shall be final. All such applications must be processed before the beginning of the academic year.

All applicants for lnter-University transfer shall be required to be in good standing in their previous University.

A student who has been expelled or suspended fret any University for acts of misconduct shall not be eligible for transfer to the University of Port Harcourt.

The residency requirement shall be a minimum two years. –

Requirement for a Bachelor’s Degree –

In order to obtain a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. degree in the department of Hospitality Management and Tourism, student shall meet the following requirements:

i.          Complete a program for students approved by the University Senate for the Faculty.

ii.         A score, not below 40% must be attained in the prescribed courses and research project –

iii.        Satisfy all financial obligations to the University, and other requirements relating to attendance and character,

iv.         Be formally recommended by the Faculty Board Studies to the University for the award of degree.

Examinations

Course Examinations

i. Every Course of instruction shall be assessed, and examined at the time given. The examination is weighed 70%.

ii. 30% is assigned to continuous assessment weighting by the University in view of the work input expected from students in the various programmes of study.

iii. Subject only to administration supervision by the Dean’s Office the conduct of course examination shall be the responsibility of the Head of Department.

iv. Continuous assessment of students should be by means of term papers, frequent tests (formal and informal – assessment in workshop / assignments, etc. as may be applicable to respective disciplines.

v. Part-time teachers, where necessary, may be appointed as Internal Examiners.

vi. Every course examination (i.e. question papers and grading) shall be moderated normal by one external- Examiner as may be determined by the respective Faculty Boards of the Faculty. Moderation of course examinations shall be limited to the end of the semester examination.

vii. The results duly signed by the Dean shall be published provisionally within 24 hours after approval by the Faculty Board.

viii. The Dean shall, thereafter, on behalf of the Faculty Board, present the results to Senate for final approval

ix. The Registrar shall, after the approval by Senate, take custody of the results and notify the students and their sponsors.

Absence from Examination

Students are obliged to sit for all examinations with their mates at the same time. No special arrangements shall be made for any student who failed to write the examination with other classmates originally. However, any student who has good and acceptable reasons for not writing a  scheduled examination shall apply to the Vice Chancellor through the Dean and Head of Department for senate approval to write the said examination as first attempt at the next available opportunity when subject would be examined.

Procedure for Review of Scripts of Aggrieved

Students shall be entitled to see their marked examination scripts if they so desire provided appropriate steps are taken to safeguard the security of the scripts.

Any student who is aggrieved about the grading of a course examination may petition his/her Department in the first instance through the Academic Adviser. The Head of Department shall refer the petition to the Dean of the Faculty who shall cause the scripts to be reassessed and the scores presented to the Faculty Board for determination.

A student applying for a review of answer scripts shall be required to pay the following fees to the Bursary before commencement of the review.

Course Examinations — Five Hundred Naira (N500.00) per course. If the petition is upheld, the fee so paid shall be refunded to the student.

Examination Malpractice

Forgery any student found guilty of forging certificate, transcripts and other official documents shall be expelled from the University.