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K-State Today

April 1, 2020

Hospitality management professor selected to serve as member of hospitality accreditation commission

Submitted by College of Health and Human Sciences

Kevin Roberts, professor of hospitality management, has been selected to serve on the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration, or ACPHA. The ACPHA is the accrediting group for all hospitality programs nationally and internationally. His three-year term will begin in July. 

ACPHA is a private, nonprofit body that is comprised of hospitality, tourism and business professionals from across the country. The ACPHA Commission consists of 11 commissioners, including hospitality educators, executives from the lodging, restaurant and hospitality industry and public-at-large members. Its composition ensures that the commission is completely independent and impartial. The main responsibility of the commission is to conduct the accreditation hearings to verify that those agencies applying for accreditation comply with the applicable standards. The commission members meet twice a year to review, assess and evaluate four-year and two-year hospitality programs at colleges and universities across the United States and throughout the world. 

ACPHA standards set a national benchmark for the effective instruction of programs throughout the United States and across the word. The accreditation process requires three major efforts — a programmatic self-analysis, an evaluation by professional colleagues, and a review and decision by the commission. Through self-study, the applicant program uses the standards to analyze its effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses and to work toward improvement. At completion of the self-study period and submission of a self-study document, the program is visited by a team assembled by the commission staff. The evaluation team conducts a rigorous review of the program and then prepares a report which is submitted to the commission. Based on the program's self-study, the team report and the program's response to the report, the commission makes a decision whether or not to grant accreditation. Accreditation is generally granted for not more than seven years. 

Roberts is a professor in the hospitality management department and directs the undergraduate program in hospitality management. He has 12 years of restaurant experience. Roberts teaches in the areas of food service management and hospitality law. He has been recognized for his outstanding teaching and has received the Kansas State University Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the College of Human Ecology Myers-Alford Outstanding Teaching Award. 

Roberts' research interests are related to the application of food safety principles in the commercial setting. His current research focuses on behavior change of employees once food safety training has taken place. He is interested in developing alternative food safety training programs that not only target knowledge, but the antecedents of behavioral intention. 

Roberts also serves as director of the Center of Excellence for Food Safety Research in Child Nutrition Programs, is a member of the research committee of the School Nutrition Association and has completed several projects with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.