The mission of The Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute (HCAT) is to provide accessibility to an array of high-quality credentialed programs; experiential learning; responsive, customized training for business; and fun and credible community education activities to support the hotel, culinary arts and tourism needs of the industry and the consumer.
Modern culinary, baking and pastry, and hospitality education necessitates the acquisition and application of professional knowledge alongside the development of requisite skills and professional attitudes. To ensure the comprehensive preparation of our students and align with industry standards, HCAT mandates adherence to specific functions and technical standards essential for successful completion of all program phases.
To enroll in and successfully complete HCAT degree, certificate, and/or noncredit programs, each student, with or without reasonable accommodations, must demonstrate:
1. Proficiency in performing various activities across kitchen, externship, dining room, café, and classroom settings. Examples of relevant activities include, but not limited to:
a. Work effectively in conditions where the room temperature may vary from 65 degrees up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
b. Safely lift, handle and transport food, including hot items, culinary products, equipment and utensils (up to 50 pounds).
c. Serve and clear service ware from guest dining tables with proficiency.
d. Safely pour and serve hot liquids.
e. Handle hot food items post-heat source.
f. Safely use knives and other culinary utensils for food preparation.
g. Execute repetitive kitchen tasks that require bending of multiple joints such as chopping, slicing, whisking, dicing, lifting, and piping.
h. Adhere to ServSafe® sanitation standards for safe food handling.
i. Safely operate standard commercial cooking and food service equipment.
k. Taste test and evaluate food and beverage products.
l. Produce food within a specified time frame for in-class assignments.
m. Handle and cook various meats, seafood, vegetables and fruits.
n. Utilize a variety of flours, chocolates, fruits and nuts in baking/cooking processes.
2. Regular attendance and active participation in all classroom courses while in complete uniform (HCAT Uniform Standard)
3. Active participation in production kitchen classes, instructional kitchen classes, dining room, café, and/or laboratory classes, and externships for a minimum of four consecutive hours per session, recognizing variations in session start times
4. Effective and professional communication with peers, faculty, staff, guests and employers, demonstrating proficiency in verbal and nonverbal communication, English language usage and professional response to communication from others.
5. Competence in meeting all course objectives across classroom, laboratory, dining room, café, externship and kitchen courses, including cognitive abilities such as learning, following directions, independent reasoning, accurate information processing, task prioritization, memory utilization, knowledge application, mathematical computation, and problem-solving and critical thinking skills
6. Emotional stability, along with appropriate behavioral and social attributes is essential for collaboration within team and individual settings across campus environments, kitchens, dining rooms, cafés, and externships. This includes developing professional relationships, managing stress effectively, adapting to diverse situations, adhering to the Student Code of Conduct, exercising sound judgment, maintaining focus, and self-managing medical or emotional conditions.
7. Ability to ensure the safety and well-being of fellow students while avoiding posing a threat to others in all campus environments, externships, and college-sponsored trips.
These technical standards are integral to fulfilling the HCAT's commitment to excellence in culinary and hospitality education, preparing students for successful careers in the industry.