Representatives from OSU Institute of Technology’s School of Culinary Arts and Oklahoma State University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management on the Stillwater campus signed an articulation agreement Tuesday that makes it easier for students from OSUIT to transfer to OSU HTM and complete their bachelor’s degree.

The signing ceremony took place Tuesday, Feb. 27, in the Tulsa Room on the OSU-Tulsa campus.

Gene Leiterman, dean of OSUIT’s School of Culinary Arts, and Dr. Ben Goh, assistant dean of the College of Human Sciences and director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, signed the articulation agreement that aligns coursework so credits earned by OSUIT students will transfer seamlessly to OSU Stillwater.

Leiterman said it has been a number of years since the two schools’ degree programs had a formal agreement and it’s something the two programs have been working toward in the last year.

In the past, if students from OSUIT wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree at OSU, they would have to take an additional three years of courses to earn that degree. With this articulation agreement, students will only be enrolled for two years at each institution meaning they can enter the workforce sooner.

“It’s a pathway that ensures that in four years students get their associate and bachelor’s degrees,” he said. “It enables them to have a pathway that eliminates barriers.”

Goh said HTM is a globally recognized program and a key to its success is the passion and expertise of its students in all sub-industries including culinary arts.

“Students that come to HTM from OSUIT have a good work ethic, appreciation for food and hospitality, and an understanding of the industry that makes them well prepared to be student leaders in HTM,” he said. “Furthermore, these students are some of the most sought after graduates from our school. The success of alumni from both programs is evident and this new agreement means that students will enter our dynamic workforce well prepared and ready to lead.”

Leiterman said a lot of time was spent looking at the coursework and curriculum of OSUIT and OSU HTM in order to align the two so transfers could be as seamless as possible for students.

“I’m really proud of the work HTM did and we did making sure our decisions would benefit the students first,” he said. “It truly is a collaboration.”

Both said the aim is for that collaboration to continue.

“We’re in the same OSU family, we serve the same industry,” Leiterman said. “This is the first step in many steps to come between OSUIT and OSU HTM.”