Culinary student Rachel Silipo dusts profiteroles with confectioners sugar in chef Michele Brown's pastry class.

The phrase “food for thought” has a new meaning at Collin College.

It was recently announced that a new culinary arts associate degree was approved and will be offered starting in fall 2008.

The existing hotel and restaurant management degree will continue, but the new degree, according to Karen Musa, chair of the Hospitality & Foodservice Management program, said the new degree will add spice to the college’s reputation.

“(The new degree offers) brand new curriculum with more hands-on-culinary classes,” she said. “We will now be more competitive with other culinary schools. The challenge we have is that no one has heard that we have the current program.”

Musa has seen the Collin College program rise over the years. She started almost 10 years ago when the college had one degree and one certificate in her area. Now, the college has two associate degrees and seven certificates, including the new pastry arts certificate, which also was recently approved.

In reference to her strategy in improving the program, Musa said, “Simply put - realistic and relevant.  I think we do a good job of bringing industry to the classroom and affording the students the opportunity to gain access to the hospitality industry.”

The new degree, she added, will give the culinary students a better skill set when they graduate. Also, she has worked with Texas Woman's University to create an articulation agreement that will set a student with a culinary arts degree at Collin College to transfer seamlessly to TWU to earn a bachelor’s degree. 

For more information, call Musa at 972.377.1672 or visit www.ccccd.edu/hospitality.