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Inside Iowa State
February 18, 2000

Gregoire: HRIM will remodel, improve, grow

by Kevin Brown
For Mary Gregoire, the world can be explained through the travails of four beings who lose their piece of cheese.

The reference is to the book Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way To Deal With Change In Your Work And In Your Life,in which author Spencer Johnson relates a parable about two mice and two tiny humans who are challenged by the loss of the all-important cheese.

Gregoire, professor and chair of the department of hotel, restaurant and institution management (HRIM), said the cheese can be a job, a relationship, a family. Regardless of the object of desire, the point is to be alert to changes in the cheese and be prepared to respond if and when the cheese moves or disappears.

"What you put your mind to is what you get," Gregoire said of her personal philosophy. "Change will happen; you shouldn't be locked into what has been. The book shows that we all react differently to change. It makes you think: 'I don't want to be called this type of mouse.'"

Gregoire came to Iowa State in August 1998 from Rush- Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center/Rush University, Chicago, Ill., where she was a professor of food service management and then associate director of Food and Nutrition Services.

Coming to ISU's HRIM program was a professional goal come true, she said.

"Not a lot of HRIM programs have the reputation and history of ISU," she said. "This department offers a great environment and strong traditions."

But, she said, anything can be improved.

"We are doing a self-study right now for a site visit in April," Gregoire said. "We are looking at our program and planning strategies for future growth and improvement."

In the early 1990s, HRIM had almost 400 students. Today, the department has fewer than 200.

"That is typical for other, similar programs," Gregoire said. "In the late 80s, there were TV shows, such as Hoteland The Love Boat,that made prospective students think about the industry. We don't have that now. Roughly one-half of all high schoolers work in our industry (as food servers, front desk clerks, stock clerks, etc.), but don't realize that it offers lucrative, viable management careers."

Gregoire plans to reach out more to high school students to encourage them at younger ages to consider a career in the industry.

The department also has a high influx of students from other colleges at Iowa State. When these students become aware of the entrepreneurial spirit of the program (many HRIM graduates go on to own their own businesses) they transfer into the department.

Gregoire said she would like to enroll these students when they first apply to the university.

"The ultimate goal of many of our students is to become entrepreneurs," Gregoire said. "We offer entry into a host of careers -- lodging management, restaurant ownership, club management, convention planning, and on-site dining management."

But HRIM's goal is to turn out students who enter the corporate world with a desire to do more than earn money, Gregoire said.

For example, a community service component was added to the undergraduate curriculum.

"In the Introduction to Hospitality Management course, students are required to prepare and serve meals in a homeless shelter in Ames or Des Moines," she said.

Food service is targeted for the community service because of its common thread throughout HRIM. No matter what field a student will enter, whether as a hotel manager planning a banquet or a meeting planner organizing a convention, understanding food service will be pivotal to success, she said.

HRIM also features two high profile student activities -- the annual "cherry pie" VEISHEA tradition and the Tearoom. (The Tearoom is open for lunch Monday through Friday. Dining is by reservation only and a varied menu is posted weekly on the HRIM Web site.)

"Both are unique features with real benefits for the students," Gregoire said. "It's a teaching laboratory setting where students actually get experience in food preparation, food planning, readying a dining area and front room activities."

For the future, she sees the department becoming much larger and more visible.

"I could see us having a glass enclosed Tearoom on the top of some campus building," Gregoire said. "Do I believe that will happen? It's possible. What's certain is the program will be remodeling, improving and growing."

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Revis ed 2/16/00