The primary purpose of the advisory panel is to promote collaboration between specific educational programs and stakeholders in the tourism community.
Purpose of the Advisory Panel
The primary purpose of the advisory panel is to promote collaboration between specific educational programs and stakeholders in the tourism community. Career and technical education programs and associated outreach tools are designed to prepare students with skills, knowledge, and approaches to succeed within the workforce and provide better consumer travel experiences.
The advisory panel serves as advisors to the Academy, providing curriculum recommendations and support for quality programs and have no administrative or legislative authority. Working cooperatively with program administrators, staff and instructors, the advisory panel helps strengthen and improve the Academy. The success of workforce education depends, to a large extent, upon the activity and involvement of advisory panel.
Academy advisory panels advise, assist, and provide support for quality professional-technical education. In other words, they support constructive changes within a program, generate new ideas, and serve as advocates for quality career and technical education.
As advisors, the panel assesses specific areas of educational need and provides recommendations for improvement. These suggestions are presented formally to the Board of Directors. Examples of recommendations include alterations to curriculum content, creation of new policies, and purchase of new technologies.
In an assisting role, the panel may occasionally assist instructors and administrators as they execute specific activities. They help to ensure the program has adequate resources to successfully meet the needs of business and industry. Examples include, creating a scholarship program, volunteering to be a judge in a student competition, and establishing a mentorship program.
As supporters, the panel promotes and advocates workforce education throughout the industry. They defend The Tourism Academy’s quality of career and technical education to the public. Examples include talking to association leaders, legislators, promoting an event, or writing articles for industry publications.
Objectives of the Advisory Panel
The Advisory Panel and the staff of The Tourism Academy shall work together to ensure that:
- The Academy is delivering learning that is current, up-to-date, and relevant to changing business, industry, labor, and professional employment practices.
- Provide support and assessment of academic programs and recommendations for improvement.
- To generate new ideas and serve as advocates for quality career and technical education.
- Assist in the development of new programs.
- The Academy has adequate resources to successfully meet the needs of business and industry. An ad hoc committee may be established for this purpose.
Additionally the Panel shall strive to:
- Utilize the panel to open an exchange of dialog with members of a broader society.
- Insure that a description of the panel involvement and contribution to curricular and program development and assessment be periodically submitted with the Annual Report to the Board of Directors.
Functions of the Advisory Panel
The Advisory Panel may be divided into certain areas of focus to meet each of the organization’s unique functions and responsibilities. The panel will have the opportunity to influence specific programs and provide a valuable service to The Tourism Academy by doing the following activities:
Support Curriculum and Program Development- Make recommendations for future program standards
- Evaluate relevance and effectiveness of the program in meeting community needs
- Analyze course content and sequencing for efficiency
- Suggest program priorities and changes
- Validate student learning outcomes
- Help recruit students, instructors, businesses, sponsors and organizations into the program
- Review length of training programs
Evaluate and Advocate for Resources
- Examine technical, practical, and user interface periodically for improvement or expansion recommendations
- Identify new technologies and opportunities
- Provide resources and information to better prepare educators to answer students’ questions about career requirements
- Sponsor scholarships, guest lecturers, equipment, and instructional material
Identify, Develop and Engage Workforce Opportunities
- Assist with identifying employability skills needed in the industry labor market
- Evaluate & make recommendations based on labor-force surveys
- Interact with educators, administrators, students and association executives to foster understanding of each other’s careers, needs, and concerns
- Recognize on-the-job work situations for cooperative education programs and part-time employees
- Support public relations efforts between the institution, industry stakeholders and the public/community
The Advisory Panel makes recommendations to help assure that the Program:
- Addresses employment and educational needs of business, industry, and labor.
- Provides learners with the skills needed to meet employment needs.
- Assesses the currency of curriculum and teaching practice.
Panel Design
Advisory panel(s) should be composed of persons who broadly represent stakeholder demographics. Members may include, but are not limited to:
- Both the private and public sectors, with an emphasis on business, industry, academic, and labor organizations.
- Both sexes, individuals with disabilities, educationally and economically disadvantaged individuals, racial and ethnic minorities with expertise in education, training, tourism development or other areas served by the academy.
- Economic development experts.
- Workforce investment advisors.
Full-time faculty and staff of the academy must not be members of the advisory panel but may serve in an ex-officio role. Instructors who hold full-time positions within the career field may be members of the panel.
Selection of the Members
During the selection process, important factors to be considered when nominating members are their capability, available time, level of interest, and character. An effort should be made to select advisory panel members who have some direct relationship to career and technical education and who will contribute to enhancing the program. Effective advisory panels are large enough to reflect the diversity of the community, yet small enough to be managed effectively.
Individuals may express interest in joining the Advisory Panel through a formal application process, open nomination, or at the invitation of The Tourism Academy Executive Director/Chief Strategist. Appointments to advisory panels are in one or two year terms.
The responsibilities of Advisory Panel members are to:
- Attend two meetings per year, each held on a weekday 3:00 pm to 3:45 pm EST
- Contribute their expertise and thinking to the current and future work of The Tourism Academy
- Be available for up to four brief telephone calls each year from staff seeking advice
- Allow The Tourism Academy to publish their name, likeness, and bio as a member of the Advisory Panel
Benefits to Panelists
The Tourism Academy promises:
- Meetings that start and end on time
- An appreciation of and a commitment to use your time and generosity wisely
- Each member of the Advisory Panel is invited to be featured in an Executive Profile distributed through The Tourism Academy editorial channels (1 per year)
- Each member will receive complimentary enrollment in one course per quarter, chosen at the discretion of Academy staff
- Members of the Advisory Panel are considered first if/when a need for editorial contributions may arise
- Members may showcase their expertise when topically relevant during panel discussions, promotional video or other media