New changes to Auburn's College of Human Sciences

As the campus of Auburn continues to change, so do its programs. In the College of Human Sciences, the existing B.S. in Hotel and Restaurant Management has been retitled to a B.S. in Hospitality Management with a three study option.

Starting this August, students can take one of two options: Hotel and Restaurant Management and Event Management, with an additional study option in Culinary Science coming online in the fall of 2018.

Dr. Martin O’Neill, head of the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Hospitality Management Department said the decision to make these changes started probably 6-7 years ago. “There has been a lot of interest in these new option areas. Culinary Science I think you could attach to the boom in global and or national tourism. With food and beverage being a big part of that, a lot of it has been glamorized from TV shows.”

O’Neill and a colleague looked at leading programs all over the planet. “We visited schools across Europe, South Africa, and Southeast Asia,” he said. “While they all did something different and unique, we wanted to do something all encompassing, and I think what we came up with last October and what was approved by the trustees will be a good thing for existing and prospective students.”

What O’Neill is most excited for though is just what this will do for prospective Auburn students--when he would attend high schools, he said the number of questions in relation to culinary science and event management was astounding.

According to the Culinary Science Proposal, “state officials estimate some 7,000 high school students are currently enrolled across 56 culinary, hospitality and tourism oriented programs and many have a desire to further their education at the two and four-year degree level”

“It’s amazing to go into these classrooms of 30-40 kids and you spark an interest of one or two kids and they turn up on campus two years later,” O’Neill said. “And you get to shepherd them all the way through the system here. When you get those kids who are focused, excited, dynamic and know what they want, that’s what I’m most excited for.”

The proposal states a reinvestment of its existing culinary laboratory is anticipated. The department will bring in the external funds necessary to support this.

To add to the enthusiasm, Auburn has recently received a $12 million donation from CEO of Great Southern Wood James W. Rane ‘68 and his family to create a new culinary science center.

O’Neill also expressed his enthusiasm for the new building as a state-of-the-art facility, the first of its kind. “A living, breathing advertisement of what we do.”

He added that one of the questions they always ask each other at the beginning of these development exercises is “growth to what end? What do we want to grow into?” he said. “We’ve always concentrated on service excellence and programming that offers a differential learning experience.”

With these aspirations ahead, delectable opportunities will continue to be served to students in the College of Human Sciences.