William F.

Harrah College of Hotel Administration

MISSION AND GOALS
The vision of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration is to be the premier, global leader for
hospitality, tourism and leisure sciences learning, discovery, social action and innovation.

The mission is to ignite faculty and students’ passion for learning discovery and change in an ethical,
supportive, collaborative, inclusive environment that results in quality research, educational innovation
and meaningful service to our constituents.

The College of Hotel Administration’s strategic goals are:

• Become More Student-Centered
• Attract and Retain Superior Faculty
• Increase Research, Scholarly Activity and National and International Recognition
• Grow Selectively to Achieve Distinction While Serving our Regional, National and International
Constituencies
• Foster an Equitable Environment that Values Diversity
• Foster Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurism in Structure, Process, and Function that Allows us
to Take Advantage of Selected Strategic Opportunities while Maintaining Accountability
• Promote Communication and Collaboration with its Internal and External Constituents

DESCRIPTION
UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration is strategically located in Las Vegas, Nevada
where there are over 136,000 hotel rooms and hundreds of restaurants, some of the nation’s finest
entertainment venues, retailers from all over the world, superb recreation facilities, 40+ million annual
tourists/visitors, and the most convention and meeting space of any U.S. city. Students in the college are
exposed to the breadth of the hospitality and leisure services industry while they are also given the
opportunity to specialize in an area of interest.

With 56 full-time faculty and approximately 2,800 students, the William F. Harrah College of Hotel
Administration ranks as one of the largest hospitality management programs in the world. It is located in
Frank and Estella Beam Hall, a five-story building that provides offices for 70 personnel including faculty
and staff, the Office for Student Advising, the Career Services Center, kitchen personnel/support
operations, IT support services and graduate studies. This building is used for the majority of classes.
The kitchen/culinary preparation facilities include a demonstration kitchen, kitchen laboratory with six
training preparation stations/stoves-ovens, a main kitchen, purchasing, the Boyd Dining Room for meal
presentations by students and a bar/wine “cellar” within the Boyd Dining Room. The College’s other
building is the Stan Fulton Building, which houses the UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI). This
state-of-the-art facility offers a one-of-a-kind, unparalleled learning and research venue for gaming
education. In addition to housing faculty and staff, the facilities include a 3,000 square foot casino
laboratory, a casino surveillance room, classrooms, conference space, lounge, and a preparation kitchen.

There are four departments within the College: Hotel Management, Food and Beverage Management,
Tourism and Convention Administration, and Recreation and Sport Management.

The University of Nevada Las Vegas Singapore campus of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel
Administration opened in August 2006. UNLV Singapore is UNLV’s first international campus, and is
located within the National Library Building of Singapore. In Singapore, students from the U.S.,
Singapore, China, Thailand, and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have,
for the first time, an opportunity to work together sharing experiences, practices, and cultures in a location
that facilitates this exchange. The Singapore campus is headed by the Associate Dean for International
Programs. This person, who reports directly to the Dean of the College, ensures all planning/program
adjustments are made.

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Stakeholders
The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration local and regional stakeholders consist of:
• Graduate and undergraduate students and parents
• Employers in the hospitality industry in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, and internationally
• Technical and vocational high schools needing faculty
• The Nevada Restaurant Association
• The Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association
• The American Gaming Association
• The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling
• Nevada Resort Association

The College has been actively engaged with stakeholders, our constituents, and the community.
Examples include:
• Dr. Audrey McCool and two students worked with the Clark County School District to determine if
modifying the form in which fruit was served to elementary and middle school students would result in
higher consumption of fruit. The UNLV students and staff were directly involved with the project as a
service to the community.
• Faculty member Chef Claude Lambertz, Food and Beverage Department students, and the UNLV
Film Department collaborate to produce a television show with numerous episodes to educate Las
Vegans about culinary arts and food preparation.
• A number of faculty from the Tourism and Convention Administration department were founding
directors of the International Special Events Society and the Las Vegas chapter co-produces the
annual Las Vegas American Heart Association Heart of Gold Ball. These faculty members donate
their event management expertise in the event planning and production of the event which raises
funds for heart research.
• Faculty hosted the first gaming workshop for the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Workforce
Development Agency in Singapore. The purpose of the workshop was to educate the participants as
to the employment casinos generate, the economic impact of gaming, etc.

Additionally, numerous faculty serve on the board of charitable organizations and professional
organizations which include:
• The Nevada Restaurant Association
• American Culinary Federation

The Department of Recreation & Sport Management, students and faculty are actively involved in
community engagement through volunteer experiences, service learning projects, and internships and
practicums. The UNLV/PGA Golf Management concentration is involved in the work of nonprofits in the
Las Vegas metropolitan area including initiating the "Par for the Cure" nationwide fundraising campaign.
In addition they work multiple nonprofit fundraising golf tournaments throughout the Las Vegas
metropolitan area.

ANALYSIS AND APPRAISAL

Planning
Planning for the College begins with the dean’s office, which is supported through a variety of
committees, especially the Strategic Planning Committee. Some of those committees and their
contributions to the on-going planning process are described below. Planning involves analyzing
attributes such as a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (S.W.O.T.).

The Dean’s Executive Committee is comprised of the Dean, the Associate Dean; Associate Dean for
Research, Associate Dean for International Programs, Director of Graduate Studies, and the chairs of the
departments. The dean establishes agenda items and this committee reviews priorities and provides
feedback to the dean to include hiring needs, budget allocations, class scheduling and enrollment
management, progress with strategic goals, funding priorities, and other key strategic issues relating to
the short-term and long-range objectives of the College, and expansion initiatives. At the conclusion of

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each Executive Committee Meeting, the Associate Dean conducts a “Post-Exec” meeting to address any
additional planning that may be needed. The Associate Dean has articulated a working agenda for the
College that targets benchmarks and an annual scorecard/progress assessment report.

The Strategic Planning Committee engaged the College in a S.W.O.T. analysis, an action plan and
measurements to ensure the College is making progress toward the vision, mission statement and
strategic goals. The committee has established “the first-five” priorities or action items to include
methodologies for assessing and determining how and when each of these must be accomplished.

The International Advisory Board of the College consists of thirty-five key industry executives who provide
external opinions and advice relating to the College’s strategies, priorities and goals. The board members
meet twice a year for two days at each meeting making recommendations for the College.

Recently, the College received a $30 million gift from Harrah’s Entertainment for Innovation UNLV, which
will fund a new physical expansion of the College on the UNLV campus. This expansion includes plans
for a new academic building, conference center, hotel, and food outlets. The plan incorporates the
opportunity for industry to beta test new technologies and concepts, conduct research and engage the
campus community. The process has included faculty and staff meetings with university personnel to
ensure their priorities and planning needs are not overlooked.

The College is moving forward with its planned campus in the United Arab Emirates. A director, reporting
to the Associate Dean for International Programs, will be appointed for this program to ensure a
synergistic approach and delivery of academic programs.

The College views sustainability as a critically important issue, thus the Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee
was created to examine the College’s “green” practices, seek research funds, determine how the topic of
sustainability can be integrated into curriculum and specifies practices that manifest the College’s
commitment to sustainability.

Educational Programs
The four departments in the College, Hotel Management, Food and Beverage Management, Tourism and
Convention Administration, and Recreation and Sport Management, each offer Bachelor of Science
degrees as follows:
• College of Hotel Administration: B.S. in Hotel Administration (Hospitality Management)
• Department of Food and Beverage Management
o B.S. in Culinary Arts Management
o B.S. in Culinary Arts Management – Beverage Management
o B.S. in Hotel Administration (Beverage Management)
o B.S. in Hotel Administration (Foodservice Management)
• Department of Hotel Management
o B.S. in Gaming Management
o B.S. in Hotel Administration (Lodging and Resort Management)
• Department of Recreation and Sport Management
o B.S. in Recreation
o B. S. In Recreation (Professional Golf Management)
• Department of Tourism and Convention Administration
o B.S. in Hotel Administration (Meetings and Events Management)

The Hotel Management Department’s (HMD) primary objective is to provide the opportunity for students
to obtain knowledge in a variety of disciplines related to the hotel industry. The department provides
courses that allow focus in the areas of gaming, human resources, timeshare/vacation ownership, and
technology. HMD also provides service courses for the rest of the College of Hotel Administration.

The Bachelor of Science in Gaming Management is a degree program designed for individuals who wish
to pursue a career in one of several aspects of the gaming industry. The degree is targeted not only to

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those in casino operations, but also to casino accounting, suppliers serving the casino industry, and
professional staff in gaming regulations and control.

The objective of the Lodging and Resort Management major is to provide front-office, housekeeping,
human resources, facilities, information technology and general management knowledge and skills
associated with the lodging industry to persons planning to pursue lodging and resort manager positions.
Students with a Lodging and Resort Management major will have both front-of-the-house as well as back-
of-the-house experience while focusing on the managerial aspects of lodging and resort management.

The Department of Food and Beverage Management’s primary objective is to enhance the student’s
career opportunities in the food and beverage industry. Graduates will be qualified for entry level
management positions, with the capability of advancing to general management positions. The Food and
Beverage Department is one of the few in the United States that is a separate unit within a hospitality
college or school. This Department is further unique since it offers a separate Culinary Arts Management
Degree as well as a Foodservice Management and Beverage Management Major.

The Department of Tourism & Convention Administration houses one degree program, Meetings and
Events Management. Students admitted to the program receive a well-rounded education in order to
manage a business including courses in accounting, marketing, law, organizational behavior, finance and
human resources management. Students majoring in Meetings and Events Management also take
courses in conventions, conferences, tradeshows and the special events industry.

The Department of Recreation and Sport Management houses the Professional Golf Management (PGM)
program and this is the only Professional Golfers’ Association of America accredited program in Nevada
and one of only 20 such programs in the United States. This department has the only full-time sport
management program in Nevada.

The Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Recreation and Sport Management prepares students to
work in the expanding leisure service industry. Graduates of this program acquire the knowledge and
skills necessary to manage public, commercial, and not-for-profit sport and leisure services and facilities,
including municipal recreation, state and federal parks, commercial recreation facilities such as fitness
centers and resorts, military recreation operations, YMCAs/YWCAs, and sport organizations.

In addition to the above, the College offers a Second Baccalaureate Degree in Hotel Administration. A
person who has earned one bachelor’s degree may achieve a second degree and the matriculation
period varies based on how closely the first degree relates to the Bachelor of Science.

Undergraduate students engage in several field-based experiences that enrich their in-class learning.
Specifically, the Mentor Program matches students with nearly 150 local hospitality industry executives
who provide not only operational and strategic management insights but also help students understand
the nuances of day-to-day management. Undergraduates are required to complete 300-1000 hours of
work or field-based experience depending on the program of study to add a “hands-on” component to
their classroom studies. Our internships have been arranged in every area of the hospitality industry as
well as the recreation and leisure study fields. Students studying for Bachelor of Science degree in
Recreation and Sport Management are placed in a 14-week leisure service setting/internship that is
supervised by faculty. The College’s “list-serv” creates an employment opportunity bridge from the
campus to industry.

The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration offers these graduate programs:
• M.S. in Hotel Administration (HOA)
• M.S. in Sports and Leisure Service Management
• Master of Hospitality Administration (M.H.A.), Executive Online Program. Classes for this program run
continuously throughout the year in five eight-week sessions and one can begin the program at any
time. Courses are offered online via WebCampus, a course management program.
• Dual M.B.A./M.S. in Hotel Administration

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• Dual M.S. in Hotel Administration / M.S. in Management Information Systems (MIS). The program
includes 48-credits and the student will receive a M.S. HOA and a M.S. MIS degrees.
• Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration
• Graduate Certificate in Food and Beverage Management Education.

The M.S. degree in Recreation and Sport Management offers a program of study that provides students
with the theory, knowledge, and skills needed to assume management positions in sport and leisure
service agencies. A variety of organizations across the country have a need for qualified management
personnel who also possess a theoretical background in sport and leisure behavior.

At the graduate level, UNLV is one of the select hospitality management programs to offer a Ph.D.
program as well as an online executive master degree. Incorporated into the M.S. degree is the “action
learning” concept that allows students at this level to research and address strategic and operational
issues and challenges they are facing at their places of employment as part of their thesis or professional
paper requirement.

WebCampus is used in all graduate courses. The majority of all graduate classes are scheduled in a
technology classroom for the instructor and students to use throughout the semester. The M.H.A.
program is also offered as an online program.

In Fall 2003, the College entered into a special agreement with the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma to
deliver undergraduate and graduate classes via live transmissions to students. The Cherokee Nation
provided the funding to create a broadcast classroom in Beam Hall on the main campus of UNLV and a
reception classroom at the Cherokee Nation. As a result of this innovative approach, nine students
started in Fall 2004 and ten enrolled in the spring of 2005. The College has graduated fifteen students
over the past four years. Currently, two students are still enrolled in the program.

The Barona Tribe in southern California has been engaged over the years in educational development
programs with the College. Participants receive a Certificate of Completion issued by the International
Gaming Institute (IGI). The program is monitored by the executive director of the IGI, the managing
director of the IGI, and the associate dean for academic affairs of the College.

The International Gaming Institute conducts outreach and extended study programs for the College both
for the gaming and non-gaming/hospitality industry. These are non-credit programs that result in a
Certificate of Completion by the IGI. Only occasionally are CEU’s attached to these programs.

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The Bill Campbell Fund was created by an endowment to the College and is used to conduct forums and
research for Las Vegas hotel/casino human resources directors. The Bill Campbell Human Resources
(HR) Forums, which featured keynote speakers from the hospitality industry and the College of Hotel
Administration faculty, are offered as no fee/cost to attendees. The forums have attracted as many as
seventy attendees per session. Forum topics have ranged from current employee/HR issues to
employment law updates provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, the United States Immigration and Citizens Service, and the Nevada Labor Commissioner.

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The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration offers a study abroad program during the summer
in Montreux, Switzerland. This is a program where students can earn academic, degree credit and have a
unique out-of-classroom learning experience. The classes meet four days per week and are supported by
guided tours on the weekends to hotels and restaurants in Switzerland and also in Paris, the Riviera,
Florence, Venice and Rome. Course offerings include, “European Travel and Tourism (3 credits) and
Culture and Cuisine (3 Credits).

Assessment
Each department in the College has established educational outcomes for their undergraduate and
graduate programs. These outcomes are listed at the web site:

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http://provost.unlv.edu/Assessment/reports_hotel.html.

For the College, assessment begins with the Dean’s office, and is supported through a variety of
committees, such as the Assessment Reports Committee which accumulates assessment reports at the
conclusion of each semester that examine course performance and serve as the basis for examining
degrees, majors, minors and concentrations. These reports assess data and findings provided by faculty
such as pre-test/post-test assessments and determination of learning outcomes noted in course syllabi.
The department chairs receive and review the assessment reports and incorporate their findings into a
departmental assessment. The Dean and Associate Dean do similar reviews to determine where
improvement is needed. Findings are discussed at Executive Committee meetings.

The Curriculum Committees (Undergraduate and Graduate) assess existing curriculum and review any
requests for additions and deletions to the curriculum. The review process examines and assesses what
competencies should exist in any hospitality degree program based on a review of literature, an
examination of industry expectations of needed skills, knowledge, abilities and behaviors, and a review of
other hospitality school programs. This information is used to help the College evaluate a new degree,
curriculum changes, additions, and deletions as well as what strategies are needed to integrate core
competencies into existing courses.

All International Gaming Institute seminars are assessed. This review consists of proper instructor/faculty
selection, submission of course materials, and evaluation of all programs by participants. The evaluation
process assesses content, relevance of information, quality and quantity of instruction materials, and the
quality of instructions.

Any courses offered for Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) are reviewed by the university’s Division of
Educational Outreach to include an appraisal of the prospective faculty’s vitae, course
materials/presentations followed by evaluations of the program by participants. CEUs are awarded based
on university-established criteria.

Closing the Loop

Based on student evaluations and suggestions, a distance education section of the Quantitative Methods
& Applications to Casino Games (GAM 470) course was created. Now, it is alternated each semester
between distance education and traditional classroom setting.

In the Department of Food and Beverage, a pre-capstone master exam is now in the testing and design
state to ensure that students are prepared for the capstone course.

In the Department of Hotel Management, a regression analysis is being done to determine what
competencies students should possess entering the capstone course and in which courses these
competencies should have been taught. The intent is to determine if any deficiencies are the result of
instructional omission or whether the problem is student retention of information covered in earlier
courses. In order to close the loop, a “What You Should Know” manual will be prepared to advise
students entering the classes of the knowledge, skills, abilities, information needed when and where to
research this information. A table of key formulas may be included.

Students
Demand for an educational program may be measured by student demographics and enrollment.
Students residing in the State of Nevada comprise approximately 40% of the College’s student body. The
College has a large number of non-resident students as the table below show. This is a major indication
of the quality of the programs offered by the College of Hotel Administration. A significant number of
students transfer from the College of Southern Nevada located in Las Vegas Nevada as well as other
community colleges in the western region of the United States.

Student Headcount by Residence

Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008
Alumni dependent 6 6 4 6 1

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 Alumni 1 2 2 2 1
Non-resident graduate
27 26 27 24 24
assistant
Good neighbor 33 24 25 21 22
Nevada resident 769 802 841 931 1055
Non-resident 1028 1154 1250 1427 1499
Non-resident part-time
3 4 2 1 1
faculty
Undetermined residency 3 1 1 3 4
Western undergraduate
311 314 303 261 187
exchange

Enrollment has continued to grow in the undergraduate and master’s programs but has declined slightly
in the doctoral programs since 2004 as shown below. FTEs have steadily increased over the same
period.

Undergraduate Headcount
Department Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008
Food & Beverage Management 5 29 49 258 245
Hotel Administration 2027 1941 1931 1668 1753
Hotel Management 8 119 174 230 230
Recreation & Sport Management 134 142
Tourism & Convention Administration 18 118 193 254 283
Undergraduate Total: 2058 2207 2347 2544 2653

Graduate Headcount
Department Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008
Hotel Administration 101 102 93 92 103
Recreation & Sport Management 17 18
Graduate Total: 101 102 93 109 121

Doctoral Headcount
Department Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008
Hotel Administration 24 24 15 23 20
Doctoral Total: 24 24 15 23 20

FTE Enrollment
Annual Annualized
Year FTE
2003-04 1,172
2004-05 1,306
2005-06 1,451
2006-07 1,541
2007-08 1,724

Available ethnicity data indicates that Caucasian students consistently represented the largest headcount
of undergraduate students annually (Fall 2004-2008), however, as noted in the table below, the
percentage of Caucasian students decreased from 43.8% in Fall 2004 to 38.5% by Fall 2008 semester.
The number of Asian students has shown the greatest percentage increase during the reporting period.

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The College of Hotel Administration has developed an extremely prestigious reputation with countries in
the Pacific Rim, which has served as an impetus for increased enrollment of the College. On a
percentage basis, the data reveals fairly consistent headcount percentages for African American, Latino,
Foreign National and Native American students even as overall enrollment increased each year.

Ethnicity – Undergraduate Students as a Percentage of Annual Headcount

Percentage of Total Fall Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008
Undergraduate 2004
Headcount
African American 3.6% 3.7% 3.8% 3.9% 4.2%
Asian 14.4% 15.7% 18.2% 20.1% 23.1%
Caucasian 43.8% 39.8% 38.4% 38.6% 38.5%
Foreign National 22.8% 24.1% 23.8% 21.9% 19.8%
Latino 6.6% 5.8% 6.1% 6.8% 6.5%
Native American 0.8% 1.0% 1.3% 1.2% 0.8%
Not Disclosed - 0.5% 0.9% 1.2% 1.7%
Unknown 7.6% 9.1% 7.2% 6.0% 4.9%

In support of its strategic plan and goals, the College of Hotel Administration has embarked on a number
of diversity initiatives. One of these initiatives involves scholarships funded by hospitality industry
companies intended for minority recruitment and retention of under-represented minority students with the
goals of providing higher educational opportunities and creating a more diverse pool of management
candidates for the industry. The scholarship programs are supported by the College’s Coordinator of
Diversity Initiatives who is responsible for recruitment of students, academic assessment, and the
awarding of scholarships. Due to funding limitations, this position is temporarily being held vacant.
Additional outreach efforts include:
• Students are sponsored by the Latin Chamber of Commerce for “take a student to work day”.
• Workshops target local high schools with large minority populations. Students are assisted with the
on-line college application and scholarship application processes.
• The College has been represented at College recruitment fairs in Arizona, California, Colorado, North
Carolina, Tennessee, and the National Hispanic College Fair in California.
• Student recruitment and networking takes place with industry professionals in leadership workshops
and interviews with various companies in coordination with the National Coalition of Black Meeting
Planners.

At the Master Degree level, Caucasian students constitute the largest number headcount throughout the
reporting period but, as is the case with the undergraduate enrollment, number and percentage of
Caucasian students has decreased. Of special note is the number of Native Americans who have been
enrolled in the Master Degree program. The College’s initiative with the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma
and the investment in distance education technology resulted in increased in enrollment in this
demographic group. Data reveal that foreign nationals represent a large percentage of graduate students
and, at one point, representing nearly one-third of all students in the program.

The Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives has likewise been engaged with several other diversity initiatives
at the undergraduate level to include:
• To help recruit academically talented minority students to study hotel administration and culinary arts
management at UNLV, a dual degree partnership has been established with Fort Valley State
University in Fort Valley, Georgia, a historically black college. For three years at Fort Valley, students
study in the area of Foods and Nutrition, then transfer to UNLV to pursue a degree in either hotel
administration or culinary arts management. After completing both programs of study, students
receive a degree from each institution. Students completing a degree in business at Fort Valley may
also earn a second degree in hotel administration by completing an intensive one year program.
Ongoing goals include reaching out to other historically black colleges and universities to recruit for
graduate programs.
• As a co-advisor to the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, the College’s Coordinator for
Diversity Initiatives represents the College at the national conference and recruits graduate students.

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Ethnicity – Graduate/Master Degree Students as a Percentage of Annual Headcount
Percentage of Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall
Total 2004 2005 2006 2006 2008
Graduate
Students
African 0.9% 1.9% 2.1% 4.5% 3.3%
American
Asian 1.9% 4.9% 4.3% 9.1% 13.2%
Caucasian 49.5% 45.0% 45.1% 36.6% 32.2%
Foreign 31.6% 27.4% 11.8% 14.6% 19.0%
National
Latino - 0.9% 2.1% 0.9% 2.4%
Native 2.9% 3.9% 8.6% 6.4% 0.8%
American
Unknown 12.8% 15.6% 25.8% 27.5% 28.9%

Data for Ph.D. students show that the largest percent of the student population is Foreign Nationals,
followed by Caucasians. This college is seeing the same trend as many others in which a growing
percentage of students do not self-identify their ethnicity.

Ethnicity – Doctoral Students as a Percentage of Annual Headcount

Percentage of Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall
Total 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Ph.D.
Students
African 12.5% 8.3% 13.3% 4.3% 10.0%
American
Asian 4.1% 4.1% - - -
Caucasian 25.0% 20.8% 26.6% 30.4% 35%
Foreign 50% 54.1% 53.3% 47.8% 35%
National
Unknown 8.3% 12.5% 6.6% 17.3% 20.0%

In the College of Hotel Administration, cohort retention rates are generally high and graduation rates are
higher than the average of UNLV, which is shown in the next two charts.

Retention Cohort: Full-time, first time freshmen - Three Year Trend

Cohort Term Cohort Retained to Next Fall Retention Rate
Fall 2007 244 200 82.0 %
Fall 2006 203 166 81.8 %
Fall 2005 250 182 72.8 %
Combined Cohort 697 548 78.6 %

Gender representation in the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration is fairly evenly divided at
the each level, with slightly more females than males.

Undergraduate Headcount by Gender

Gender Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008
Female 1040 1119 1226 1351 1431
Male 1018 1088 1121 1193 1221
Unknown 1
Undergraduate Total: 2058 2207 2347 2544 2653

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Graduate Headcount by Gender
Gender Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008
Female 54 59 49 57 65
Male 47 43 44 52 56
Graduate Total: 101 102 93 109 121

Doctoral Headcount by Gender

Gender Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008
Female 10 11 6 13 12
Male 14 13 9 10 8
Doctoral Total: 24 24 15 23 20

Student advising is addressed in four ways through the College. The Office for Student Advising (OSA) is
responsible for undergraduate student advising while the graduate school has a faculty member
designated as the student advisor. Individual faculty maintain a minimum of five office hours a week for
students and this advising is more related to career counseling. Finally, the Dean’s office maintains an
open door policy for students.

The OSA maintains regular office hours for individual appointments with students. These sessions include
a review of transferred courses, progress towards graduation, sequencing of courses (assuring pre-
requisites are met), and approving or denying overload petitions. The OSA reviews students GPA’s and
uses a GPA calculator to determine current GPA’s and expected GPA’s for graduation purposes. It also
provides online advising. One advisor meets with gaming degree students and provides advice as to
internships and work experience requirements. The OSA maintains work experience records for students
as part of the College’s graduation requirements. It handles all student transfers and articulation
agreements, posts and makes students aware of financial aid and student scholarships, and plans and
participates in all new student orientations. It has created brochures that detail the career paths that can
be achieved with each degree, major or concentration. The Director of the OSA participates in student
university-wide student surveys to determine student satisfaction levels with the advising process. The
OSA has a webpage on the College website and periodically updates advising information. Additionally, a
gaming faculty member oversees an email dedicated to inquiries and questions relating to the gaming
degree.

In the College of Hotel Administration, students are involved in a variety of organizations which include:
• Club Managers Association of America
• Beverage Management Association
• Futures in Timeshares Student Organization
• The Hotel Association
• Hospitality Graduate Student Association
• International Association of Expositions and Events
• National Society of Minorities in Hospitality
• Professional Golf Management Student Association
• Student Recreation Association
• Student Organization – Singapore Campus
• Student Leaders/Senators

Faculty and Staff

The College has 56 full-time faculty (tenured, tenure-track and non-tenure track) who are deployed in the
following departments:

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Department of Food and Beverage Management
There are thirteen full-time faculty members in the Department of Food & Beverage Management
Department. Eight faculty are male and five faculty are female. Full-time faculty in this department are
supported by seven part-time instructors and two graduate assistants as of Spring 2009.

Faculty have a wide-range of teaching skills and research interests. Teaching skills include culinary arts
and food preparation taught by nationally recognized chefs and faculty with doctoral degrees, restaurant
and beverage service management, operational technology applications and similar “hands-on”
competencies. Faculty also teach conceptual, strategic, theoretical, mathematical, managerial courses
that, when combined with the other courses, provide an excellent blended-learning approach to
education. The department also has a faculty member who is a food and nutrition scientist. The capstone
course requires students to combine all acquired learning, both practical and strategic, to manage and
operate a student-run restaurant that is open to the public. Faculty have gained national and international
recognition based on their published research, grant work and textbooks. The department is headed by a
department chair who is aided by one administrative assistant. Additional staff includes catering staff, and
purchasing/accounting personnel.

Department of Hotel Administration

The Department of Hotel Administration is the largest department in the College with twenty-three faculty
(tenured, tenure-track and non-tenure track) that includes the dean of the College. Fifteen faculty are
tenured, three are on a tenure-track and five are non-tenure track faculty. Seven faculty are females while
sixteen are male. Full-time faculty are supplemented by twelve part-time instructors and four graduate
assistants as of Spring 2009.

Faculty are engaged in extensive academic and applied research. The Department is responsible for the
gaming curriculum. Hospitality law classes are within the domain of this department and are taught by
faculty who are attorneys. Faculty are fully engaged in technology offering a wide variety of online classes
and in-class technology applications. The department has been recognized for the quality and quantity of
its scholarly, refereed work and textbooks published. One faculty member alone has more than eighty
refereed articles and four textbooks. One of the gaming faculty has become internationally renowned for
his research in the area of problem gambling. Faculty in this department deliver competencies relating to
human resources management, information technology, employment and hotel law, facilities
management, service management, hotel/lodging operations, strategic planning, gaming and statistics,
diversity, survey courses relating to the hospitality industry and organizational behavior.

Department of Tourism and Convention Administration

This department has seventeen faculty. Eleven faculty are males and six are females. Competencies
addressed by faculty include accounting, finance, marketing strategies, tourism, convention and meeting
planning, and special events management. The Department of Tourism and Convention Administration
offers the most distance education courses within the College. As is the case with faculty in other college
departments, faculty in this department are highly engaged in funded research, research and publication
of research.

The department is headed by a department chair who is aided by one administrative assistant.

Department of Recreation and Sport Management

The Department of Recreation and Sport Management has nine faculty members. Three faculty are
female. Faculty are highly engaged in funded research. Faculty in the Department of Recreation and
Sport Management teach courses relating to leisure, recreation, aging, sport management.

The department is headed by a department chair who is aided by one administrative assistant. The
Professional Golf Management (PGM) program is part of this department. It is headed by a program
director with a professional staff member who coordinates student internships and one administrative
assistant dedicated to the PGM program.

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General Comments Relating to Faculty

As with any college, faculty engage in teaching, research and service. In regards to research, the latest
assessment of requests for teaching reassignments by the College faculty reveals that the number one
request relates to “scholarly work”. This speaks to the commitment of the faculty to continue their
research and publication production. A number of faculty have become taken national certification exams
(e.g. Certified Hospitality Educator/CHE) that are intended to increase classroom and teaching
effectiveness.

The College’s success and strength is certainly vested with the administrative, professional and classified
staff. This support is provided as follows:
• Dean’s office - supported by three administrative staff members including a Business Manager.
• Department Chairs/Faculty – Each supported by a department administrative assistant and one
College technology support person with occasional support from student workers. The chair is
responsible for class scheduling, workload policy, hiring of part-time instructors, faculty evaluations,
budget/department finances, student involvement, fund-raising, public relations, and strategic
planning.
• Research Center – Supported by a Manager of Operations
• International Gaming Institute – Headed by a Director/Faculty member and supported by a managing
director and five support staff.
• Food service operations – Supported by seven staff members
• Career Services Office – A Director with one support staff member
• External/Alumni Relations – Two professional staff supported by a graduate assistant
• Office for Student Advising – Director is supported by 6 staff members including an Assistant Director
• Graduate Programs – Supported by one full-time staff member with occasional help from student
workers
• Graduate students engaged in teaching and research

One of the College’s key strategic goals is to be student/learning centered. All full-time faculty are
required to submit an annual activity report accompanied by a teaching portfolio, which serves as a
reflective exercise for faculty professional development. Of special importance is the need for faculty to
express their teaching philosophy. Revisiting one’s teaching philosophy enables a faculty member to
determine if this goal was paramount in the previous year and how to engage this strategic goal for the
upcoming year. Faculty assess course content, the effectiveness of syllabi, pedagogic approaches,
documented learning outcomes, examination/test data, and course materials to determine the successes
and areas of improvement for each course.

The annual activity report serves as a key document in merit consideration. This report is not only a
composite of a faculty member’s research, teaching and service but also delineates how each person
helped the College and his or her department progress toward strategic goals. In 2008, the College
created a Statement of Values and faculty will now be asked to explain how they are manifesting these
values as faculty members.

Each of the College’s four departments as well as the Graduate Office and Office for Research conduct
ongoing meetings to solicit input, recommendations relating to department and unit issues.

The college values Part-Time Instructors (PTIs) as they represent a valuable teaching resource by
bringing their industry expertise into the classroom. This is especially true in the city of Las Vegas which
draws some of the world’s top industry professionals, chefs/culinary personnel, sommeliers, hotel
managers, meeting planners, and operations managers.

Part-time instructors are assessed and interviewed as is the case with any instructor (full-time or part-
time). All adjunct law faculty are reviewed by our full-time law faculty to ascertain their qualifications,
standing with the State Bar, and legal credentials. Prospective faculty for the food and beverage
department teach side-by-side with our full-time faculty prior to teaching their own classes. Many part-

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time instructors are recommended by our current faculty based on their knowledge of the person and/or
the person’s professional reputation. Part-time instructors are approved by department chairs and chairs
conduct an orientation that, in some instances, lasts several hours. In the Fall of 2008, a “Part-Time
Instructor Handbook” was created that includes a syllabus template. The template details the university
and college compliance information and deadlines (e.g. submission of grades) as well as guidelines for
developing learning objectives and assessment of learning. This document also contains college contact
information/important telephone numbers and email addresses, standards for student and faculty
classroom conduct, the college’s strategic goals, mission statement, and value statement.

The college has taken the following steps as quality assurance measures:
• Students complete evaluations for PTIs that are reviewed by the respective Department Chair;
• At the end of each semester, PTIs are required to submit any grade books and student attendance
records to their respective Department Chairs.
• Department Chairs meet with PTIs to review their class schedule and to provide assistance with
placement of book orders, web grading, and web campus information;
• The College maintains pertinent information (email, phone numbers, addresses) for all PTIs in order
to maintain an ongoing stream of information and dialogue;
• The College administrative staff assist with photocopying, test preparation and other class needs;
• Department Chairs and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs visit PTI classes to assess their
performance.

Research
Since its inception in 1967, the College has continued to build a worldwide reputation for its degree
program(s), research, quality of students, breadth and depth of faculty teaching expertise and community
service. An initial impetus for recognition of the program was the publication of textbooks written by the
College’s faculty at a time when there was a dearth of classroom support materials. The mantra was, “We
wrote the books being used by the other hospitality education programs”. Over the years, faculty have
continued to distinguish the College of Hotel Administration program through the publication of 33
textbooks such as these examples:
• Check-In/Check-Out (8th Edition)
• Discovering Hospitality and Tourism (2nd Edition)
• Purchasing – Selection and Procurement for the Hospitality Industry (6th Edition)
• Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations (4th Edition)
• Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society (8th Edition)
• Hotel and Hospitality Law
• Hotel Law: Principles and Cases

The College’s scholarly research in academic, peer-reviewed journals has likewise contributed to the
reputation of the College of Hotel Administration . A sample of faculty refereed articles published in 2007
(single and co-authorship) shows 25 articles covering a wide variety of topics such as these examples:
• The Voices of Vices: Sociological Perspectives on the DSM-IV Pathological Gambling Entry,
American Behavioral Scientist.
• Building a Life of Meaning Through Therapeutic Recreation: The Leisure and Well-Being Model, Part
1, Therapeutic Recreation Journal.
• An Examination of Cost Management Behavior in Small Restaurant Firms, International Journal of
Hospitality Management.
• Modeling Ethics: The Impact of Management Actions on Restaurant Workers’ Ethical Optimism,
International Journal of Hospitality Management.
• The Risk to the American Fast Food Industry of Obesity Litigation, The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant
Administration Quarterly.
• Physiological Effects of Slot Play in Women, Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.

DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS
The College of Hotel Administration is distinguished by the fact that it is the only four-year college to offer
a degree in Gaming Management. This degree is supported by the largest cadre of full-time gaming

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faculty when compared to other institutions with gaming curricula. In support of gaming research, the
College publishes the UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, one of the few academic, peer-
reviewed journals for gaming research.

The government of Singapore, through the Singapore Ministry of Education, solicited the College to
establish an extension campus in Singapore. In 2006, the William F. Harrah College of Hotel
Administration at Singapore campus opened and is located in the heart of Singapore’s educational hub.

Most recently, the College has received Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents
approval to open a second campus in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based on unsolicited inquiries from
three provincial governments in the UAE. The governments of Kazakhstan and South Korea have
approached the College with the same intent – extension campuses.

The reputation of the gaming educational program resulted in an investment in broadcast technology by
the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma to enable the College to deliver graduate and undergraduate programs
to their tribal members and staff. The Barona Valley Ranch and Resort, a Native American-owned gaming
and hospitality operation located in southern California, has partnered with the College and International
Gaming Institute over the past decade to deliver continuing education and outreach programs. Again, this
affiliation was the result of the Barona, in their words, “Wanting education from the best hotel/gaming
program in the world”.

In 2007, Harrah’s Entertainment provided a $30 million gift to allow the College of Hotel Administration to
build, “Innovation UNLV”. Innovation UNLV is envisioned as a campus within a campus as it will be
constructed on 6.8 acres of land adjacent to the existing Stan Fulton Building located on the perimeter of
the UNLV campus. Innovation UNLV will also offer a “living laboratory” to corporations looking for
unbiased and commercially valid research. The goal is to continue to build bridges between the world of
academics and the hospitality industry to enhance research on new products, services and technology.
The overall goal of Innovation UNLV is continue to position the College as a worldwide leader for
hospitality education and research as well as to significantly enhance the already high reputation of the
William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration and the International Gaming Institute. This project
enables the College to continue to attract the best and brightest faculty and students.

CHALLENGES
Maintaining growth of an academic program is a constant challenge. In assessing the sustainability of the
graduate programs, it appears enrollment in all programs should increase even in the economic
downturn, if history is any indicator. It is estimated that all of M.S. programs will increase by 3% to 4%
each year for the next few years. Continued growth of the program is predicated on continued support of
graduate faculty and, the challenge we face is ensuring sufficient faculty are available and future funding
of faculty lines occurs. Over the past few year, class enrollment has increased resulting in larger sections
for many faculty. Maintaining “manageable” class sizes is imperative if the programs are to continue
delivering quality education.

Our Executive Master in Hospitality Administration (M.H.A.) must meet the challenge of continued and
effective marketing. This is especially challenging during this time of economic downturn and layoffs in
the hospitality industry. Enrollment at the Master Degree level has increased during the reporting period
while the Ph. D. program, after a downturn in 2006, has recovered as noted by the enrollment numbers
for Fall 2007 and 2008 semesters. However, the Ph.D. program may not increase as faculty have agreed
to only admit the number of students that can financially supported.

The Food & Beverage Department has several challenges:

• Equipment is constantly evaluated and upgraded with self earned funds
• Maintenance from the university is becoming increasingly expensive. The College must use more
outside contractors.
• The College desperately needs a nutrition research lab for the nutrition professors who have no lab
space or funding to build one at present.

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The Department of Hotel Management department has only one administrative staff person, which is
below the educational and research demands for the department of 21 FT faculty members, 8 GAs, and
22 part-time faculty and 600 FTEs.

The Department of Tourism and Convention Administration (TCA) is understaffed. The TCA department
serves as a service department for the entire College. Students from across the College, regardless of
major, are required to take Marketing, Accounting, and Finance – courses serviced by TCA faculty. As a
result, the majority of the instructional duties lie outside of their own major. The department is in great
need of additional faculty in the Tourism Management and Meetings and Events areas. TCA has 1
administrative assistant. This is one individual to assist 17 full-time and a large number of part-time
faculty. This is way below needs. TCA has one graduate assistant.

The 4% increase in enrollment is a projection for the Las Vegas campus (undergraduate and graduate).
Additionally, we could be/should be facing enrollment growth with the international campuses and this will
present a special challenge regarding the recruitment of quality faculty, quality assurance issues and
logistical coordination challenges. The College is contemplating having an associate dean serve as
coordinator of all international programs/campuses to meet these challenges.

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