| Professor David Harrison presents at a recent conference of THE-ICE members in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. |
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University students from the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) recently participated in an international survey to find out the level of student satisfaction at all institutions accredited to the International Centre for Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE-ICE).
The survey held a few months back involved 20 highly-rated institutions in Australia and many other universities across the world with more than 200,000 students responding to the survey.
The overall satisfaction levels of STHM students with their USP experience, as revealed by the survey, placed the performance of the School at the very highest level.
STHM students had higher than average response rates to the survey and showed greater appreciation of the reputation and other advantages of their University. They valued more the arrival procedures, the learning and teaching experience in the School, and the quality of student life.
Head of STHM, Professor David Harrison, said that the School and the Faculty are heartened by the impressive results which indicate high levels of student satisfaction.
In the survey, STHM students consistently indicated much more satisfaction than other students across a wide range of criteria, especially in the learning and teaching environment of the School.
Such results, Professor Harrison said, shows that the programmes offered by STHM compare well with those offered by any other international institution.
“We are a small School but with a good balance of staff dealing with tourism and hospitality. Our degree programmes involve academic approaches to tourism as well as basic training in hospitality. These are necessary, and we have staff who are committed to delivering a quality learning experience,” he remarked.
According to Professor Harrison, STHM has been enhancing the studying experience of its students through staff commitment, personal links with students, assistance towards the student association (TAHSA), as well as providing field trips to relevant parts of Fiji to give them an idea of the tourist experience.
He added that the School also puts in a lot of effort into maintaining and developing links with the tourism industry through the Tourism Programme Advisory Committee, and through the membership of various national and international tourism organisations, especially the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association.
