West Virginia University and Pierpont Community & Technical College have teamed up to provide students interested in the hospitality and tourism industry with unique academic opportunities.

Students will have access to a dedicated industry management curriculum, a wide network of hospitality and tourism relationships, and internship and job placement resources upon graduation from Pierpont, which is listed at #5 among the 50 best culinary schools in 2016 by Best Choice Schools.

The partnership has created four specific study areas at Pierpont, located in Fairmont, W.Va., and an academic path for those students to continue in WVU’s Hospitality & Tourism Management program at the College of Business and Economics. Frank DeMarco, coordinator of the WVU program, and Brian A. Floyd, dean of Pierpont’s School of Human Services and executive director of the Pierpont Culinary Academy, said the agreement opens up unprecedented academic — and career — opportunities.

“The programs that have been created through this partnership will give students choices and ideas about what they would like to do in the hospitality and tourism industry that they haven’t had access to before,” DeMarco said. “At Pierpont, students can earn associate degrees in business or three different tracks in food service management: culinary arts, pastry and baking, and resort and hotel management. Upon earning a degree there, students can then opt to transition right into our program at WVU. Essentially, students can earn two degrees in a little more than four years and open up truly dynamic career possibilities.”

B&E Milan Puskar Dean Javier Reyes said the WVU-Pierpont partnership presents new opportunities for students. “This agreement puts into place a path to our Hospitality & Tourism Management program for the further education of Pierpont graduates in these specific study areas,” Reyes said. “From both an educational standpoint and a career-readiness standpoint, the partnership is invaluable for students.”

The associate degrees at Pierpont are designed to lead to a Bachelor of Science degree in business at WVU if students wish to follow that path, DeMarco and Floyd said. Students can earn a degree from a nationally ranked program accredited by the American Culinary Federation and follow up with building a foundation of business management in the WVU program.

“This an opportunity to combine the relationships both schools have with individuals and companies in the industry,” DeMarco said. “Students will have access to WVU’s BrickStreet Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, because many expressed an interest in eventually wanting to open their own restaurants or bakeries, for example. They’ll have access to internships and job placement, as well as nationally recognized research in hospitality and tourism management. Students will have the knowledge and skills to be career-ready.”

“The hospitality and tourism industry is an important part of our state economy,” Floyd said. “There is a high level of interest because of this partnership, and when you look at the opportunity to earn two degrees in this short amount of time, the real value of preparation for a career is evident. The true benefactors of our partnership are the students, who will be able to combine their culinary achievements with the business management component that is so necessary in the industry today.”

The Hospitality and Tourism Management major prepares students to become business leaders in hotel and restaurant operations, event planning, and casino and tourism management. The program partners with a number of hospitality organizations to give students real-world experience. Students gain real-world experience in restaurant and hotel management by spending time in learning labs, as well as planning and executing events and fulfill two professional field experience/internship courses. B&E offered its first hospitality and tourism course in the spring of 2009, which quickly evolved into a full major by the fall of 2014.

The Pierpont Culinary Academy emerged in 2004 as part of its initial accreditation through the American Culinary Federation. The Academy distinguishes itself as a regional leader of culinary education demonstrated by graduate accomplishments. Past students are featured in prominent chef and pastry positions at companies such as The Greenbrier, Ritz Carlton and dozens of notable properties throughout the region. Educational experiences are enhanced even more with programs such as Italian study-abroad programs and an award-winning culinary team. Pierpont covers a 13-county service area, with the physical facilities for the culinary program located in Fairmont.

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CONTACT: Patrick Gregg, WVU College of Business and Economics
304.293.5131, patrick.gregg@mail.wvu.edu

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