Dive Brief:
- A 16-to-12 vote by the Montana State University faculty senate against a new hospitality management program reflects concerns that the proposed offering would take money away from Montana’s other programs, and that new faculty hires for the degree would prevent them elsewhere.
- Inside Higher Ed reports the zero sum reasoning put faculty at odds with Montana State administrators and local industry leaders, who say the program would break even in two years and provide a stream of qualified graduates to fill waiting jobs in a thriving tourism industry.
- Some faculty didn’t want to invest in a new program they said wouldn’t lead to many high-paying jobs and would duplicate program elements available at other schools, though Montana State’s proposed degree program would be the only four-year option in the state.
Dive Insight:
A 16-to-12 vote leaves room for debate, and Inside Higher Ed reports the university is planning to ask the faculty senate to reconsider its vote. Those in the tourism industry say hospitality management positions have been hard for employers to fill. Proponents of the program point to the growth in Montana’s tourism industry, including in management-level positions. The program, though, would require several tenure-track faculty hires as well as an investment in new facilities.
With money tight at colleges across the country, it is perhaps no surprise faculty given the opportunity to participate in such decision-making would reject a new program that could contribute to their own departments’ underfunding.