Chattanooga, TN --- The rapid growth and expansion of the hospitality and tourism management sector has led to Chattanooga State offering a new Hospitality and Tourism Management initiative. According to Dean Barry Jennison, the College will offer three evening courses, three credits each, beginning fall 2014. The first course, Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism Industry, HTM-101, is a basic overview addressing professionalism, customer service, sustainability, civic engagement, and ethics, a historical perspective integral to the industry. Lectures by food service, lodging and tourism company executives will help students understand industry trends. This class will be offered on Monday evenings from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Food service components are vital to the hospitality industry. HTM-110, Sanitation and Health in the Service Industry explores food safety and other health related issues. Offered on Wednesday evenings from 5:30-8:30 p.m., students will learn sanitation principles vital to hospitals, schools, hotels, cruise ships, airlines, and international travel. Lastly, the management portion of the program, HTM-120, Front Office Operations, will guide students through the guest cycle clarifying the key operational issues involved in achieving guest satisfaction, emphasizing both technical and service issues. Creating a memorable guest experience through cooperative efforts between other hotel departments is key. Human resource management, business forecasting, revenue management, and budget planning will help prepare students to take the AHLEI certificate exam for this course. This class meets Thursday evenings from 5:30-8:30 p.m. According to Dan Zink, corporate training and continuing education manager, “Teaching leadership will be a big component of all the classes.” He adds, “The industry is known for having fun and active jobs and our intention is to make the classes fun and active as well.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational outlook for 2012-2022 in this field cites up to 33 percent growth. Classes start August 25^th. For more information about these classes and additional business classes, call Business and Information Technologies at (423) 697-4462 or visit www.chattanoogastate.edu.