HORM News

February 2010

Douglas College has entered into an agreement to offer Douglas students an opportunity to study, work and experience Walt Disney World in action.  Participants in the Disney program live and learn at the University of California, Riverside and at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.  The experience is one that will expand students' horizons and immerse them in one of the most successful global businesses. 

Location:  University of California, Riverside & Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Institutions Involved:  Douglas College has partnered with the University of California Riverside in California, along with the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts College Program, to offer this program to Douglas College business students.

Student Eligibility:   This program is open to domestic students 18 years and older who are enrolled at Douglas College in a Business, Marketing or Hospitality and Restaurant Management Program, and who have successfully completed at least 15 credits of study.  Students must have good academic standing and will be interviewed by Douglas College and Disney representatives to assess their suitability for the program.

Dates & Deadlines: Eligible students must submit an Internal Application to Douglas College by TUESDAY 2 MARCH 2010.  Internal Applications for program placement for the Fall 2010 semester intake should be submitted to the Commerce and Business Faculty Office Administration team at the New West campus (4300) or the Coquitlam campus (A3030) on this date.  Late applications will only be considered if there is still space available once all applications received by the deadline have been processed, and if the program partners can still process the late application.  Disney will be on both campuses to recruit and interview on Monday 8 March!

Description of Program:   Please refer to the detailed flyer for program details “Experience a Magical Opportunity with Douglas College in partnership with the University of California Riverside”.

Student Visas:  A J-1 Visa is required to participate in this program.  Disney World representatives will work with students to ensure success with the visa applicaton process.

Cost:  While the program attempts to be cost neutral, students or their parents will have to show they have the funds to complete the program and they may not recoup all funds with their earnings while at Disney World.  Students can expect to earn around $7500 (USD) while at Disney but with out of pocket expenses (including air fares) you might need around $3000 to cover the total costs.  GAIL I CAN’T WORD THIS PROPERLY NEED YOUR INPUT HERE.

To Apply:

Criteria:  

Douglas College representatives will interview the student, and will consider them from several perspectives, including academic, personal suitability, and family support.  Students' work and volunteer references are also taken into consideration, and any involvement in campus or community groups is considered.  Students also indicate the reason for their interest in the program, both in terms of the academic fit and in relation to their career objectives.  Prior to this interview, the student must submit an application package, which will include these 5 items:

Basic Application Form:  Students are required to submit a hard copy of the completed form.  The form is available from Sandra Lee or Angela Parfenuik see location below.
Statement of Interest:   A personal letter should accompany the Application Form.  In it, the student should describe themselves, explain why this program is of interest to them, what their career and educational plans are, how this program fits with future plans, and how they will finance the program.  The letter should not exceed 600 words, and should be submitted as a hard copy, along with your paper application.
Two Letters of Reference:   Each student must include, with their application, two letters of reference, which should be from professors, high school teachers, volunteer supervisors and/or work references.  The letters should not be from family members or friends, and they should be provided in sealed envelopes with the signature of the referee across the opening flap of the envelope.  These letters should include the length of time the referee has known the student and the capacity in which they know them, comments on their personal and academic suitability, and any other comments that would be helpful in understanding their experience with the student.
Transcript:   Unofficial Douglas College transcript and student number is required.  If the student has post secondary credentials from an institution other than Douglas College, copies of those transcripts should also be submitted.  
Photo:  A recent photo of the student is required.  This can be an ID-style photo (i.e. passport photo) or a head shot of the student.  Name and student number should be put on the back of the photo.

Terms and Conditions:

After a student submits an application to participate in this program, they will be asked to agree to several conditions at various stages.  When the application is submitted, the student  agrees to having their file reviewed by Douglas College, University of California Riverside, and Disney, to determine eligibility.   Students are required to attend orientation sessions and meetings as organized with MONDAY March 8th 2010 being a critical orientation and interview session date and deadline!

November 2009

The BC Hospitality Industry Conference and Exposition is an annual two day event that showcases over 250 exhibitors products and services from all components of the hospitality industry. The 2009 Exposition was attended by 5000 buyers, suppliers, and other industry professionals looking for the latest trends and developments.

This year I was privileged to be chosen as the Douglas College student coordinator for the event. This leadership role involved the recruitment, scheduling, training, and on site management of over 35 Douglas College student volunteers. It was a challenging position that allowed me to take material from the coursework and apply it to a real world situation. I learned valuable problem solving and teamwork skills that I will continue to use throughout my career.

This opportunity has greatly increased my knowledge of the hospitality industry as a whole, and has given me the confidence and ability to tackle projects of such a large scale. I am very thankful to have been given this amazing opportunity that has helped me to learn, and teach at the same time.

Ryan Linfoot
2nd year student
Hotel and Restaurant Management

October 2009

A Class Act is an annual fundraising event put on by the Douglas College Foundation and The Hotel and Restaurant Management (HORM) students. The goal of the event is to raise money for Douglas College students with financial need. This year the event was held at our Coquitlam Campus, with hundreds of local business and professional people meeting mingling, and enjoying an evening of wines, beers, music and food.

HORM students volunteer and participate in organizing everything from registration, food and wine service, decor, auction, marketing and ticket sales for the event. It¿s a great way for students to experience what it takes to run an event of this size and raise money for scholarships and bursaries

I was the Student Assistant General Manager for 2008, shadowing that years GM, Lindsay Kyle. For A Class Act 2009 I took on the role of student general manager. My duties included; organizing a management team, recruiting volunteers, training volunteers, running pre and post event meetings, marketing, selling tickets and running the event floor. I really appreciated the opportunity to learn leadership skills and put classroom studies into practice. I learned a lot from this experience including management skills, event planning and organization.

For sponsorship opportunities, please call 604 777 6172 or visit our website.

Tri City News Article

Facebook Group: A Class Act 2009

Facebook Event: A Class Act 2009
You can also see it on flickr

Alumni Say Hello

6/25/09
Dear Mark Elliott:

I so regretted that I didn't get the chance to thank you on the day of graduation. I want to thank you and the whole HORM faculty for the past two years, as well as, for giving me the Peter Webster Graduation Award, Class Act Scholarship, Class Act Award, and the Jim Sator Award. These awards not just supported my financial situation during my studies, but more importantly motivated me to keep trying my best to do better in the program and in the industry.

When I first started the program, I didn't realize that I've entered one of the best hospitality programs in the country. From the program structure to the extra-curricular activities, I've learned almost every aspects of hospitality management both academically and practically. The program is well combined with useful hospitality focused and general business studies, which provided quality education in hospitality. The extra-curricular activities are unique to our program that other similar hospitality programs< don't offer. The "Whistler Kick-Start," "Thailand-Work Exchange Program," and "HOTS simulation competition" are just a few examples of how students can put classroom-theories into practices while enhancing their study experiences at Douglas College HORM.

If I was going to start it all over again, I would definitely choose Douglas HORM. I am proud to become one of the Gold Cord Award recipients in the program, as well as, a Douglas Hotel and Restaurant Management alumni. I want to thank you and the whole HORM faculty once again!

Sincerely,

Ben Yu

5/2/09
I just thought I would drop you a note to let you know that I have been working at the Vancouver Film School. I manage their cafe and special events. It's really funny because I use my Hotel/restaurant Mgt knowledge I learned from the teachers at Douglas! I didn't know how helpful it would be until I started to really use it! I also went to school for an HR diploma and I have my grad in June. I use a lot of HR for my job too! I thought I would just let you know what I was up to and thought you might think that it was cool :)

Thanks for teaching me stuff that I can actually use in real life!

Cheers,

Breanna Lewington

HORM students graduate June 3

32 HORM students graduated in June (following 9 in February) and many attended the graduation ceremony on June 3. Pictures will be appearing on HORM Alumni Facebook shortly.

SD 41 Burnaby Mountain students compete in HOTS at DLC May 25, 27

Sixteen students from Burnaby Mountain Secondary took part in a management simulation competition at Douglas College David Lam campus over two days. Students competed interactively  in teams of three  in a computer simulation running a two hundred and fifty room hotel over sixty months making marketing, staffing, operating and finance (capital) decisions. Each team started with the same hotel at a base year zero financial position. Success in the simulation requires great team work, communication, analytical and synthesis skills. Mark Elliott from the Hotel and Restaurant Management program and Catherine Stephane from Burnaby Mountain Secondary were very pleased with the student engagement and learning.

HORM completes agreement with SD 41 and 43 Tourism 11 and 12 programs. March, 2009

Students who successfully complete the Tourism 11 and 12 programs in high schools in SD 41 or 43 will receive preferential admission to the Hotel and Restaurant Management program at Douglas College as well as a course credit in their first term.