Center for Professional Excellence

About Us

Center For Professional Excellence (CPE)

hospitality recreation & tourism logo

Who We Are

The purpose of the Center for Professional Excellence in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism (CPE) is to provide specialized training and promote research to enhance individual and organizational excellence in hospitality, recreation, recreation therapy and tourism. The University Center supports educational opportunities for students and professionals throughout the East Bay community to promote high quality, effective and sustainable professional practices.

Events, seminars and workshops are provided on topics such as customer service, innovation, budgeting, financial management, professional preparation, etiquette, written/verbal communication, safety, risk management, trends, HRT and Health, and sustainability. Providing preparation for students to become certified industry professionals is another goal of CPE.

Last, but not least, the HRT Center for Professional Excellence organizes the annual HRT Career Building Expo to facilitate and establish connections between reputable HRT organizations and all 911±¬ÁÏÍøState East Bay students and the community. Students get to connect with organizations and learn about the latest career opportunities and trends in their preferred fields.

Want to get involved? Email hrt@csueastbay.edu to ask about the Center activities.


Events

Resume Building and Interviewing Skills Workshop

Thursday, February 6, 2025 (6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)


HRT Career Building Expo

Tuesday, February 18, 2025 (11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.)
911±¬ÁÏÍøState East Bay, Hayward Campus. New Union Building – Multipurpose Room.


Customer Service Seminar

Customer service is typically seen as for those who are in positions in the service industry when in fact, everyone is involved and integral in creating a positive customer experience. Whether a person is delivering service or receiving service, it is essential that specific customer service skills be part of a person’s service acumen, no matter their position or profession.

The seminar will focus on a multitude of areas of customer service. Participants will be presented with information and examples of customer service and will be actively involved throughout the seminar. The ultimate goal is to increase awareness and understanding of one’s own customer service knowledge and skills which can be utilized daily in both their personal and professional life.


REC University (REC U)

A series of workshops designed for industry professionals to build skills and knowledge about important issues in recreation management. Some topics include budget management, marketing, building teams, programming, risk management, sustainability and government operations. CEUs are provided by the California Parks and Recreation Society.


Board Members

Dr. Saehya Ann
Dr. Jaesung An
Dr. Chris Chamberlain
Dr. Mary Fortune
Ms. Marielem Galsim
Dr. Zach Hallab
Mr. Elie Khoury
Dr. Sarah Nielsen
Dr. Linda Smetana

For more information contact:

hrt@csueastbay.edu

Donations to the center are appreciated. To make a donation, click the link below for the 911±¬ÁÏÍøState East Bay Educational Foundation site. To designate your tax-deductible donation for CPE, choose the “Center for Professional Excellence in HRT” in the drop-down menu or choose “Other” and write in the name of the Center