Organizational Structure And Decision-making Process

Decision-Making Processes and External Stakeholder Engagement

In our department, the planning, updating, and implementation of educational activities and quality assurance processes are grounded in the principles of “Participatory Governance” and “Continuous Improvement.” While the Department Board constitutes the core of our decision-making mechanism, feedback from external stakeholders serves as a fundamental component of our processes in order to maintain the sectoral relevance and practice-oriented nature of our program.

In this context, the Department Advisory Board—our most strategic guiding body—consists of restaurant owners and executive chefs operating in the gastronomy sector, representatives from the hospitality and tourism industries, managers of food production and supply chain companies, as well as graduates of our program who are actively engaged in the field.

Functioning of the Advisory Board, Documentation, and Its Impact on the Curriculum:
The Department Advisory Board convenes at least once a year under the coordination of the Department Chair, based on a formally established agenda. To ensure transparency and traceability, all agenda items discussed and decisions taken during these meetings are formally documented in the “Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department Advisory Board Report,” submitted to the Dean’s Office of the relevant faculty, and integrated into the department’s quality assurance system. During these meetings, the following issues are thoroughly addressed:

• Current culinary trends in the field of gastronomy, sustainable gastronomy approaches, and innovative cooking techniques,
• Practical needs and skill gaps encountered by professionals working in the sector,
• Expectations of the tourism and food & beverage industries, as well as standards related to hygiene, food safety, and professional ethics.

The strategic feedback obtained from the Advisory Board is analyzed and reported by the Department’s Education Commission and subsequently submitted to the Department Board. For instance, in line with the Advisory Board’s recommendations, course contents within our curriculum are continuously updated—both theoretically and within practical kitchen applications—in areas such as sustainable culinary practices, the use of local and geographically indicated products, and innovative and digital gastronomy. Through this systematic approach, our program ensures the achievement of its objective to educate professionals who are knowledgeable about contemporary developments in gastronomy, creative, highly skilled in practice, and capable of rapidly adapting to the dynamic needs of the sector.