Florida International University - School of Hospitality and Tourism Management

Courses Offered and Course Description

HFT 3735
Destinations and Cultures
Overview of worldwide tourist destinations, regions and major attractions. The course emphasizes how cultural, social, geographical and human aspects of places are critical to the attractiveness of a tourist destination.

HFT 3741
Planning Meetings
The course offers an overview from the eyes of the Meeting Planner of the many segments of the multi-faceted billion dollar Conventions, Expositions and Meetings industry. The instructor discusses current industry procedures and trends, and provides specific research, planning, supervision and control guidelines used by the professional meeting planner. The student is required to develop all organizational aspects of a fictitious meeting in a final professional presentation.

HFT 3760
Tourist Transportation
Tourist Transportation explores the relationship between modern tourists and modern tourist transport providers. The instructor reviews the various modes of transportation typically used by the tourist as well as the accompanying challenges of today's operation and management of tourist transportation systems. The course examines the partnership that exists between operations and management within tourist transportation systems, the regulations and regulatory bodies impacting tourist transportation, the interaction of challenges arising from societal and environmental issues, and discusses the intense service nature and resulting human resource issues common to the operation and management of tourist transportation systems.

HFT 3770
Cruise Line Management
HFT 3770 introduces the student to the cruise line industry, its members, its products, and both shipboard and shore side operation and management.

HFT 4708
Coastal and Marine Tourism
Our coastlines have long attracted tourists. Research points to marine tourism as one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. This course explores and examines coastal and marine environments and their interrelationship. The course analyzes both positive and negative impacts of responsible and irresponsible management techniques and practices of users and managers of our worldwide coastal and marine environments.

HFT 4733
Tour Production and Distribution
This course is a comprehensive study of the types of tour operators and the various operational functions of each. Lectures consist of an analysis of the element suppliers to the tour industry. The student will prepare an escorted package tour based upon concepts and theories of tour itinerary research and development, contract negotiation, costing and pricing as discussed and demonstrated in class, and is responsible for the production of a tour brochure. Today's marketing, sales and promotional methods and techniques are examined.

Biography

A seasoned industry professional, Cheryl Carter brings over 20 years of progressive management experience in the travel and tourism industry to her FIU classroom. Following graduation from FIU, Cheryl worked with Marriott Corporation in both the hotel and in-flight catering divisions in Miami. She relocated to Colorado where she managed a travel agency and specialized in group travel. Her love of travel combined with her education and experience led her into tour management and design, and charter sales at three Colorado motor coach companies, Trailways, Inc., Colorado Charter Lines and CTG/Alpine Charter Coaches, a ground service division of Frontier Airlines.

With the Florida sunshine beckoning, Cheryl returned to Miami in 1985. She worked as Director of Sales at Hoffman Travel Service, was manager of tour operations for Classic Bus Lines, Tour and Travel Sales and Marketing Manager of RJF Hotels, and National Sales Manager and Florida Package Development specialist for SeaEscape Cruises. Cheryl worked with the Florida Restaurant Association as Meeting and Seminar Management Coordinator, and was the Restaurant Program Coordinator for South Florida Super Bowl XXIX.

Cheryl began her teaching career as an adjunct instructor at FIU in 1985. She was an adjunct instructor at Miami Dade Community College in 1993, and in 1994 became a full-time instructor and a program coordinator for the FIU Travel and Tourism Management program. She currently instructs Tour Production and Distribution, Tourist Transportation, Planning Meetings, Destinations and Cultures, Cruise Line Management, Coastal and Marine Tourism and oversees the Travel and Tourism Advanced Internships each semester.

Cheryl works tirelessly on behalf of FIU for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT). In 2001 she was honored by her local industry peers when selected as "Tourism Professional of the Year," making her the first educator to receive this prestigious annual award. She has served as fund raising chair for the AOHT, second vice-chair, vice-chair of the Advisory Committee, chair of the Student Intern Kickoff, co-chair of the golf tournament, as a member of the Student Development Committee, Around the World Dinner Tour Committee.

She was the C.H.R.I.E. Host Committee Chair for the 1998 Annual International Conference and Trade Show held at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami.

Cheryl co-authored and published "Employee job satisfaction in major cruise lines," FIU Hospitality Review, Spring 2003 and presented the paper at the August 2002 CHRIE annual conference in Orlando; "Driver training in the motor coach industry," TTRA online journal, July 2003; a case study entitled "Problem solving in the cruise line industry," accepted for presentation at the University of Hawaii Conference on Business, June 2001.

Cheryl has lectured locally on the topic of Tour Production and Distribution for the Florida Association of Meetings and Events (FAME) and for the Organization of American States (OAS) in Grenada on the topic of Transportation for Meetings and Events.

Cheryl holds a B.S. in Hotel, Food and Travel Services Management and an M.S. in Parks and Recreation Administration from FIU.

| Curriculum Vita |