A new global ranking by the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research cited the College of Charleston School of Business as “the most prolific institution based on the individual productivity of each faculty member.”

The global ranking includes higher education institutions and faculty that published in the top six hospitality and tourism academic journals between 2000 and 2010. These A-level journals have an acceptance rate of only 15 percent.

Two School of Business faculty members also fared well in the Journal’s global rankings. Dr. Steve Litvin, professor of hospitality and tourism, ranked #7 in tourism research, and Dr. John Crotts, professor of hospitality and tourism, ranked #28 in tourism research.

“The Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management has helped to position the School of Business on the global stage with its recent rankings recognition,” says Alan T. Shao, dean of the School of Business. “Charleston is an ideal destination for students to study the dynamics of the industry, and our faculty prepares them well for the opportunities here and beyond.”

A notable distinction is that all Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTMT) faculty research that contributed to the ranking was conducted with full-time teaching schedules and without graduate assistants, unlike other large, research-based universities with similar programs such as Penn State, Cornell University, UNLV and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Maureen Ginty, Executive Vice President of SMG and chair of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s advisory board, indicated that she routinely distributes the faculty’s latest research and publications in professional training classes for her corporate executives. In addition, the HTMT department’s professors routinely give presentations during the training sessions.

“As a company that provides professional management and marketing services to convention and conference centers, theaters, stadium and arenas worldwide, we value our relationship with an academic institution that possesses a reputation for excellence in the hospitality and tourism industry,” says Ginty. “The School of Business’ Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management exemplifies this standard and has become a valuable resource for us. We are gratified to see them garner this well-deserved recognition.”

The Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management consists of seven fulltime faculty and 250 undergraduate students. It is one of only 30 programs in the U.S. that resides in an AACSB-accredited business school. In the fall 2012, the School of Business MBA program will introduce a new hospitality revenue management focus for professionals in the industry.

“Our department has accomplished so much since 2005 when the program was established,” says Robert Frash, chair, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “Our faculty is among the best in the world and it’s a privilege to be leading the department at this exciting time.”

The findings are based on the article “Hospitality and tourism research rankings by author, university, and country using six major journals: the first decade of the new millennium” by Park, K., Phillips, W. J., Canter, D. D., & Abbott, J. published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research (2011).