Course Syllabus

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

 Legal Environment in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Spring Semester 2016

HFT 3603 – Section 0001

Tuesday:  4:30pm – 5:45pm

Location:  CB1 Room 0309

Office Hours:Tuesday 2:20pm-4:20pm or by appointment 

Attendance Policy: Attendance will be taken at each class session and you are expected to attend all classes.  Along with participation, class attendance is a component of your final grade.

Examinations:All students are required to take all examinations at the scheduled time.  No make up examinations will be given, with the exception of a very serious documented situation.  If a student encounters such a serious problem, he/she must request consideration from the Instructor for a make-up examination as soon as possible after the event occurs.  All situations will be subject to proof of acceptable documentation from the student to the Instructor.  It is in the sole discretion of the Instructor and the Instructor reserves the right to refuse to grant any make up exams including, but not limited to, the cumulative final exam.  If an exam is not taken, the student will receive a zero for that part of the grade.

Knights E-Mail Address: In 2008, UCF implemented a student e-mail system called Knights E-Mail to be used for official university business. Effective with the 2009-2010 catalog, UCF requires students to create and use a Knights E-Mail account for all university business.  Effective September 28, 2009, only a Knights E-Mail address will be used for all university business, including class rosters, financial aid, advising, etc. There will be no other e-mail address available for university personnel to access. Thus, when your e-mail address is requested, please provide only your KM address: _____________ @ knights.ucf.edu .  

Golden Rule:Students are encouraged to obtain and read the University’s publication, The Golden Rule. It is assumed by the instructor that the student is familiar with this document. This booklet will serve as the guide to the administrative aspects of the course.

Academic Honesty:  Cases of academic impropriety of any type will be dealt with in accordance with the Rules of Conduct and the Disciplinary Process for the University of Central Florida, as described in the latest edition of The Golden Rule (http://www.goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/index.html).

FERPA and Privacy: As a student, your educational records are considered confidential. Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), your records are confidential and protected. Under most circumstances your records will not be released without your written and signed consent.  However, some directory information may be released to third parties without the your prior consent unless a written request to restrict this is on file.  You can learn more about student rights to privacy at http://www.registrar.ucf.edu/ferpa/welcome.

Etiquette:Students are expected to be courteous both to each other and to the Instructor.  Any student who does not adhere to this code of etiquette will be asked to leave the class.

Disability Statement:The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.  

Recording Academic Activity:  As of Fall 2014, all faculty members are required to document students' academic activity at the beginning of each course. In order to document that you began this course, please complete the assignment on Webcourses labeled “Academic Activity” by the end of the first week of classes, or as soon as possible after adding the course, but no later than August 27. Failure to do so will result in a delay in the disbursement of your financial aid.

Course Catalog Description: RCHIM-HSP SERV 3(3.0):  Legal Environment in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry: PR: C.I. Principles of law as related to the Hospitality/Tourism Industry.

Course Description: Principles of law as related to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Goal: The goal of the Legal Environment in the Hospitality Industry course is to prepare students for the legal realities that they will face in the various segments of the hospitality industry.  The goal of this course is to prompt critical thinking through outside reading and research, in-class participation, and assignments.

Course Purpose: To introduce students to the legal issues in the hospitality and tourism industry by providing students with a basic understanding of the laws and regulations affecting the hospitality and tourism industry.  

Learning Outcomes (achieved results, evidence of learning, student centered, precise, specific, measurable):

By the conclusion of this course students will be able to:

1. Recognize the legal issues facing today’s hospitality managers and ways to avoid legal pitfalls.
2. Describe the myriad of ways that hospitality venues can be found liable for illegal discrimination vis-à-vis their employees and guests [e.g., discrimination based on gender, race, color, national origin, sexual preferences, disability (including ADA claims, service animals, etc.] 
3. Differentiate between “guests”, “invitees”, “licensees”, and “trespassers” and the duty of care the hospitality venue/manager owes to each person within said categories
4. Explain when a hotel, restaurant or other hospitality venue might be liable for the loss, damage, misappropriation or theft of a guests (or non-guests) personal property and the ways that managers can perhaps limit our liability for such claims.
5. Identify and apply State laws and regulations pertaining to cleanliness, food handling, and safety to hospitality environments (including potential liability for serving food that makes patrons/guests ill, and potential civil and criminal liability for the wrongful sale of alcohol).
6. Outline employment law issues and the proper (and improper) way to recruit, interview, hire, discipline and terminate hospitality employees.

Assessments:

• Writing assignments
• Class Participation
• Scenarios
• Test

 80% of students in the Legal Environment in the Hospitality Industry course (3603) will receive 75% or higher on questions embedded in exams.

Textbook:  Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Law, A Preventative Prospective (Seventh Edition), Karen L. Morris, Norman G. Cournoyer, Anthony G, Marshall (2008), Delmar Centage Learning.

Class Format/Participation:  Class lectures will be interactive sessions with open discussion of the topics as outlined below.  In addition, the Instructor will randomly call on students to respond to specific topics outlined in the material.  Class participation is a component of your final grade.  Please read all required readings prior to attending each class…be prepared for class.

Assignments: Assignments will be given throughout the semester.  It is the student’s responsibility to assure that he or she receives and turns in each assignment in on a timely basis.  The assignments will be given a point value when given and will be graded.  No credit for assignments turned in late.

Examinations:Two Examinations and a cumulative Final Exam.

Z Designation for Academic Dishonesty:  

As a result of academic dishonesty, your grade will be assigned, preceded by the letter Z.  The information on this policy can be found at http://z.ucf.edu.

Grading: will be based on 500 points:

100: Test 1

100: Test 2

100: Final Cumulative Exam

100: Attendance and Participation

100: Assignments

Point Value	Letter Grade
470-500	A
450-469	A-
435-449	B+
420-434	B
400-419	B-
385-399	C+
370-384	C
350-369	C-
335-349	D+
300-334	D
<300	F