Buffalo State College’s Hospitality and Tourism Department has received reaccreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA).

Fewer than 20 percent of hospitality and tourism programs in the nation are accredited, making Buffalo State one of just 32 four-year programs in the United States to hold such a distinction from ACPHA.

“Earning ACPHA reaccreditation puts a stamp of approval on the continued hard work by the faculty in the Hospitality and Tourism Department,” said Kevin Mulcahy, associate professor and department chair. “This recognition also adds to the credentials of our students, who are prepared now more than ever to excel in hospitality and tourism professions.”

The reaccreditation, which runs through the summer of 2014, caps a two-year process that included a comprehensive self-study and an on-site evaluation by an accreditation team. Lori Till, associate professor of hospitality and tourism, headed the accreditation efforts.

“Going through an intensive self-study and accreditation process is very cleansing and rewarding,” Till said. “I have been at Buffalo State since 1985, and I can’t believe how much this program and the college have grown in that time. Earning accreditation brings everybody up to an incredible standard, which directly benefits our students.”

Buffalo State’s Hospitality and Tourism Department is dedicated to educating and developing enterprising students who become leaders in regional and global hospitality-tourism professions. Campus House, a fine-dining club for faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the college, provides hospitality students with a state-of-the-art training facility for innovative, hands-on teaching and research experience. Recent graduates have been hired as commercial food service and catering managers, hotel front-desk and sales managers, restaurant managers, executive sous-chefs, casino food and beverage managers, sales coordinators and purchasing agents.