Quality in hospitality and tourism education: government dictates versus academic praxis

Abstract

Over the past two decades, higher education has been the subject of considerable governmental focus much of which has been predicated on concerns about quality. In many countries, this has led to sweeping changes to educational policy in what has been described as a neoliberal environment. Within this space, hospitality and tourism degree programs have been lauded for industry engagement and, at the same time, criticised for their resource hungry operations. Specific emphasis has also been placed on developing and achieving graduate outcomes that prepare graduates for the world of work. These complexities have created a variety of perspectives on what quality means both in higher education, in general, and, specifically, in higher education in the hospitality and tourism fields. This special issue of the Journal of Quality Assurance in Education seeks to unravel some of the complexities of this environment by highlighting some of the challenges faced by academics in curriculum development, delivery and assessment and to explain the impact of these on students and ergo the hospitality and tourism industries. More importantly, however, the author's contributing to this special issue share their insights into some of the barriers that impede the achievement of quality, along with the many guises in which quality is manifest in higher education.

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