1

Author: Ritacco, Daniel M. Title: The Accessibility of the Hotel, Restaura11t, a11d Tourism Ma11agement

Baccalaureate Program at tlte University of Wisconsin- Stout to Associate Degree Holders

The accompanying research report is submitted to the University of Wisconsin-Stout, G raduate School in partial

completion of the requirements for the

Graduate Degree/ Major : MS Career and Technical Education

Research Adviser: Damian S. Hanft

Month/Year : December, 2011

Number of Pages: 57

Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6111 edition

RECEIVED DEC 1 9 2011

GRADUATE SCHOOL

18) r understa nd tha t this research report must be offi cially approved by the G radua te School and that an elech·onic copy of the approved version will be made available through the University Library website !ZJ I attest t hat the research report is my original work (tha t any copyrightable materials have been used with the permission of t he origina l authors), and as such, it is automatically protected by the laws, r ules, and regula tions of the U.S. Copyright O ffi ce.

STUDENT'S NAME: Daniel M. Ritacco

. )'......-STUDENT'S SIGNATURE: , !1!!11!11111 DATE: 12/19/11

ADViSER'S NAME: Damian S.

ADVISER'S SIGNATURE:

T his section to be com pleted by the Graduate School This final research report has been approved by the Graduate School.

(Director, Office of Graduate Studies) (Date)

2

Ritacco, Daniel M. The Accessibility of the Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management

Baccalaureate Program at the University of Wisconsin- Stout to Associate Degree Holders

Abstract

The third largest industry in Wisconsin is the hospitality and tourism industry. UW-Stout is the

only college or university in Wisconsin that offers a bachelor’s degree hospitality management

program, although thirteen of the sixteen Wisconsin Technical College System campuses

currently have hospitality associate or certificate programs. There is currently a disconnect

between the WTCS schools and UW-Stout when it comes to transferring into the bachelor degree

hospitality management program. The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the

barriers that were keeping WTCS hospitality students from continuing their education, assess

what role age plays in these decisions, and assess attitudes about different instructional delivery

methods may encourage continuing their education to a 4-year college/university. Current

WTCS hospitality students were surveyed through a survey developed by the researcher through

Qualtrics survey software. Surveys were distributed with the aid of WTCS hospitality program

directors or instructors and analysis was performed through Qualtrics survey software. The

study showed that nontraditional hospitality students at WTCS campuses were less likely to

continue their education than their traditional counterparts. The most significant reasons given

for not continuing their education to the bachelor degree level were need to pursue employment

and costs associated with continuing their education. The most popular instructional delivery

method scenario among the participants was the one that included coursework mostly online

with additional lab work being done on weekends or in the summer at the student’s home WTCS

campus.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my mother, Sue Ritacco, for her unwavering support and continuous

belief that I would actually complete this research and graduate with my master’s degree.

Additionally, I would like to dedicate this to my brother, David Ritacco, who was taken from us

entirely too soon. Although he gave me grief that I was still in school as his kids were

approaching college age, he was always quietly proud of his younger brother’s accomplishments.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my dear friend Penny Barnes for allowing me

to rent her spare room the past few years, as I completed my graduate work, and allowing me to

take over her living room as my main study area. Finally, I would like to thank my thesis

advisor Damian Hanft. His patience, guidance, expertise, and energy went a long way in helping

me complete this research in a timely manner.

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Table of Contents

.................................................................................................................................................... Page

Abstract ............................................................................................................................................2

List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................6

List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................7

Chapter I: Introduction ....................................................................................................................8

Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................................10

Purpose of the Study ..........................................................................................................11

Research Questions ............................................................................................................11

Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................12

Assumptions of the Study ..................................................................................................12

Definition of Terms............................................................................................................12

Limitations of the Study.....................................................................................................14

Chapter II: Literature Review .......................................................................................................15

Introduction ........................................................................................................................15

Trends and Issues in Hospitality Education .......................................................................15

Attitudes and Examples of E-Learning in Hospitality Education ......................................16

Conclusions ........................................................................................................................20

Chapter III: Methodology .............................................................................................................21

Introduction ........................................................................................................................21

Description of Research Method .......................................................................................21

Selection of Subjects ..........................................................................................................21

Instrumentation ..................................................................................................................21

Data Collection and Recording ..........................................................................................22

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Data Processing and Analysis ............................................................................................23

Limitations .........................................................................................................................23

Summary ............................................................................................................................24

Chapter IV: Results .......................................................................................................................25

Introduction ........................................................................................................................25

Demographic Information ..................................................................................................25

Item Analysis .....................................................................................................................26

Research Questions ............................................................................................................38

Chapter V: Discussion ..................................................................................................................41

Introduction ........................................................................................................................41

Discussion ..........................................................................................................................41

Limitations .........................................................................................................................42

Conclusions ........................................................................................................................43

Recommendations ..............................................................................................................44

References ......................................................................................................................................45

Appendix A: Map of the 16 Wisconsin Technical College System Schools .................................47

Appendix B: Qualtrics Hospitality Online Survey Instrument- Ritacco .......................................48

Appendix C: Draft of Email to WTCS Hospitality Management Program Directors ...................57

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List of Tables Table 1: Distribution of Participants by WTCS School.................................................................28

Table 2: Attitudes about Online Learning Experience ..................................................................34

Table 3: Attitudes about Relocating to a 4-Year College or University ........................................35

Table 4: Attitudes about Combining Online and 4-Year College or University ...........................36

Table 5: Attitudes about Combining Online and Satellite Campus ...............................................37

Table 6: Attitudes about Combining Online and Home Campus ..................................................37

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List of Figures Figure 1: Age Distribution of Survey Participants ........................................................................26

Figure 2: Institutions that Survey Participants Indicated Had Hospitality Management

Bachelor Degree Programs ...............................................................................................34

Figure 3: Age of Participants Cross-Tabulated With Their Responses to Plans on

Continuing Their Education to the Bachelor’s Degree Level ............................................39

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Chapter I: Introduction

The tourism industry has always been an important factor in the economic landscape of

Wisconsin. The hospitality and tourism industry has maintained its status as the third largest

industry in Wisconsin, behind agriculture and manufacturing, despite the economic woes of the

2009 recession. Marshall (2010) indicated that the tourism industry in Wisconsin fared better

than the national average over the past eighteen months and supported over 286,000 jobs, while

bringing in billions of dollars in tax revenue to the state and income for Wisconsin residents.

Because of its importance to the livelihood of residents and the economic wellbeing of the state,

postsecondary institutions developed hospitality and tourism programs that have supported the

continued growth of the tourism industry.

According to Wisconsin Technical College System-Hospitality and Tourism website

(2009), thirteen of the sixteen technical colleges throughout the state of Wisconsin developed

certificate or associate level curriculum dedicated to the hospitality and tourism industry. This

curriculum encompassed everything from culinary skills, to meeting planning, to casino gaming,

to hotel/restaurant management. As a direct link between community and careers, the technical

colleges responded to the needs of Wisconsin residents. All of these institutions have been

impacted by the downturn in the economy.

According to the Wisconsin Technical College System Board (2009), WTCS colleges

emphasized responding to the needs of dislocated workers resulting in continuing to

provide training opportunities for incumbent workers, and developing career pathways

that address skill shortages and offer low-income adults clear and reliable courses of

action to progress in their careers. (p. 6)

The influx of dislocated workers helped raise the average age of students enrolled in Wisconsin

Technical College System schools to thirty-four years of age.

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Despite the increased number of adult associate degree holders at the technical school

level in Wisconsin, UW-Stout has not seen an increase in non-traditional student enrollment.

According to the University of Wisconsin Stout- Office of Budget, Planning, and Analysis

(2009), the average age of undergraduate students at UW-Stout was in the traditional student age

of twenty-one. According to Sally Bosshart of the UW-Stout office of Budget, Planning, and

Analysis (personal communication, November 16, 2010) less than six percent of students

enrolled in the hospitality management program at UW-Stout are considered non-

traditional/adult students. This was in sharp contrast to the average age of students in the

technical colleges of Wisconsin.

Hospitality education, as a whole, has grown over the past couple of decades. Stoller

(2008) indicated that there were over two hundred schools that offered bachelor degree programs

in hospitality management, which was an increase from just forty programs a few decades

earlier. In Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Stout was the only institution in the state

where a bachelor degree program for hospitality management was offered. UW-Stout

accommodated the growth of the associate degree programs in the technical colleges by

increasing hospitality courses offered online and developed articulation agreements with many of

the technical colleges not only in Wisconsin, but Minnesota as well.

Wisconsin ranked behind Minnesota in the percentage of the population that earned post-

secondary degrees at the baccalaureate level. This deficiency resulted in the development of the

Adult Student Initiative (2008). The Initiatives for a Growth Agenda for Wisconsin (2005) and

its subsequent phases set a dialogue in motion that made more bachelor degree programs

available and accessible online. According to the Joint UWS/WTCS Committee on

Baccalaureate Expansion (2005),

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working adults in Wisconsin were more likely to be enrolled in technical college

programs leading to an associate degree in applied science than in a university two-year

or four-year institution. As a result, Wisconsin ranks 9th among the states in the

percentage of adults who have completed an associate degree, but only 30th in percentage

of those age 25 and older who have completed a baccalaureate degree. (p. 5)

A major component of the Adult Student Initiative and its subsequent phases was to increase

accessibility through online and hybrid course offerings.

McGugan and Peacock (2005) found that hospitality management students expected

technology to play a significant, complementary role in their education, while face-to-face

tutoring remained critical to the educational process. The hospitality management bachelor

degree program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout followed this trend over the past few years

and began offering most of its discussion-based courses online, in addition to the traditional face-

to-face offerings. According to McDowall and Li-Chun (2007), research has indicated that

student achievement and attitude were similar in students who took the same courses online and

face-to-face. Considering the lab element in the hospitality management bachelor program at

UW-Stout that requires a traditional setting, it was not possible to complete the baccalaureate

degree entirely from a distance. The hospitality and tourism department utilized the experience

it gained by transferring the master’s program into the online setting (Clements, Buergermeister,

Holland, & Monteiro, 2001).

Statement of the Problem

Adult/nontraditional students were enrolling in and completing hospitality-related

associate degree programs at the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) schools spread

throughout the state. Most of these adult/nontraditional students were not continuing on to the

bachelor degree hospitality program offered solely at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

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Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to determine potential factors and obstacles that were

preventing adult/nontraditional students in hospitality associate programs at WTCS schools from

continuing their education to the baccalaureate level at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The

hospitality and tourism industry continues to be one of the major employers in the state of

Wisconsin. According to Wisconsin Department of Tourism: 2009 Economic Impact Research

(2010), the hospitality and tourism industry employed more people than any other private

employer in the state. Tourism was the third largest employer in the state and brings in billions of

dollars in revenue and income every year. The Wisconsin Restaurant Association (2009)

indicated that one in ten Wisconsin residents were employed in the restaurant industry. The size

of the hospitality industry combined with associate degree completion rate exaggerated the gap

in baccalaureate program completion. Factors and obstacles identified by this study may lead to

improvements in accessibility to the UW-Stout HRTM baccalaureate program, which in turn

may lead to increased baccalaureate degree completion in accordance with goals set forth by the

Adult Student Initiative in Wisconsin.

Research Questions

The questions this research wished to address included:

1. What barriers prevented students in associate degree hospitality programs at WTCS

schools from continuing on to the baccalaureate degree hospitality program at UW-Stout?

2. What role did age of the student have in influencing them to continue their education

from the WTCS hospitality programs to 4-year college/university?

3. If UW-Stout offered a hybrid version of its baccalaureate degree hospitality program

that allowed adult/nontraditional students to stay near home, would the baccalaureate degree

program be a viable option?

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Significance of the Study

This study was significant for multiple reasons:

1. There was a gap between adult students who completed associate degrees in hospitality

programs at WTCS schools and adult students who went on to the baccalaureate HRTM program

at UW-Stout. The declining rate in baccalaureate degree completion in Wisconsin led to the

Adult Student Initiative. This study identified factors and obstacles that were keeping adult

learners from continuing their education to the bachelor degree level and may result in increased

enrollment in the UW-Stout HRTM program.

2. The hospitality industry was the third largest industry in Wisconsin and was a

significant contributor to annual employment and revenue numbers. An increased degree

completion of HRTM at UW-Stout would improve the quality, preparedness, and knowledge

base of entry-level management positions in Wisconsin’s third largest industry.

3. Accessibility obstacles identified in this study may lead to improvements in distance

learning and hybrid HRTM program offerings across the state. A byproduct of this accessibility

may be increased enrollment at the WTCS schools and UW-Stout from out-of-state students of

all ages, most notably, increases in enrollment from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois residents.

Assumptions of the Study

The population included both tradition and nontraditional students enrolled in hospitality

associate degree programs at Wisconsin Technical College System schools. Because the survey

was emailed to the students and not administered in person, it was assumed that the

nonparticipants encompassed the same demographic cross section that the participants

encompassed.

Definition of Terms

For the purpose of this study, these terms were identified and defined:

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Adult/Nontraditional student: both UW-Stout and Wisconsin Technical College

System defined these students as 25 years of age or older, veteran, returning student, or married.

Associate degree: refers to a two-year degree usually obtained from a junior,

community, or technical college (Dictionary.com, 2010).

Bachelor degree: also known as baccalaureate, is a degree awarded after completion of

undergraduate work at a four-year college or university (Dictionary.com, 2010).

Curriculum: the courses that made up a program of study at an educational institution

(Dictionary.com, 2010).

Dislocated workers: according to the Wisconsin Technical College System Board

(2009), this term is in reference to employees who lost their jobs in one industry and retrained in

a new one to find work.

Hybrid instruction: according to Clements, Buergermeister, Holland, and Monteiro

(2001), this type of instruction refers to course delivery methods that utilized a combination of

face-to-face and online (not in person) delivery strategies.

Online education/distance learning: according to Clements, Buergermeister, Holland,

& Monteiro (2001), this type of instruction refers to course delivery methods that took place with

the student not needing to be in a physical classroom. Often internet and other communication

technologies were utilized.

Postsecondary education: is synonymous with postsecondary education/institution and

defined as education beyond the secondary level, especially education at the college or university

level (Dictionary.com, 2010).

Tourism Industry of Wisconsin: used interchangeably with hospitality industry. It

included lodging, restaurant, gaming, travel, recreation, and similar industry segments

(Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 2010).

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Wisconsin Technical College System schools: included Blackhawk, Chippewa Valley,

Fox Valley, Gateway, Lakeshore, Madison Area, Mid-State, Milwaukee Area, Moraine Park,

Nicolet Area, North Central, Northeast Wisconsin, Southwest Wisconsin, Waukesha County,

Western, and Wisconsin Indianhead technical colleges (Wisconsin Technical College System,

2009).

Wisconsin Technical College System hospitality programs: programs included

baking, pastry, casino management, culinary arts, culinary management, hotel & restaurant

management, hotel / hospitality management, meeting & event management, and recreation

management (Wisconsin Technical College System, 2009).

Limitations of the Study

The major limitations of this study were:

1. The study was limited to students enrolled in hospitality associate degree programs at

Wisconsin Technical College System (WCTS) schools during the 2010-2011 academic school

year. The findings of this study should only be applied to this specific major / program of study

and should not be generalized to other majors/programs of study.

2. The population included students at all stages of completion of the hospitality

associates degree programs at WCTS schools, including full and part-time students.

Consequently, the findings of this study might have included results of students who had varying

senses of urgency. This could have affected the approach to the survey that investigated plans

upon completion.

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Chapter II: Literature Review

Introduction

This chapter will include a discussion of the trends and challenges facing hospitality

management degree programs in the coming years. Additionally, this chapter will include a

discussion of attitudes and options of online and hybrid course delivery methods and their

potential in creating more accessibility to hospitality management baccalaureate degree

programs.

Trends and Issues in Hospitality Education

There are many trends and challenges facing the current and future development in the

hospitality management field. Key to the development and continuation of the hospitality

industry are advances in educational delivery methods and technology. According to Jin-Zhao

and Jing (2009), three of the top ten trends and challenges in the hospitality industry are related

to higher education, technology advances, and shortages of qualified personnel. All three

trending areas can be addressed by the hospitality management bachelor’s program at UW-Stout.

It seems unlikely in the current state of the economy, but Jin-Zhao and Jing (2009)

reported that a labor shortage of qualified workers is common in almost all geographical

locations. In fact, it is often this deficiency in the labor force that creates the most significant

obstacle to hospitality expansion. From the educational aspect, this shortage of viable labor

creates opportunities for hospitality management programs that are accessible to these

geographic areas. This accessibility can be a direct byproduct of the other two trends mentioned

earlier- higher education and technological advances.

Educational trends and technological advances seem to go hand-in-hand with one

another. According to Jin-Zhao and Jing (2009), “new educational providers have risen in order

to fill the undeniable demand for open, flexible, distance, and life-long learning” (p. 54). The

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major changes and shifts in curriculum in the hospitality industry mirror the paradigm shift from

teacher-centered instruction to student-centered instruction (Sizoo, Agrusa, & Iskat, 2005).

According to Jin-Zhao and Jing (2009), this paradigm shift requires the teacher to be a facilitator,

the student to be an active participant in learning, and the library specialist to be a learning

collaborator. All three aspects are aided by the advancements in technology.

The technology trends are two-fold: on one hand, we have the ever advancing technology

of the industry, and on the other hand, we have the technological advances that are enabling

educational delivery methods to meet the demands of the learners. Both sides of the equation

require the academic community to keep pace with the technological advances. It is a challenge

to both the academic and industry communities to stay abreast of the advancements from a time-

consuming aspect, as well as an expense aspect (Jin-Zhao & Jing, 2009).

There are many tools and technologies that have improved communications, academic

delivery, and academic accessibility. Rosen and Nelson (2008) referred to this next generation

of interactive internet as Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is defined as the next phase in internet usage that

allows users to create and share information across the internet in a social and collaborative

manner (Rosen & Nelson, 2008). There are many tools and applications that fall under the Web

2.0 umbrella. Some of these include: wikis, blogs, social networks, social bookmarking, and

many more. According to Rosen and Nelson (2008),

these tools allow users to transform individual activities—such as idea mapping,

calendars, journals, note taking, writing, photo albums, and more—into social-sharing

activities by facilitating the creation of internet-based communities joined for a common

purpose, providing these communities with new, on-the-fly ways to publicly share and

discuss content and requiring much less technical knowledge then their predecessor Web

1.0 tools. (p. 213)

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These Web 2.0 tools can help create collaborative learning communities that put the learners at

the center of their own learning experience.

From an educational standpoint, the transition from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 mirrors the

paradigm shift teacher-centered instruction to student-centered instruction. The one-way read-

only nature of Web 1.0 is similar to teacher-centered instruction where the learner is a passive

participant and the content is delivered to them. Conversely, the collaborative, social, and

constructivist nature of Web 2.0 is similar to the learner-centered instruction that is popular

today (Rosen & Nelson, 2008). In this type of learning the student is an active participant in the

learning process and personalizes the learning by building knowledge on previous learning and

relevant perspectives.

Although the connection to individual learner preferences is evident in Web 2.0 tools,

attitudes and implementation of these tools is slowly gaining acceptance in academia.

Attitudes and Examples of E-Learning in Hospitality Education

With the advances in technology, software, and collaboration tools in the educational

environment, the potential for increasing accessibility of hospitality management degree

programs is a real possibility. However, there continues to be debate regarding the effectiveness

and preference of distance education and e-learning environments among teachers and students

alike. According to McDowall and Li-Chun (2007), distance education is growing at a rapid

pace in higher education, as institutions strive to stay competitive as the barriers to enrollment

diminish. This growth can be attributed to the differences in life-styles and demographics of

today’s student population and the need for alternatives modes, places, and timing of instruction

(McDowall & Li-Chun, 2007).

Despite the push by institutions to offer distance education and the demand of students

for accessibility, the study conducted by McDowall and Li-Chun (2007) found that hospitality

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students preferred the more traditional face-to-face classroom learning environment to the e-

learning environment offered in distance education. Although these students saw the value in

technology as a resource in the classroom and preferred the teacher’s ability to teach over his /

her presence in the classroom, they preferred the structure and predictability of the traditional

classroom. According to McDowall and Li-Chun (2007), the major contributing factor in the

hospitality students’ preference towards traditional learning environment had to do with

technical problems that cause stress and discouragement in the learning process. Although there

is always a chance of technical difficulties when using technology, these issues can be overcome

with training, support, and flexibility of the learning environment. Technology is still a viable

educational tool in exposing the students to resources that may not be readily available in the

traditional classroom.

A specific means to bridge the gap between the physical environment of the traditional

classroom and the flexibility of the online environment is with the use of virtual learning

environments, or VLEs, as they are referred to. According to McGugan and Peacock (2005), in

an effort to prepare hospitality students for the hospitality industry expectations, virtual learning

environments can aid in familiarizing the students with the workplace. These virtual learning

environments provide an opportunity for students to contextualize learning through reference to

the hospitality work environment. McGugan and Peacock (2005) found that hospitality students

and teachers consider virtual learning environments to be useful in supplementing existing

teaching practices, rather than replacing these practices altogether. Similar to other studies on e-

learning environments, the major obstacle or challenge to utilizing virtual learning environments

is technical difficulties or a system that is not robust enough to support an engaging virtual

learning environment. With this in mind, it is important to remember that the overall attitude of

both students and teachers in this study was positive when considering virtual learning

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environments as a supplement to traditional coursework (McGugan & Peacock, 2005). The

hybrid classroom that combines traditional learning with e-learning supplemental resources is a

viable option for those hospitality programs not comfortable committing their entire program to

the online setting.

Taking the virtual learning environment one step further, Douglas, Miller, Kwansa, and

Cummings conducted a study about students’ perceptions of the usefulness of virtual simulations

in postsecondary hospitality education. According to Douglas, Miller, Kwansa, and Cummings

(2007), computer-based simulations can be useful interactive tools in reinforcing hospitality

concepts and providing experiential practice of content. The ability to enforce key concepts has

been a primary goal of hospitality or vocational education and the industry for decades. These

computer-based simulations have been credited with providing a greater degree of realism

comparable to real-world industry settings (Douglas, Miller, Kwansa, & Cummings, 2007).

According to Douglas, Miller, Kwansa, and Cummings (2007),

the results of this study are that internet-based simulations was shown to be a useful

instructional tool for the development of skills crucial to the hospitality business

management, namely those skills relating to planning, decision making, general

management, hospitality concepts, and problem identification. (p. 16)

It is interesting to note that the hospitality students did not feel that the compute-based

simulation improved their assignment of effectiveness of the course. Also, the students

enjoyment of the simulation activity and the amount of stress associated with the activity were

directly related to their experience level with computer-based simulations (Douglas, Miller,

Kwansa, & Cummings, 2007).

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Conclusions

Based on the trends in the hospitality industry and hospitality education, it is clear that

there is a need for online course offerings and resources in hospitality management degree

programs. The extent of these offerings is dependent on the resources and technical support

available to the institutions, teachers, and students. It is also evident that instructional time in the

e-learning environment must be spent acclimating the students to the technology to minimize the

negative effect of the instructional tool itself.

With the growing number of postsecondary hospitality degree programs available to

students, and the hospitality industry’s need for qualified employees, accessibility to degree

programs becomes a significant issue. Distance learning, online instruction, and hybrid course

offerings can aid in connecting students to hospitality programs and to the industry.

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Chapter III: Methodology

Introduction

This chapter will include a description of the sample, the instrument used, and the data

collection procedures. In addition, the data analyses will be reported. The chapter will conclude

with the identified methodological limitations and a summary.

Description of Research Method

This educational research was conducted utilizing the descriptive research method. This

study will report on the current attitudes and barriers affecting the decisions hospitality students

in the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) schools are making in deciding to, or not

to, continue on to the hospitality management bachelor degree program at UW-Stout.

Selection of Subjects

This study included students who were currently enrolled in hospitality programs at

WTCS schools (see Appendix A). These hospitality programs included hospitality management,

hotel & restaurant management, culinary management, and culinary arts. The programs ranged

from certificate to associate degree programs. Thirteen out of the sixteen technical schools in the

Wisconsin Technical College System had hospitality degree programs.

Instrumentation

The survey (see Appendix B) was developed and distributed with the Qualtrics survey

program that was licensed through the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The survey was created

specifically for this research project by the researcher and thesis advisor. The first section of the

survey was dedicated to demographic information about the WTCS schools’ hospitality program

students. This demographic information mirrored the demographic information collected by

WTCS and the University of Wisconsin-Stout for their biennial report and fact book,

respectively. This overlap of information was helpful in comparing sample results with the

22

larger population of students. The second section of the survey was dedicated to collecting

participants’ institutional information and participants’ academic experience and future plans.

This section included questions regarding obstacles to continuing education to the baccalaureate

academic level. Finally, the third section of the survey was dedicated to measuring the

participants’ attitudes towards several instructional delivery method scenarios that could be

utilized in completing coursework in a hospitality management baccalaureate degree program.

These attitudes were measured utilizing a seven-point Likert Scale that consisted of responses

ranging from strongly disagrees to strongly agree.

No measure of validity or reliability has been documented for this study because it was

developed for the purpose of this study.

Data Collection and Recording

Data collection began started on September 26, 2011 and ended on November 27, 2011.

During the first weeks of the fall 2011 semester, hospitality program directors or deans at the

thirteen WTCS schools were contacted by email (see Appendix C). In the absence of a program

director or dean, hospitality program instructors were contacted. These initial contact emails and

phone calls were made to request participation in the research by their respective schools’

hospitality students and asked for their help in distributing the survey to their hospitality

students. When participation was confirmed emails were sent to the key contacts at each school.

These emails contained contact information, description of the study, instructions, and a link to

the Qualtrics online survey tool. The schools were given the option of providing student emails

to the researcher for survey distribution or forwarding the survey link to their hospitality students

themselves. Eleven of the thirteen WTCS schools participated and all chose to distribute the

survey link to their students. To assure confidentiality, emails were sent through the “bcc” field

so that participants were not able to see contact information or names of others participating in

23

the research. The survey instrument included an implied consent form that indicated that

participants must be eighteen years of age or older to participate in the research and that

completion of the survey instrument indicated implied consent. WTCS hospitality students

completed the survey instrument online, on their own time, and the results were collected by

Qualtrics survey software. Qualtrics collected the responses, with no participant identifying

information, and created the data for analysis and interpretation.

Data Processing and Analysis

Data was collected, processed, and analyzed though the Qualtrics survey software.

Incomplete surveys were removed from the results. This descriptive study needed limited

statistical analysis based on most of the data being nominal and ordinal in nature. The statistical

analysis that was utilized in this study included frequency, percentages, and cross-tabulations.

The research was searching for correlations between various factors. Quantitative questions

were grouped together in order to perform statistical analysis to answer the research questions.

The few qualitative responses that were needed for short-answer blanks were utilized to allow for

answers that were not included in the choices given.

Limitations

The survey instrument was developed through Qualtrics survey software by the

researcher and advisor specifically for this research. Even though the survey was reviewed by

the hotel and restaurant management program director at UW Stout, the reliability of the survey

instrument has not been determined.

The method of distribution may have also limited the number of participants and the

ability to track how many WTCS school hospitality students were actually exposed to the survey

link. Since it was necessary to rely on third party (program directors and / or instructors) entities

in the distribution of the survey, it was unable to be determined if all WTCS hospitality students

24

were given the opportunity to participate. Additionally, because this method of distribution was

necessary, the generic link to the survey (URL) had to be used so one email could be sent to all

hospitality students by the program directors and / or instructors; it is not possible to know if the

survey was only taken once by each respondent.

The exact return rate could not be determined because of the method of distribution and

the survey link type. Not all WTCS hospitality program directors and / or instructors provided

total numbers of hospitality students in their programs or how many hospitality students they

actually distributed the survey to. Therefore, it was necessary to base the return rate on the

average rate of those schools who provided the information and assume that the return rate was

similar at all the schools that participated.

Summary

Students enrolled in hospitality management or certificate programs at the thirteen WTCS

schools that have hospitality programs were surveyed utilizing a survey instrument developed by

researcher and advisor through the Qualtrics survey software at UW-Stout, specifically for this

research. The purpose of the survey was to gauge the hospitality students’ attitudes towards

different course delivery methods utilizing a combination of online and face-to-face coursework

and barriers to continuing education past the technical college academic level. The link to the

survey was distributed by email through the assistance of the WTCS schools hospitality program

directors and / or instructors. Data was collected through Qualtrics survey software and basic

descriptive statistics were performed within the software.

25

Chapter IV: Results

Introduction

This chapter will include a description of the demographic information about the WTCS

hospitality students who participated in the research and an item analysis of the responses to all

of the questions included in the survey. The chapter will conclude with an analysis of the

research questions and how the survey responses answered those questions.

Demographic Information

Although all WTCS hospitality program directors and / or instructors did not supply data

regarding how many hospitality students they distributed the survey link to, the average return

rate from the schools that did supply distribution numbers was 18.8%. Over half of the eleven

WTCS schools who participated in distributing the survey supplied specific distribution

numbers. There were a total of 88 students who accessed the survey. After reading the implied

consent at the beginning of the survey, 87 chose “yes” to participate in the survey and 1 chose

“no” and abstained from participating.

Of the 87 participants, 45 (51.7%) were traditional students between the ages of eighteen

and twenty-four years old and 42 (48.3%) were nontraditional students twenty-five years of age

or older. Of the 87 participants, 37 (42.5%) were male and 50 (57.5%) were female. Of the 87

participants, 69 (79.3%) indicated they were single (never married, separated, or divorced), 17

(20.6%) indicated they were married or in a domestic partnership, and 1 (1.1%) preferred not to

answer the question. Of the 87 participants, 75 (86.4%) were white, 3 (3.4%) were African

American, 3 (3.4%) were Asian American, 3 (3.4%) were Hispanic, 1 (1.1%) was Italian

American, and 2 (2.3%) preferred not to answer the question. Of the 87 participants, 65 (74.7%)

indicated they were currently employed and 22 (25.3%) indicated they were not currently

employed.

26

Item Analysis

Figure 1 illustrates the participant’s responses to item number one of the survey. Item

number one of the survey asked the participants what was their current age. The results

indicated 51.7% (n = 45) of the participants were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four

years old. This age group (24 years of age or younger) is described by WTCS and UW-Stout as

“traditional” students. The results also indicated 48.3% (n = 42) of the participants were twenty-

five years of age or older. This age group (25 years of age or older) is described by WTCS and

UW-Stout as “nontraditional” students.

Figure 1: Age Distribution of the Survey Participants

18-2137.9% (n=33)

22-2413.8% (n=12)

25-2919.6% (n=17)

30-348.0% (n=7)

35-399.2% (n=8)

40-442.3% (n=2)

45-492.3% (n=2)

50 or older6.9% (n=6)

18-21 years old

22-24 years old

25-29 years old

30-34 years old

35-39 years old

40-44 years old

45-49 years old

50 years or older

Item number two of the survey asked the participants whether they were male or female.

The results were as follows: 42.5% (n = 37) of the participants indicated they were male and

57.5% (n = 50) of the participants indicated they were female.

Item number three of the survey asked participants what their current marital status was.

The results were as follows: 72.4% (n = 63) of the participants indicated they were single (never

married), 14.9% (n = 13) of the participants indicated they were married, 1.1% (n = 1) of the

27

participants indicated they were separated, 5.8% (n = 5) of the participants indicated they were

divorced, 4.6% (n = 4) of the participants indicated they were in a domestic partnership, and

1.1% (n = 1) of the participants indicated they preferred not to answer the question.

Item number four of the survey asked the participants about their ethnicity. The results

were as follows: 3.4% (n = 3) of the participants indicated they were African American, 3.4% (n

= 3) of the participants indicated they were Asian, 3.4% (n = 3) of the participants indicated they

were Hispanic, 86.4% (n = 75) of the participants indicated they were white, 1.1% (n = 1) of the

participants indicated they were of another ethnicity (Italian American), and 2.3% (n = 2) of the

participants indicated they preferred not to answer the question.

Item number five of the survey asked participants if they were currently employed. The

results were as follows: 74.7% (n = 65) of the participants indicated yes they were currently

employed and 25.3% (n = 22) of the participants indicated no they were not currently employed.

Item number six of the survey refers to those participants who indicated they were

currently employed (n = 65) and asked what their current employment status was. The results

were as follows: 43.1% (n = 28) of the participants who indicated they were currently employed

were employed at a full-time basis (30 or more hours per week) and 56.9% (n = 37) of the

participants who indicated they were currently employed were employed on a part-time basis (29

or fewer hours per week).

Item number seven of the survey refers to those participants who indicated they were

currently employed (n = 65) and asked if their current employment was in the hospitality

industry. The results were as follows: 80.0% (n = 52) of the participants who indicated they

were currently employed were employed in the hospitality industry and 20.0% (n = 13) of the

participants who indicated they were currently employed were not employed in the hospitality

industry.

28

Item number eight of the survey asked participants how much hospitality work

experience do you had. The results were as follows: 12.6% (n = 11) of the participants indicated

they had no hospitality work experience, 11.5% (n = 10) of the participants indicated they had

less than a year of hospitality work experience, 5.7% (n =5) of the participants indicated they had

1 to 2 years of hospitality work experience, 10.3% (n = 9) of the participants indicated they had 2

to 3 years of hospitality work experience, 21.8% (n = 19) of the participants indicated they had 3

to 4 years of hospitality work experience, 6.9% (n = 6) of the participants indicated they had 4 to

5 years of hospitality work experience, and 31.0% (n = 27) of the participants indicated they had

more than 5 years of hospitality work experience.

Table 1 illustrates the participant’s responses to item number nine of the survey. Item

number nine of the survey asked participants which of the Wisconsin Technical College (WTCS)

schools they were currently enrolled in. The two WTCS schools with most hospitality students

participating in the survey were Madison Area Technical College (23%, n = 20) and Moraine

Park Technical College (20.7%, n = 18), respectively. Only two of the thirteen WTCS schools

that have hospitality programs did not have students participate in the survey: Milwaukee Area

Technical College and Southwest Technical College.

Table 1 Distribution of Participants by WTCS School- (Which of the Wisconsin Technical College System

(WTCS) schools are you currently enrolled in?)

WTCS School Response %

Blackhawk Technical College 7 8.0%

Chippewa Valley Technical College 7 8.0%

Fox Valley Technical College 3 3.4%

29

Gateway Technical College 5 5.7%

Lakeshore Technical College 3 3.4%

Madison Area Technical College 20 23.0%

Milwaukee Area Technical College 0 0.0%

Moraine Park Technical College 18 20.7%

Nicolet Area Technical College 3 3.4%

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College 9 10.3%

Southwest Technical College 0 0.0%

Waukesha County Technical College 7 8.0%

Western Technical College 5 5.7%

Total 87 100%

Item number ten of the survey asked participants which hospitality program they were

currently enrolled in. The results were as follows: 8.0% (n = 7) of the participants indicated they

were enrolled in a hotel & hospitality management program, 36.8% (n = 32) of the participants

indicated they were enrolled in a hotel & restaurant management program, 11.5% (n = 10) of the

participants indicated they were enrolled in a culinary management program, 36.8% (n = 32) of

the participants indicated they were enrolled in a culinary arts program, and 6.9% (n = 6) of the

participants indicated they were enrolled in multiple programs at their schools.

Item number eleven of the survey asked participants which academic program level they

were currently enrolled in. The results were as follows: 95.4% (n = 83) of the participants

indicated they were enrolled in associate degree programs, 2.3% (n = 2) of the participants

indicated they were enrolled in certificate programs and 2.3% (n = 2) of the participants

indicated they were enrolled in both associate degree and certificate programs.

30

Item number twelve of the survey asked participants what their current enrollment status

was. The results were as follows: 88.5% (n = 77) of the participants indicated they are enrolled

as full-time students (12 or more credits) and 11.5% (n = 10) of the participants indicated they

were enrolled as part-time students (11 or fewer credits).

Item number thirteen of the survey asked participants approximately how far they

commute to school— one way. The results were as follows: 5.7% (n = 5) of the participants

indicated they lived less than a mile from their school, 39.1% (n = 34) of the participants

indicated they lived between 1 to 10 miles from their school, 26.4% (n = 23) of the participants

indicated they lived between 11 to 20 miles from their school, 12.6% (n = 11) of the participants

indicated they lived between 21 to 30 miles from their school, and 16.1% (n = 14) of the

participants indicated they loved more than 30 miles from their school.

Item number fourteen of the survey asked participants when they plan to complete their

degree in the hospitality program they are currently enrolled in. The results were as follows:

9.2% (n = 8) of the participants indicated they planned on completing their program in the fall of

2011, 27.6% (n = 24) of the participants indicated they planned on completing their program in

the spring of 2012, 3.4% (n = 3) of the participants indicated they planned on completing their

program in the summer of 2012, 27.6% (n = 24) of the participants indicated they planned on

completing their program in the fall of 2012, 20.7% (n = 18) of the participants indicated they

planned on completing their program in the spring of 2013, 1.1% (n = 1) of the participants

indicated they planned on completing their program in the summer of 2013, 6.9% (n = 6) of the

participants indicated they planned on completing their program in the fall of 2013, 1.1% (n = 1)

of the participants indicated they planned on completing their program after the fall of 2013, and

2.3% (n = 2) of the participants indicated they were undecided about when they would be

completing their program.

31

Item number fifteen of the survey asked participants if they plan on continuing their

education to pursue a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management or a related field. The results

were as follows: 28.7% (n = 25) of the participants indicated yes they were planning on

continuing their education, 20.7% (n = 18) of the participants indicated no they were not

planning on continuing their education and 50.6% (n = 44) of the participants indicated they

were undecided about their future academic plans.

Item number sixteen of the survey refers to participants who were either not planning, or

undecided, on continuing their education to the bachelor degree level in hospitality management

or a related field (n = 62). The item asked participants to indicate what their plan is, after

completing their hospitality associate degree or certificate program. The results were as follows:

6.5% (n = 4) of the participants indicated they were planning to pursue another associate degree

or certificate at the technical college level, 1.6% (n =1) of the participants indicated they were

planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a 4-year college/university in a degree program other

than hospitality management or related field, 40.3% (n = 25) of the participants indicated they

were planning to pursue new employment in the hospitality and tourism industry, 3.2% (n = 2) of

the participants indicated they were planning to pursue new employment in an industry other

than hospitality and tourism, 8.1% (n = 5) of the participants indicated they were planning to stay

at their current place of employment, and 40.3% (n = 25) of the participants indicated they were

undecided in their future plans.

Item number seventeen of the survey refers to participants who were either not planning,

or undecided, on continuing their education to the bachelor degree level in hospitality

management or a related field (n = 62). The item asked participants if they were not continuing

on to a bachelor degree level institution, please indicate which of the following barrier

represented the most significant reason for this decision. The results were as follows: 11.3% (n =

32

7) of the participants indicated the distance to the desired 4-year college / university was the

greatest barrier to continuing to a bachelor degree institution, 35.5% (n = 22) of the participants

indicated the financial obligation was the greatest barrier to continuing to a bachelor degree

institution, 14.5% (n =9) of the participants indicated the time commitment was the greatest

barrier to continuing to a bachelor degree institution, 17.7% (n = 11) of the participants indicated

continuing on to a bachelor degree institution was not necessary for their future plans, 3.2% (n =

2) of the participants indicated their lack of interest in continuing on was their reason for not

continuing on to a bachelor degree institution, and 17.7% (n = 11) of the participants indicated a

variety of other barriers that were keeping them from continuing on to a bachelor degree

institution. These other responses included:

Really dislike school but love to work (n =1)

Undecided (n = 3)

Desire to move out of state after 2 years if BTC (n = 1)

Already have a BA in theatre (n = 1)

I’m a single dad with 2 boys (n =1)

I don’t feel as if that would be beneficial to me living in a small town like I do and

planning to stay here after school (n =1)

(left blank) (n =3)

Figure 2 illustrates the participant’s responses to item number eighteen of the survey.

Item number eighteen of the survey asked participants what 4-year colleges/universities were

they aware of that currently had hospitality management bachelor degree programs. A total of

107 (fill-in the blank) results were filled in (1 to 3 options) by 60 participants and were as

follows: Lakeland College (n = 5), UW-Green Bay (n = 4), UW-Stout (n = 48), UW-Madison (n

=4), NWTC (n = 1), Swiss School of Hospitality (n = 1), UNLV (n = 8), Le Cordon Bleu (n = 5),

33

MATC (n = 2), Art Institute of Minneapolis (n = 3), University of Central Florida (n = 2),

Cornell (n = 3), Purdue (n = 1), Michigan State (n = 1), Robert Morris (n = 1), Edgewood (n =

1), Upper Iowa (n = 2), University of Phoenix—online (n = 2), Blackhawk Tech (n = 1), UCLA

(n = 1), UW-Eau Claire (n = 1), Culinary Institute of America (n = 2), Kendall (n = 1), UW

Oshkosh (n = 1), University of Denver (n = 1), Oklahoma State (n = 1), UW-Milwaukee (n = 1),

UW-Stevens Point (n = 1), Silver Lake College (n = 1), and Johnson & Wales (n = 1).

Figure 2: Institutions that Survey Participants Indicated had Hospitality Management Bachelor

Degree Programs (60 participants supplied 107 responses)

Lakeland College4% UW Green Bay

4%

UW Stout45%

UW Madison4%

UNLV7%

Le Cordon Bleu4%

MATC2%

Art Institute3%

U of Central Florida2%

Cornell3%

Upper Iowa2%

University of Phoenix

2%

Culinary Inst. Of Amer.

2%

Others only mentioned once

16%

Lakeland College UW Green Bay UW Stout

UW Madison UNLV Le Cordon Bleu

MATC Art Institute U of Central Florida

Cornell Upper Iowa University of Phoenix

Culinary Inst. Of Amer. Others only mentioned once

Item number nineteen of the survey asked participants if they were aware that

their current technical college had an articulation agreement with 4-year colleges/universities

making it possible to transfer most of their current hospitality credits into a comparable

34

bachelor’s degree program. The results were as follows: 74.7% (n = 65) of participants indicated

yes they were aware of their school’s articulation agreement(s) with 4-year colleges/universities

and 25.3% (n = 22) of the participants indicated no they were not aware of their school’s

articulation agreement(s) with 4-year colleges/universities.

Item number twenty of the survey asked participants if they completed any courses in the

technical college level in the online learning environment. The results were as follows: 46.0% (n

= 40) of the participants indicated yes they had completed coursework at their technical college

in the online learning environment and 54.0% (n = 47) of the participants indicated no they had

not completed coursework at their technical college in the online learning environment.

Table 2 illustrates the participant’s responses to item number twenty-one of the survey.

Item number twenty-one of the survey refers to participants would answered yes to item twenty

of the survey (n = 40), indicating that they had completed coursework in the online learning

environment at their technical college. Item twenty-one asked participants how they would

categorize their experience(s) in the online learning environment. Results indicated 80% (n =

32) of the participants who had experienced coursework in the online learning environment

categorized their experiences as neutral to very satisfied, whereas, 20% (n = 8) of the of the

participants categorized their online learning experiences as somewhat dissatisfied to very

dissatisfied on the Likert Scale.

Table 2

Attitudes about Online Learning Experiences

Very Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Somewhat Dissatisfied

Neutral Somewhat Satisfied

Satisfied Very Satisfied

TOTAL

1 2 5 11 4 13 4 40

2.5% 5.0% 12.5% 27.5% 10.0% 32.5% 10.0% 100%

35

Table 3 illustrates the participant’s responses to item number twenty-two of the survey.

Item number twenty-two of the survey asked participants if they had to relocate to the 4-year

college/university campus to continue their hospitality education to the bachelor’s degree level,

how likely they would be to continue their education. While 11.5% (n = 10) of the participants

indicated they were undecided about how relocating to the 4-year college/university campus

would affect their desire to continue their education to the bachelor’s degree level, 40.3% (n =

35) of the participants indicated their decision would be negatively affected, and 48.2% (n = 42)

of the participants indicated their decision would be positively affected.

Table 3

Attitudes about Relocating to a 4-Year College/University- (If you had to relocate to a 4-year

college / university campus to continue your hospitality education to the bachelor’s degree level,

how likely would you be to continue your education?)

Very Unlikely

Unlikely Somewhat Unlikely

Undecided Somewhat Likely

Likely Very Likely

Total

18 9 8 10 17 13 12 87

20.7% 10.4% 9.2% 11.5% 19.5% 14.9% 13.8% 100%

Table 4 illustrates the participant’s responses to item number twenty-three of the survey.

Item number twenty-three of the survey asked participants if they could complete most of their

coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at the 4-year

college/university campus over a few weekends during the school year or summer, how likely

would they be to continue their education to the bachelor’s degree level. While 13.8% (n = 12)

of the participants indicated they were undecided about how online coursework combined with

lab coursework at 4-year college/university campus would affect their desire to continue their

36

education to the bachelor’s degree level, 37.9% (n = 33) of the participants indicated their

decision would be negatively affected, and 48.3% (n = 42) of the participants indicated their

decision would be positively affected.

Table 4

Attitudes about Combining Online and 4-Year College/University- ( If you could complete most

of your coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at the 4-year

college/university campus over a few weekends during the school year or summer, how likely

would you be to continue your education to the bachelor’s degree level?)

Very Unlikely

Unlikely Somewhat Unlikely

Undecided Somewhat Likely

Likely Very Likely

Total

12 10 11 12 22 13 7 87

13.8% 11.5% 12.6% 13.8% 25.3% 14.9% 8.1% 100%

Table 5 illustrates the participant’s responses to item number twenty-four of the survey.

Item number twenty-four of the survey asked participants if they could complete most of their

coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at a satellite campus within

an hour and a half drive from them, over a few weekends during the school year or summer, how

likely would they be to continue their education to the bachelor’s degree level. While 18.4% (n

= 16) of the participants indicated they were undecided about how online coursework combined

with lab coursework at satellite campus would affect their desire to continue their education to

the bachelor’s degree level, 45.9% (n = 40) of the participants indicated their decision would be

negatively affected, and 35.7% (n = 31) of the participants indicated their decision would be

positively affected.

37

Table 5

Attitudes about Combining Online and Satellite Campus- (If you could complete most of your

coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at a satellite campus within

an hour and a half drive away from you, over a few weekends during the school year or summer,

how likely would you be to continue your education to the bachelor’s degree level?)

Very Unlikely

Unlikely Somewhat Unlikely

Undecided Somewhat Likely

Likely Very Likely

Total

14 13 13 16 15 5 11 87

16.1% 14.9% 14.9% 18.4% 17.2% 5.8% 12.7% 100%

Table 6 illustrates the participant’s responses to item number twenty-five of the survey.

Item number twenty-five of the survey asked participants if they could complete most of their

coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at their technical college’s

campus over a few weekends during the school year or summer, how likely would they be to

continue their education to the bachelor’s degree level. While 11.5% (n = 10) of the participants

indicated they were undecided about how online coursework combined with lab coursework at

their technical college campus would affect their desire to continue their education to the

bachelor’s degree level, 26.5% (n = 23) of the participants indicated their decision would be

negatively affected, and 62.0% (n = 54) of the participants indicated their decision would be

positively affected.

Table 6

Attitudes about Combining Online and at Own Campus- (If you could complete most of your

coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at your technical college

38

campus over a few weekends during the school year or summer, how likely would you be to

continue your education to the bachelor’s degree level?)

Very Unlikely

Unlikely Somewhat Unlikely

Undecided Somewhat Likely

Likely Very Likely

Total

6 6 11 10 14 13 27 87

6.9% 6.9% 12.7% 11.5% 16.1% 14.9% 31.0% 100%

Item number twenty-six of the survey asked participants of the four scenarios discussed

above, which one scenario they would prefer, if they were to continue their education on to the

baccalaureate level. The responses were as follows: 33.3% (n = 29) of the participants indicated

they preferred relocating to the 4-year college/university campus to continue their education to

the baccalaureate level, 2.3% (n = 2) of the participants indicated they preferred the mostly

online coursework with lab work at the 4-year college/university scenario, 2.3% (n = 2) of the

participants indicated they preferred the mostly online coursework with lab work at a satellite

campus within driving distance scenario, and 62.1% (n = 54) of the participants indicated they

preferred the mostly online coursework with lab work at their current technical college campus

scenario.

Research Questions

Research Question #1: What barriers prevented students in associate degree hospitality

programs at WTCS schools from continuing on to the baccalaureate degree hospitality program

at UW-Stout?

Survey items 15, 16, 17, and 19 dealt with this research question. The results indicated

that of the 71.3% (n = 62) of the total participants who indicated they were either not planning

on, or undecided about, pursuing their education in the hospitality management bachelor’s

39

degree, 40.3% (n = 25) were planning on pursuing new employment in the hospitality industry

after obtaining their associate’s degree. 40.3% (n = 25) remained undecided about their future

plans. The results also indicated that the largest barrier preventing students from continuing their

education was the financial obligation (35.5%, n = 22), while only 11.3% (n = 7) of the

participants indicated that distance to the 4-year college/university was a significant barrier.

Finally, three quarters of the 87 participants were aware that there were articulation agreements

in place with 4-year colleges/universities that would mean most of their technical college

hospitality credits would transfer.

Research Question #2: What role did age of the student have in influencing students to

continue their education from the WTCS hospitality programs to 4-year college/university?

Survey items 1 and 15 dealt with this research question. The results indicated that 35.6%

(n = 16) of traditional students (ages 24 years old or younger) planned on continuing their

education to pursue a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management or related field, while 13.3%

(n = 6) were not planning on continuing their education to the bachelor’s degree level.

Conversely, 21.4% (n = 9) of nontraditional students (ages 25 and older) planned on continuing

their education to the bachelor degree level, while 28.6% (n = 12) were not planning on

continuing their education to the bachelor degree level. Twice as many nontraditional students

than traditional students were not planning on continuing their education past their associate’s

degree at their respective WTCS school. Both sets of students had approximately 50% of their

group that were undecided about their plans for continuing their education to the bachelor degree

level in hospitality management or a related field.

Figure 3: Age of Participants Cross-tabulated With Their Responses to Plans on Continuing

Their Education to the Bachelor’s Degree Level

40

Research Question #3: If UW-Stout offered a hybrid version of its baccalaureate degree

hospitality program that allowed adult / nontraditional students to stay near home, would the

baccalaureate degree program be a viable option?

Survey item 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 dealt with this research question. The results

indicated that over 50% (54.0%, n = 47) of participants had not taken a postsecondary course

online and only 20% (n = 8) of 40 students who had taken online courses at their technical

college indicated that they had a less than satisfactory experience in the online learning

environment. The most significant positive response to any of the four course delivery scenarios

(total relocation to 4-year college/university, online coursework at 4-year college/university,

online / satellite campus, and online /at own campus) came with the scenario that included online

coursework combined with lab-work at their own technical college. This scenario garnered a

positive response from 62% (n = 54) of the participants with only 26.7% (n = 23) responding

negatively. 11.5% (n = 10) were undecided about the scenario. If given the option of only

choosing one of the four course delivery scenarios, over 62% (n = 54) of the chose the hybrid

option of online coursework with lab-work done at their home WTCS school campus. 33.3% (n

= 29) chose the completely relocation scenario.

41

Chapter V: Discussion

Introduction

This chapter will include a comparative discussion based on results and previous research

and a summary of the limitations of the research and survey procedures. Additionally, this

chapter will include conclusion of the research based on survey results and the literature review.

Finally, this chapter will include recommendations for the future based on survey results and

conclusions.

Discussion

According to the University of Wisconsin Stout-Office of Budget, Planning, and Analysis

(2009), less than six percent of students enrolled in the hospitality management program were

considered nontraditional / adult students. With the number students transferring into the UW

Stout hospitality management program from the WTCS schools numbering in the single digits,

the current study confirmed that nontraditional WTCS students were less likely to continue their

education / transfer to a 4-year college/university and almost three quarters of the participants

were either not planning on continuing their education or undecided about the prospect.

According to the current study’s findings, WTCS hospitality students still preferred face-

to-face instruction over the online learning environment at their current technical college

campuses. These findings concurred with the study conducted by McDowall and Li-Chun

(2007) that found hospitality students preferred more traditional classroom learning

environments to those offered by distance education. However, McDowall and Li-Chun (2007)

also found that distance education continues to grow at a rapid pace in higher education, as

institutions strive to stay competitive as barriers to enrollment diminish. The current study bears

this out as given the choice; WTCS hospitality students preferred a hybrid learning environment

42

of mostly online instruction with some traditional face-to-face lab work at a ratio of two to one

over relocating, if they were to continue their education on to a 4-year college/university.

Given the uncertainty of the economic environment, Jin-Zhao and Jing (2009) reported

that the deficiency in the labor force is creating the most significant obstacle to hospitality

expansion. This study concurred as the most significant reasons given by the WTSC hospitality

students for not continuing on past the associate degree academic level were the impending

financial obligation and the desire to enter employment after completion of the hospitality

associate’s degree or certificate program.

Limitations

The study was limited to students enrolled in hospitality associate degree programs at

Wisconsin Technical College System (WCTS) schools during the 2010-2011 academic school

year. The findings of this study should only be applied to this specific major / program of study

and should not be generalized to other majors / programs of study.

The population included students at all stages of completion of the hospitality associates

degree programs at WCTS schools, including full and part-time students. Consequently, the

findings of this study might have included results of students who had varying senses of urgency.

This could have affected the approach to the survey that investigated plans upon completion.

The survey instrument was developed through Qualtrics survey software by the

researcher and advisor specifically for this research. Even though the survey was reviewed by

the hotel and restaurant management program director at UW-Stout, the reliability of the survey

instrument has not been determined.

The method of distribution may have also limited the number of participants and the

ability to track how many WTCS school hospitality students were actually exposed to the survey

link. Since it was necessary to rely on third party (program directors and / or instructors) entities

43

in the distribution of the survey, it was unable to be determined if all WTCS hospitality students

were given the opportunity to participate. Additionally, because this method of distribution was

necessary, the generic link to the survey (URL) had to be used so one email could be sent to all

hospitality students by the program directors and / or instructors; it is not possible to know if the

survey was only taken once by each respondent.

The exact return rate could not be determined because of the method of distribution and

the survey link type. Not all WTCS hospitality program directors and/or instructors provided

total numbers of hospitality students in their programs or how many hospitality students they

actually distributed the survey to. Therefore, it was necessary to base the return rate on the

average rate of those schools who provided the information and assume that the return rate was

similar at all the schools that participated.

Conclusions

The results of the survey indicated that the age dispersion of the participants was similar

to the overall WTCS student population age dispersion with roughly half the students falling

under the traditional student definition of twenty-four years or less, and the other half falling

under the nontraditional / adult student definition of twenty-five years or older.

The most significant reason given by WTCS hospitality students for choosing not to

continue their education on past their current hospitality program or certificate was their desire or

need to return/continue their current employment or to seek new employment in the hospitality

industry. The most significant barrier for WTCS hospitality students for choosing not to

continue their education to the bachelor degree level at a 4-year college/university was the

financial obligation of such an undertaking.

Given the four instructional delivery scenarios presented separately in the study, the first

three garnered fairly similar positive and negative measured responses. These three scenarios

44

were as follows: complete relocation to the 4-year college/university, mostly online with lab

work taking place at the 4-year college/university, and mostly online with lab work taking place

at a satellite campus within an hour and a half driving distance from the student. The forth

instructional delivery scenario, mostly online with lab work taking place at the student’s home

technical college campus, garnered the strongest reaction, one way or the other. Almost two

thirds of the participants had a positive attitudinal reaction to this scenario.

Recommendations

Based on the results of this study, there needs to be more done to increase WTCS

hospitality student interest in the UW-Stout hospitality management bachelor’s degree program.

There seems to be a positive reaction to a potential hybrid instructional delivery environment that

would make the UW-Stout hospitality management program accessible to WTCS hospitality

students. The most popular of the instructional delivery scenarios involved most of the

instruction taking place online with the few lab-intensive courses being instructed on weekends

or in the summer at the various WTCS school campuses. UW-Stout already offers most of its

hospitality management courses online and articulation agreements already exist with all thirteen

WTCS campuses that offer hospitality programming. It would seem that it would not take a

tremendous amount of changes or effort to develop the UW-Stout hospitality program to extend

to all corners of the state of Wisconsin (and maybe even beyond), without the need for student

relocation to Menomonie, WI. Based on this information, it is recommended that UW-Stout

extend its campus to those WTCS campuses interested in offering a more accessible bachelor

degree program in hospitality management. This would aid the Wisconsin adult student

initiative to increase bachelor degree holders in the state of Wisconsin and also provide a more

qualified workforce in the hospitality industry of Wisconsin.

45

References

Adult student initiative. (2008). Retrieved May 20, 2010, from: www.wisconsin.edu/news

/2008/04-2008/MaxAccessUWC-UWEXed.pdf

Clements, C. J., Buergermeister, J., Holland, J., & Monteiro, P. (2001). Creating a virtual

learning community. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 1(2/3), 73-90.

Dictionary.com (2010). Retrieved June 16, 2010, from: http://dictionary.reference.com

Douglas, A., Miller, B., Kwansa, F., & Cummings, P. (2007). Students’ perceptions of the

usefulness of virtual simulation in post-secondary hospitality education. Journal of

Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 7(3), 1-19.

Initiatives for a growth agenda for Wisconsin. (2005). Retrieved May 30, 2010, from:

www.wisconsin.edu/growthagenda/initiatives/index.htm

Jin-Zhao, W., & Jing, W. (2009). Issues, challenges, and trends that are facing hospitality

industry. Management Science & Engineering, 3(4), 53-58.

Joint UWS/WTCS Committee on baccalaureate expansion. (2005). Expanding access to

baccalaureate education in Wisconsin. Madison, WI: Author.

Marshall, L. (2010, May 10). Wisconsin tourism predicts rebound in 2010 [Press release from

Wisconsin Department of Tourism]. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from: http://media.

travelwisconsin.com/en/Press+Releases/2010-05-09+Tourism+Week+Release.aspx

McDowall, S., & Li-Chun, L. (2007). A comparison of students’ attitudes toward two teaching

methods: Traditional versus distance learning. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism

Education, 19(1), 20-26.

46

McGugan, S., & Peacock, S. (2005, May). Learning technology and its potential to support

student placements in hospitality and tourism education. Jounal of Hospitality, Leisure,

Sport, and Tourism Education, 4(1), 15-29.

Rosen, D., & Nelson, C. (2008). Web 2.0: A new generation of learners and education.

Computers in the Schools, 25(3/4), 211-225.

Sizoo, S., Agrusa, J., & Iskat, W. (2005). Measuring and developing the learning strategies of

adult career and vocational education students. Education (Chula Vista, CA.), 125(4),

527-538.

Stoller, G. (2008, January 8). Hotel schools are in with the inn crowd; Graduates with hospitality

degrees are in demand. USA Today, p. 1B.

Wisconsin Department of Tourism: 2009 Economic impact research. (2010). Retrieved June 14,

2010, from: http://industry.travelwisconsin.com/en/Research/Economic+Impact/2009

+Economic+Impact+Research+Kit.aspx

Wisconsin Restaurant Association: Industry trends & statistics. (2009). Retrieved June 14, 2010,

from: www.wirestaurant.org/press/statistics.php

Wisconsin Technical College System: 09 Hospitality & tourism. (2009). Retrieved May 30, 2010,

from: http://systemattic.wtcsystem.edu/Instruction/Career-Cluster/09-hospitality-

tourism/Hospitality-Tourism.htm

Wisconsin Technical College System Board. (2009, October). State of Wisconsin 2007-09

biennial report: Wisconsin Technical College System. Madison, WI: Author.

University of Wisconsin-Stout: Office of Budget, Planning, and Analysis. (2009). University of

Wisconsin- Stout 2008-09. Menomonie, WI: Author.

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Appendix A: Map of the 16 Wisconsin Technical College System Schools.

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Appendix B: Qualtrics Hospitality Online Survey Instrument- Ritacco.

“This research has been approved by the UW-Stout IRB as required by the Code of Federal regulations Title 45 Part 46.” ______________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for accessing our survey! Once you have answered all questions on each page, please click on the [ >> ] on the bottom right corner of each page to navigate through the survey. Some pages may require you to scroll down to see all questions. The next page describes the research and consent to participate. ______________________________________________________________________________

Consent to Participate In UW-Stout Approved Research Title: The Accessibility of Hospitality Baccalaureate Degree Programs to Hospitality Students from Wisconsin Technical College System Schools. Investigator: Daniel M Ritacco UW-Stout Graduate Student 715-505-7232, ritaccod@my.uwstout.edu Description: This study is being conducted to assess factors that hinder students in hospitality management associate degree programs from continuing on to bachelor degree programs. Additionally, the study will assess the role age plays in influencing students to continue their education from the WTCS hospitality programs to 4-year college / university level. Finally, the study will reveal attitudes towards different course delivery methods that will potentially affect change, accessibility, and expansion of the hospitality management bachelor degree programs at 4-year colleges or universities. Risks and Benefits: There are no risks to participants for participating in this study. No names, email addresses, IP addresses, or any form of identification will be asked or recorded. The survey is completely voluntary, and no personal information will be used or shared with anyone. By participating in this study, you will be contributing towards the development of more accessible course delivery methods in the hospitality management baccalaureate program. Special Populations: Participants must be 18 years old or older to participate in this study. Time Commitment: Completion of this survey should only take the participants ten to fifteen minutes. Confidentiality: Your name will not be included on any submissions. All surveys will be submitted online using

49

Qualtrics program at the University of Wisconsin- Stout. The surveys will be submitted anonymously and there will be no identifiable information collected in the survey that will be able to be linked to specific participants. Right to Withdraw: Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. You may choose not to participate without any adverse consequences to you. You have the right to stop the survey at any time. However, should you choose to participate and later wish to withdraw from the study, there is no way to identify your anonymous submission after it has been submitted online. The data cannot be linked to individual participant and therefore cannot be withdrawn after submission. IRB Approval: This study has been reviewed and approved by The University of Wisconsin-Stout's Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB has determined that this study meets the ethical obligations required by federal law and University policies. If you have questions or concerns regarding this study please contact the Investigator or Advisor. If you have any questions, concerns, or reports regarding your rights as a research subject, please contact the IRB Administrator. Investigator: Daniel M. Ritacco, IRB Administrator UW-Stout Graduate Student Sue Foxwell, Director, Research Services 715-505-7232, ritaccod@my.uwstout.edu 152 Vocational Rehabilitation Bldg. UW-Stout Advisor: Damian Hanft, Menomonie, WI 54751 UW-Stout Program Director 715-232-2477 Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Program foxwells@uwstout.edu 715-232-2543, hanftd@uwstout.edu Statement of Consent: By completing the following survey you agree to participate in the project entitled, The Accessibility of Hospitality Baccalaureate Degree Programs to Hospitality Students from Wisconsin Technical College System Schools. Having read the consent form above, if you would like to continue on to the survey, please choose Yes and navigate (>>) to the next page. If you decide that you do not want to participate in the study, please choose No and navigate (>>) to the next page. (Reminder-- you must be 18 years or older to participate in this study.) Yes No

______________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for choosing to participate in our survey. The first section of the survey is dedicated to collecting basic demographic information. ______________________________________________________________________________

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Q1 What is your current age?

18 to 21 years old

22 to 24 years old

25 to 29 years old

30 to 34 years old

35 to 39 years old

40 to 44 years old

45 to 49 years old

50 or older

Prefer not to answer Q2 Which of the following best describes you?

Male

Female

Prefer not to answer Q3 What is your current marital status? What is your current marital status?

Single (never married)

Married

Separated

Divorced

Domestic partnership

Prefer not to answer Q4 Which of the following best describes your ethnicity?

African American

American Indian

Asian

Hispanic

White

Multi-ethnic

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Other (Click on the text box below to enter another answer not listed above)

Prefer not to answer Q5 Are you currently employed?

Yes

No Q6 If yes, what is your current employment status?

Full-time (30 or more hours per week)

Part-time (29 or fewer hours per week) Q7 Is your current employment in the hospitality industry? (i.e. bar, restaurant, hotel, club, casino, tourism, convention center, meeting planner, etc.)

Yes

No Q8 How much hospitality work experience do you have?

None

Less than 1 year

1 to 2 years

2 to 3 years

3 to 4 years

4 to 5 years

5 years or more ______________________________________________________________________________ The next section of the survey is dedicated to information regarding your current hospitality program and future educational plans. ______________________________________________________________________________ Q9 Which Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) school are you currently enrolled in? Which Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) school are you curre

Blackhawk Technical College

Chippewa Valley Technical College

Fox Valley Technical College

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Gateway Technical College

Lakeshore Technical College

Madison Area Technical College

Milwaukee Area Technical College

Moraine Park Technical College

Nicolet Area Technical

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Southwest Technical College

Waukesha County Technical College

Western Technical College Q10 Which hospitality program are you currently enrolled in?

Hotel & Hospitality Management

Hotel & Restaurant Management

Culinary Management

Culinary Arts

Other (Click on the text box below to enter another answer not listed above) Q11 What academic program level are your currently enrolled in?

Associate degree

Certificate

Other (Click on the text box below to enter another answer not listed above) Q12 What is your current enrollment status?

Full-time (12 or more credits)

Part-time (11 or fewer credits) Q13 Approximately how far do you commute to school? (one way)

Less than 1 mile

1 to 10 miles

11 to 20 miles

21 to 30 miles

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More than 30 miles Q14 When do you plan to complete your degree in the hospitality program that you are currently enrolled in?

Fall Semester 2011

Spring Semester 2012

Summer Semester 2012

Fall Semester 2012

Spring Semester 2013

Summer Semester 2013

Fall Semester 2013

Later than Fall Semester 2013

Undecided Q15 Do you plan on continuing your education to pursue a bachelor's degree in hospitality management or related field?

Yes

No

Undecided Q16 If no, please indicate what your current plan is, after completing your hospitality associate degree or certificate program? (please choose one answer)

Pursue another associate degree or certificate at the technical college level

Pursue a bachelor's degree at a 4-year college / university in a degree program other than hospitality management or a related field

Pursue new employment in the hospitality and tourism industry

Pursue new employment in an industry other than hospitality and tourism

Stay at current place of employment

Undecided

Other (Click on the text box below to enter another answer not listed above)

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Q17 If you are not continuing on to a bachelor degree level institution, please indicate which of the following barriers represents the most significant reason for this decision.

Distance to desired 4-year college / university

Financial obligation

Time commitment

Not necessary for future plans Not necessary for future plans

Lack of interest

Other (Click on the text box below to enter another answer not listed above) Q18 What 4-year colleges / universities are you aware of that currently have hospitality management bachelor degree programs? (Please name the first three 4-year colleges / universities with hospitality management bachelor degree programs that come to mind, or as many as you can think of.) Click to write Choice 1 Click to write Choice 2 Click to write Choice 3 Q19 Are you aware that your current technical college has articulation agreements with 4-year colleges / universities making it possible to transfer most of your current hospitality credits into a comparable bachelor's degree program?

Yes

No Q20 Have you completed any courses in the technical college level in the online learning environment?

Yes

No Q21 If yes, how would you categorize your experience(s) in the online learning environment? Very Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Somewhat

Dissatisfied Neutral Somewhat Satisfied Satisfied Very

Satisfied

______________________________________________________________________________

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For the final five questions, regardless of your current plans regarding continuing your education to the bachelor's degree level, please approach / answer these questions as if you were considering continuing your education past the associate degree or certificate level. (* Because of the presence of a couple of lab-intensive courses that are required in completing a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, it is not possible to complete the bachelor degree entirely online. Following are four options that may be utilized in completing the hospitality management bachelor degree program.) ______________________________________________________________________________ Q22 If you had to relocate to the 4-year college / university campus to continue your hospitality education to the bachelor's degree level, how likely would you be to continue your education? Very Unlikely Unlikely Somewhat

Unlikely Undecided Somewhat Likely Likely Very Likely

Q23 If you could complete most of your coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at the 4-year college / university over a few weekends during the school year or summer, how likely would you be to continue your education to the bachelor's degree level? Very Unlikely Unlikely Somewhat

Unlikely Undecided Somewhat Likely Likely Very Likely

Q24 If you could complete most of your coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at a satellite campus within an hour and a half drive from you, over a few weekends during the school year or summer, how likely would you be to continue your education to the bachelor's degree level? Very Unlikely Unlikely Somewhat

Unlikely Undecided Somewhat Likely Likely Very Likely

Q25 If you could complete most of your coursework online, with lab-intensive coursework being completed at your technical college's campus over a few weekends during the school year or summer, how likely would you be to continue your education to the bachelor's degree level? Very Unlikely Unlikely Somewhat

Unlikely Undecided Somewhat Likely Likely Very Likely

Q26 Of the four scenarios discussed above, which one scenario would you prefer, if you were to continue your education on to the baccalaureate degree level?

Relocating to the 4-year college / university campus

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Mostly online with lab work at the 4-year college / university campus

Mostly online with lab work at a satellite campus within driving distance from you (within 1.5 hours

Mostly online with lab work at your current technical college campus

r

r

r

57

Appendix C: Draft of Email to WTCS Hospitality Management Program Directors.

Subject: Study involving Wisconsin Technical College System school hospitality students “This research has been approved by the UW-Stout IRB as required by the Code of Federal regulations Title 45 Part 46.” [Insert WTCS Hospitality Program Director / Instructors], My name is Daniel Ritacco and I am a graduate student at the UW Stout. I am completing my thesis as part of my Career & Technical Education master's program. My undergraduate work was in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management at UW Stout and Madison Area Technical College. My research is assessing the accessibility of the Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Management program at UW Stout to hospitality students at the Wisconsin Technical College System schools and possible alternative delivery methods that may increase accessibility. My thesis advisor, Damian Hanft, and I are contacting you to request permission to include your school's hospitality students in my research. We would also like to seek your assistance with distributing the online research instrument to the hospitality students at [Insert specific WTCS school name here]. The direct link to the survey for your hospitality students is as follows (It is "live" and ready to go!)— [Insert Qualtrics online survey link / URL here] If you prefer that we distribute the survey directly to your students, please provide an email distribution list and we would be happy to do this. We appreciate you taking the time to consider involvement in this research project. Please let us know if you need any further information, need to discuss things further, or if there is someone else we should be contacting with this request. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you in the coming days. Investigator: Daniel Ritacco UW Stout Graduate Student ritaccod@my.uwstout.edu, 715-505-7232 Research Advisor: Damian Hanft UW Stout Program Director Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Management hanftd@uwstout.edu, 715-232-2543 “This research has been approved by the UW-Stout IRB as required by the Code of Federal regulations Title 45 Part 46.”