PULLMAN, Wash. — In 1932, students of hotel administration at Washington State University in Pullman studied the psychology of employment, heating and ventilation, cost and accountability, and income tax before venturing into the world of hospitality armed with a four-year bachelorÃs degree.
Today, they must also be well versed in marketing, management, accounting, business law, and usage of case methods and computerized statistical programs to analyze administration practices — and have completed 1,000 hours of hospitality interning while at WSU centers in Pullman, Seattle or Switzerland.
ÒClearly, our hospitality education is keeping pace with the burgeoning changes of our times as we prepare to enter the new millennia,Ó comments W. Terry Umbreit, director of the Hotel and Restaurant Administration (HRA) program at WSU.
To celebrate its first six decades and to look ahead, the HRA program in the College of Business and Economics is this year celebrating its 65th anniversary, kicking off with a celebratory dinner Nov. 20 at the Rainier Club in Seattle. The event will also honor Lothar Kreck, who retired in summer after 26 years with the program. Tickets to the gala are available by phoning HRA events coordinator Andrea Luoma at 509/335-9619.
WSU HRA consistently ranks among the top five of 170 similar programs nationwide, is the only four-year degreed program in the Pacific Northwest, and is the fifth oldest program in the country. Today, HRA has 500 undergraduates enrolled around the world. State-of-the-art gourmet food production and dining room training facilities give the hospitality students real world experiences. Leaders from all aspects of the hospitality industry visit the three HRA sites each year to meet with students and interact with HRAÃs five student clubs.
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