The Culinary Institute

Food & Business Tips

May marked the graduation of another culinary class, and this was the largest class to graduate in our history! Having that number of graduates is encouraging from the standpoint of realizing that the incoming students are committed to our program and feel they are getting a thorough and useful certificate. The program is still dedicated to earning accreditation through ACF or another institute, and to that end we remain optimistic that the cold kitchen will have a full makeover before the end of the year, resulting in a facility more geared for teaching and training.

The new rotation will be the first with internet access by using the University’s Blackboard system. For those of you not familiar with Blackboard, the basic principle is that we can now post any information we need to share with the students, which they can then access with their account. During the course of a subject, their syllabus can be made available, handouts or worksheets can be posted, along with homework, even testing can be done online. Blackboard is a wonderful way to get information out to all the students without having to print numerous copies to handout. We can also alert them to changes in the schedule without having to contact everyone individually. For any of you wishing to learn more about this system, contact Bill Knapp at knappw@mailbox.sc.edu, and he will be more than willing to give you a quick primer on the program.

The Institute is also emphasizing some of the managerial aspects of our industry by offering certificates of completion through the National Restaurant Association’s ManageFirst program. Students will receive certification in ServSafe, inventory, cost controls, human resources, and hospitality management. The program is certainly becoming more rounded, and as always, a special thanks to all of the instructors who have helped to make the CIC a growing and improving culinary program.

by John Lindower
Culinary Institute at Carolina