Media Contact:
Ivonne Yee-Amor
(305) 299-2091
news.fiu.edu
@FIUNews
FIU launches hospitality course to elevate diversity in the C-suite
MIAMI (Feb. 16, 2022) – As part of a new initiative to create a pathway for talented Black and Hispanic hospitality management students to seek positions in executive leadership or professorships in hospitality management programs, Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is launching its first-ever diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) academic course.
Senior Seminar Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, a for-credit course offered this spring, examines the challenges and paths to success for Black and Hispanics in the hospitality industry. Issues that are key to the advancement and development of Blacks and Hispanics are addressed by the guest speakers and include topics such as leadership, stereotypes, biases, microaggressions and accessibility.
“The world’s leading hospitality companies and programs must do better to racially diversify leadership in the C-Suite, where Black men and women represent just 0.1 percent of all industry CEOs and presidents,” said Brian Barker, FIU Hospitality DEI-endowed professor. “It’s imperative that hospitality programs start the process and work together with major hospitality companies to level the playing field and ensure pathways to success.”
This course is part of an ongoing commitment to address gaps in underrepresentation and inequity across the hospitality industry. One in five people working in the hospitality industry, specifically the hotel business, are Black, yet just 1.6 percent of hospitality industry executives are Black, according to a review of over 800 hospitality companies by the Castell Project.
Last month, FIU’s top 10 U.S. public hospitality program and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (Southern Glazer’s)—the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol—announced a groundbreaking alliance focused on DEI. The alliance’s focus includes a broad range of opportunities in addition to educational programming, such as academic research, recruiting, mentoring, career pathing, scholarships, employee training/micro-credentialing and other partnerships.
“FIU has the most diverse hospitality school in the United States, with 74 countries represented in its student body and graduating more Black and Hispanic undergraduate students than any other school,” said Michael Cheng, dean of the Chaplin School. “This course is the start to a more inclusive future in the hospitality industry for our students and the industry as a whole.”
The course’s list of topics and speakers can be found at go.fiu.edu/DEIHospitalityCourse.
The course’s list of topics and speakers include:
- Jan. 11 – Seminar Introduction: The vital Intersection of Leadership & DEI
Stephen Von Oehsen – SVP, Office of Strategic Management, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Carlos Ferreira – Director of Strategic Management, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Shelly Lungstrum – Assistant Director of Special Events, Southern Glazer’s Wine
& Spirits
El pagnier “EK” Hudson PhD – VP of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion, FIU
- Jan. 18 – Sustainability and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: The Vital Connection
Dean Michael Cheng PhD, FIU – Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
John Buschman PhD, Co-Director Global Sustainable Tourism Program, FIU – Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
- Jan. 25 – Leading with Emotional Intelligence
Terry Good, VP Diversity, Equity & Inclusion SGWS (DiSC-Training)
Deanna Cleary, Director of Learning and Development SGWS
- Feb. 1 – Leading In a Biased World: Stereotypes, Biases & Microaggressions
Carleen Vincent-Robinson PhD, Teaching Professor and Associate Chair, FIU
David Bynes, founding Director – FIU Office of Social Justice
- Feb. 8 – Socioeconomics History and Policy in America
Sherwin Robinson, VP of Dusse’
- Feb. 15 – Identity and Privilege
Delrish Moss, FIU Police Chief
Stephen Von Oehsen – SVP, Office of Strategic Management, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Rozeena Taylor, Program Manager, FIU Office of Social Justice and Inclusion
- Feb. 22 – Leadership Hierarchies: Colorism and the Caste System
Kathy Martin, Assistant Director Career Services
Lourdes Torres, Assistant Director Career Services
Carlos Ferreira, Director of Strategic Management, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
- Mar. 8 – Building Diverse Leaders though Servant Leadership & The LMX Theory
Brian Barker, Endowed Chair of Diversity Equity & Inclusion
- Mar. 15 – Minorities and the C-Suite
Dia Simms, Chief Executive Officer at Lobos 1707
Terry Arnold, Senior Vice President Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer
Jonathan Saw, Vice President, Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Pernod Ricard North America
- Mar. 22 – Women and the Leadership Labyrinth
Castell College Women’s Panel
Lisa Cain PhD, Associate Professor, FIU – Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
- Mar. 29 – Accessibility & Universal Design
Sylvia Longmire, Wheels Up Media
John Wittig, Chief Commercial Officer at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
- April 5 – Advocacy and Allyship
Pete Carr, Regional President North America, Bacardi
Valerie L. Patterson PhD, Director, African and African Diaspora Studies, FIU
- April 12 – Solving Social Problems through Hospitality Social Enterprises
Raul Thomas, CEO CGI Merchants
Shannon Allen, CEO Grown
- April 19 – Personal and Organizational Branding: Competing in a Global Business Environment
Jose Cil, Restaurant Brands Int. Constellations
“FIU has the most diverse hospitality school in the United States, with 74 countries represented in its student body and graduating more Black and Hispanic undergraduate students than any other school.” said Michael Cheng, dean of the Chaplin School. “This course is the start to a more inclusive future in the hospitality industry for our students and the industry as a whole.”
-FIU-
About FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management:
Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is a Top 10 hospitality school among U.S. Public Universities and ranked 35th in the world. Nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students from across the nation and around the globe choose FIU for its outstanding reputation, advantageous campus locations in Miami, expert faculty, rich curriculum and real career opportunities in the international hotel, foodservice, beverage management, travel, tourism, revenue management, entertainment, and mega and large-scale event industries. As the leading diverse hospitality program with over 70% women and students from 74 countries represented, Chaplin School graduates more undergraduate black and Hispanic students than any other school. In August 2006, FIU unveiled the first U.S. school of hospitality and tourism in Tianjin, China. The Marriott Tianjin China Program, ranked #1 in China, is FIU’s largest international program, with a capacity for up to 1,000 students. For more information about Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, visit http://hospitality.fiu.edu.
About FIU:
Florida International University is a Top 50 public university that drives real talent and innovation in Miami and globally. Very high research (R1) activity and high social mobility come together at FIU to uplift and accelerate learner success in a global city by focusing in the areas of environment, health, innovation, and justice. Today, FIU has two campuses and multiple centers. FIU serves a diverse student body of more than 58,000 and 270,000 Panther alumni. U.S. News and World Report places dozens of FIU programs among the best in the nation, including international business at No. 2. Washington Monthly Magazine ranks FIU among the top 20 public universities contributing to the public good.