Emily Boyd

ENGL 314
Problem Statement Assignment

Event Management is one of the most rapidly growing majors in the country.
According to the BLS, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected growth in job outlook is
sixteen percent, which is faster in comparison to the average growth rate for occupations
(Bureau of Labor Statistics). Also, according to the BLS, the amount of jobs in this field in
2014 was 100,000. As globalization increases and businesses continue to recognize the
value of professionally planned meetings, demand for meetings and events is projected to
grow (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
At Iowa State, there are currently 365 event management majors235 more than
when the major was first offered in 2011 (Office of the Registrar, Iowa State University).
Unfortunately, the university lacks sufficient factors necessary to prepare these students to
go into their desired field of entry. These factors include lack of enough faculty members to
advise and teach, and the lack of classes available to students due to small class sizes and
high demand in enrollment.
There is a total of four faculty members in the Event Management department at
Iowa State University, two of which are advisers. With 365 people in the major, students
may not be able to meet with their adviser for long periods of times, which can be
frustrating and stressful. Both advisers also teach, so the advisers may struggle to balance

their workloads. Other than the advisers, there is one professor and one part-time lecturer
for the entire program.
The issue of insufficient faculty members ties into the problem with the classes.
There are specific classes Event Management majors must take, and not enough classes
offered to these students. Many classes required have only one or two sections per semester,
and the cap on enrollment may prevent students from taking the course. For example,
students interested in working in entertainment venues may be unable to take EVENT 333,
Entertainment Venue Management, due to the fact that there is only one section available
with an enrollment cap at 40 (Schedule of Classes, Iowa State University). This means that
students will potentially go through college taking classes they are entirely uninterested in
to obtain a degree in Event Management. If a student is only interested in entering the field
of event management in entertainment venues, it is unreasonable to require them to fill up
their schedules with, for example, hospitality management classes, in order to have enough
credits to graduate.
The problem does not only exist within the body of Iowa State University. Of all of
the colleges in the Iowa, ISU is the only one that has an accredited Event Management
program, and is one of few in the Midwest (Event Management, Iowa State University).
Schools all over the country should prepare for the sudden explosion of interest in this
major.
As illustrated above, event management is a rapidly growing career choice in the
United States today. Iowa State University should direct more funding towards the program
in order to keep up with the increasing demand. If more faculty is hired, more classes can

be offered, and in more specific areas of interest. If this happens, students will feel more
satisfied with their education and become better-prepared to enter their desired field of
work in the area of event management.

Works Cited
"Enrollment Statistics for Fall Semester 2016." Office of the Registrar. Iowa State
University, 2016. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
"Event Management." Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management. Iowa State University,
2016. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
"Schedule of Classes: Iowa State University." Schedule of Classes. Iowa State University,
2016. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
"Summary of Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.