Food Service Director Course Descriptions

Introduction to Food Service (9 hours): Overview of a food service program, record keeping of forms and processes for the health department, basic laws with food service, working with the Michigan Dept of Education, and a look at a model program in food service.

Bonding/Borrowing/Investing (3 hours): Legal and practical issues relating to how school districts bond, borrow, and invest funds, including: an overview of cash flow analysis, arbitrage, and general borrowing and investing options.

Budget (3 hours): Principles in school budgeting, and method of establishing and maintaining a budget.

Customer Relations (3 hours): Learn to deal with many different customers from challenging parents to complaining students. Also provide techniques in problem solving, conflict resolution, and compromising.

Facility Design and Construction (3 hours): Principles in the design of educational facilities, and options in methods of construction management, and selection of design and construction professionals.

Health/Safety Issues (3 hours): Learn how HACCP/OSHA affect the food service business. Understand hazard analysis of critical control points.

Information Systems (3 hours): Use of computers and technology in the business office and the classroom, including: overview of hardware; developing a technology plan, major business office software applications, and telecommunications issues.

Insurance and Risk Management (3 hours): Review of insurances necessary for school operations with a primary focus on: workers' compensation, cafeteria plans property/casualty, health insurance, liability insurance, errors and omissions, and methods of risk management. A portion of the program will be devoted to understanding options for purchasing insurance: pools, cooperatives, private vendors, and self-insurance.

Labor Relations/Employment Law (6 hours): Major state and federal employment laws, that apply to public schools. Includes: collective bargaining, wage and hour, discrimination, COBRA, Family Medical Leave Act, and federal and state retirement issues.

Marketing (3 hours): Basics of displaying food and working with personnel and equipment. Learn techniques in training staff, and evaluating customer needs and wants. Also learn to work with school boards and chief financial officers.

Principles of Education (3 hours): Provide an understanding of: the educational process, culture of schools, major learning theories, teaching methodologies, school improvement, design of in-service programs, and the structure and function of the principalship.

Public Relations and Internal Communications (3 hours): Background in PR and presenting yourself to others, including: how to develop a public relations plan, working with your community, relating to other administrators within your organization, doing a budget presentation, and use of internal and external committees in developing a budget.

Purchasing (3 hours): Basics of performing the purchasing function, including: related Michigan laws; the structure of a purchasing operation, electronic and cooperative purchasing, bidding, reviewing contracts, lease-purchase options, and "partnerships."

Time Management (3 hours): Become a more effective manager by budgeting your time, identifying and assigning priorities, and establishing and achieving daily goals.

Team Leadership (3 hours): The components of leadership in general; and the methods and challenges of managing people including recruiting, training, motivating and evaluating your staff.

Wrap-up (2 hours): A concluding session to review briefly the major program content areas, provide references and resource materials, and a offer chance for the participants to reflect back and look forward on their roles.

Elective (6 hours): Any class can be taken in your area of specialty.

Total class time is 62 hours. Continuing Education hours are 90 hours within a five-calendar-year period.