James Downey

James Downey is a dedicated and accomplished Fortune 500 industry executive, university administrator and hospitality management faculty member. His corporate experience included an executive position with an idea-generating company, lodging and food services consulting for IBM, and VP for a high-profile hospitality management company. Downey joined Lynn University in 1994 as an associate professor and later served as the dean of the College and Hospitality Management, as well as the academic program coordinator for the College of Business and Management.

• B.S. Penn State
• M.S. University of Wisconsin
• Ph.D. from Purdue University

Downey's teaching philosophy has been and continues to be predicated on sound instructional techniques that provide successful student learning outcomes. He has maintained this philosophy throughout his time at Lynn. Downey has a long history and background in the hospitality industry. His family managed a small hotel in eastern Pennsylvania, where he began as a front desk clerk at the age of 13. From that experience, he developed a love of the hospitality industry that eventually drew him into the fields of accounting and lodging development.

Downey's desire to share that passion and to help others seek a career in hospitality encouraged him to pursue a career in teaching. He believes learning is best facilitated by an instructor who balances sound theory with solid industry experience. For example, his teaching of hospitality accounting and lodging development is facilitated by his experience working for a hospitality-related public accounting firm and serving as a director of development for a hospitality management company. He actively seeks to create a student-centered classroom where students participate in directing their objectives while he acts as a guide by the side. Downey also tries to integrate several different methods in his classroom that accommodate his students' various learning styles. For example, he might work in a short lecture, a problem-solving exercise or break the class into small groups during the same session. He found that technology, especially computer-mediated communication, can be a valuable tool in creating a positive learning environment.

Downey encourages his students to take an active role in the classroom by guiding classroom discussions and curriculum choices and by discovering and using their new knowledge. Clear objectives guide lessons and assignments, and he believes that students should be aware of them and able to determine when they have mastered them, realizing that the development of accounting skills takes time. Ultimately, students should learn to seek new learning experiences and direct their own education, encouraging the life-long learning process.

• Accounting for financial reporting
• Accounting for management decision making
• Hospitality revenue management
• Event management
• Special topics in hospitality
• Special topics in event management