 The Matterhorn napkin fold
In 1997, the Swiss Center program was restructured to allow
WSU's School of Hospitality Business Management to offer its
Bachelor of Arts degree on an accelerated basis to graduates of the
already established hospitality program at the International
College of Hospitality Administration, which offers two-year and
master's degrees in collaboration with other institutions.
Once students have completed the two-year degree, WSU offers the
remaining two years, with students offering the same courses WSU
students at the home campus in Pullman take-mostly advanced
hospitality management and business administration classes. But
there are other courses unique to the Brig program, such as
specialty classes in casino operations and ecotourism.
"The American students benefit from the Swiss skill levels, and
the international students benefit from the American business
management courses," says Vieregge. "The classes are small, there's
individual projects. It's very challenging, and the European
students give them a run for their money."
The restructuring also synchronized the year into a U.S.-style
system of two semesters and two summer sessions. Classes are taught
by three permanent faculty and rotating summer faculty, many of
whom come to Brig from Pullman.
"I've been impressed," says David Sprott, an associate professor
at WSU who came to Brig with his wife and children to teach
consumer behavior for a semester. "The combination of a Swiss hotel
school and an American system holds together very well."
Germans make up the largest portion of the total 200 students,
though about 40 different nations are represented at the school. Of
the 200, approximately 50 are enrolled in WSU's extended degree
program in pursuit of their bachelor's degree.
So far from home, faculty often double as surrogate parents for
homesick students suffering various kinds of culture shock. One
faculty member had to help a student from Israel inch her way down
the mountain during a sledding party after she panicked-her first
time on snow. When a blizzard canceled a planned glacier hike,
another professor hurriedly threw together a fondue dinner at her
home for two dozen visiting South African students.
"I feel like the faculty here really take students under their
wing," says Heather Tornow, 22, a junior from Seattle.
The family atmosphere is summed up by the way students
affectionately greet Vieregge, their director, in the halls: "Hey,
Dr. V!"
 A Cougar at the desk
But the casual, friendly atmosphere does not mirror a lack of
rigor or professionalism. Students abide by a strict formal dress
code (male students are prohibited from wearing earrings and must
wear ties during the day). And classes, say the American students,
are more rigorous than back home.
"It seems people are more serious and motivated here," says WSU
junior Paige McDonald, of Laurel, Montana. "They have strong
opinions, and you feel like you have to really be on top of it.
Especially since everybody actually comes to class every day."
"In Pullman there's diversity, but it's not as concentrated,"
adds McDonald. "Here you learn a lot in class, but also just
hanging out with people from all different nations and learning
about their cultures."
"We believe students who have studied here are changed for the
better after this program," says Umbreit. "They are more wide open,
they interview better, they have a more global perspective."
Take graduate student Stephanie Kroh, for example. Kroh, 24,
first came to study at WSU from La Paz, Bolivia, where her mother
was the chef at the American embassy. Since she began her studies
several years ago, she's started a family tradition. Brothers,
sisters, and cousins have all come to Pullman to study, following
in her footsteps. This semester, she's working as a graduate
assistant in the Swiss hospitality program.
"The advantage of being here is you are exposed to many
different cultures in a small family atmosphere," says Kroh.
"Hospitality is a world industry, and you need to be able to adapt
and understand other cultures."
That's never been more true than today. In 1999, there were 663
million international tourists according to the World Tourism
Organization (up 4 percent from 1998).
"Globally, the industry had a tremendous year in 2000. It was a
benchmark year for tourism internationally," says WSU professor
Nancy Scanlon, who teaches at the Swiss Center. But September 11
and terrorism concerns have wreaked havoc on tourism, which has
triggered cutbacks in business and pleasure travel. Scanlon and
others have responded by stressing the need to drive operating
costs down while still maintaining value for customers.
When he's home in Thailand, Ni Ti Pat Chimnam runs a small
hotel. But this semester, he's working full time on soaking up all
he can from his WSU professors in Switzerland, including Scanlon,
who this semester is teaching a class on hospitality and the
environment.
"In this class I have learned things I just never thought of
before," says Chimnam, leafing through his text before class. And
not just how to flambé, serve fondue, or set a French-style table,
but practical tools he plans to put into practice in Thailand-ways
to save energy, recycle waste, and save water-like faucet aerators,
shower water reduction devices, and low-flush toilets.
Chimnam and Ben Gies, a 23-year-old WSU senior from Richland,
Washington, strain to understand each other's accents as they work
on their joint assignment in Scanlon's class. Now that he's seen
some of Europe and studied alongside other foreign students at the
Swiss Center, Gies says he's more confident about starting his job
hunt later this year. He's already setting his sights on
Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
"Studying here helped me understand how different cultures
manage to come together with all our diverse beliefs," says Gies.
"I think I have a broader understand of things now. It has taken my
small town American values and put them in a global
perspective."
Andrea Vogt lives in Bologna, Italy,
and Palouse, Washington.
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