NEUST hosts Holy Cross College for Hospitality Management benchmarking

The Hospitality Management (HM) Department of the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) College of Management and Business Technology (CMBT) hosted Holy Cross College (HCC) of Santa Rosa, Inc. for a benchmarking activity on September 8, 2025.

Held at the Rico Fajardo Hall on the NEUST Sumacab Campus, the event served as a platform for sharing the best practices of CMBT’s Level IV-accredited Hospitality Management program, covering curriculum development, student support systems, facility management, and quality assurance protocols in support of HCC’s preparations to pursue Level II accreditation for its own Hospitality Management program.

Dr. Sarah Alvarez, Dean of CMBT, formally welcomed the visitors and emphasized the critical role of collaboration within the academic community. “There is no such thing as a particular institution that knows everything,” Dr. Alvarez stated. She further stressed the university’s commitment to transparency, noting the activity was “one of our avenues to share whatever we can do in order to assist or help other institutions in line with our industry, the academic sector.”

The benchmarking discussions, led by Dean Alvarez, covered a comprehensive range of topics central to HM education, including the formulation of vision, mission, and program objectives; curriculum and syllabus development; policies on on-the-job training (OJT) and instruction; accreditation processes; and the management of laboratory facilities, tools, and equipment.

Following the formal discussions, the HCC delegation was given a guided tour of the HM department’s specialized laboratories and operational facilities, allowing for direct observation of the academic and training environment.

The visiting HCC delegation was led by Dr. Almario Garcia, Dean of the College Department, and was accompanied by Vice Dean Ken Gie Anthony Cruel, HM Program Chair Stephanie Ciasico, and several HM faculty members.

The event was also attended by key NEUST-CMBT officials, including program chairpersons Dr. Ma. Cecilia Reyes (HM), Dr. Kelvin Julius Nueda (Tourism Management), Dr. Janice Cucio (Business Administration), and Dr. Reynante Blas (Entrepreneurship). Dr. Alma Pia Reyes, CMBT Focal Person for Internationalization, alongside RET chairpersons and other faculty members, was also present.

Dean Alvarez expressed optimism that the productive engagement would serve as a foundation for a more formalized partnership between NEUST and HCC, potentially leading to future collaborative endeavors.

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