2012 Summer University Program

Arrival and Departure

On Monday, July 2, our host, Stephan Robert, will arrange to transport SJSU participants from the Geneva airport to their lodgings at the University of Lausanne dorms in Bourdanette. (We haven't set a pickup time yet.)

If you arrive before the pickup time, you can either hang out at the airport or you can take a short tour of Geneva.

If you arrive after the pickup time, you will need to take the train to Lausanne and a bus or the metro (subway) to the dorms. (The train station in Geneva is next door to the airport.) Just be sure to show up on time for class on Wednesday. Save any receipts. SU will reimburse you (but not for taxis.)

We need to vacate the dorms by noon on July 23. It's best not to fly out of Geneva too early in the morning as the trains from Lausanne don't start running until around 6 AM.

Reimbursements

By May 15 each participant will provide me with electronic copies of:

1. Airline ticket

2. Visa

3. Proof of insurance

4. Liability release form

5. Emergency contact info

I will send an invoice to SU. When I receive payment, I will distribute the funds by check. Note that you will only be reimbursed for up to 1200 CHF (about $1200) for your airfare.

Classes

The site appears to still be under construction, but a description of the courses that will be offered this year can be found at:

http://www.stephan-robert.ch/SU12.php

At the end of the program, each instructor will provide me with a score for each student representing the percentage of work successfully completed. I will average these scores for each student. Students with averages above 70% will receive a certificate of completion and, if they wish, credit for CS180 in the Fall 2012 semester.

Transportation

Although participants will be staying in the Bourdonnette Dorms at the University of Lausanne (which is a few miles from downtown Lausanne), they will be attending classes at Vaud School for Engineering and Business (better known by its French acronym HEIG-VD.)

HEIG-VD is located in the town of Yverdon-les-Bains, on the western end of Lake Neuchatel. Each morning you will take the metro (subway) from the Bourdonnette stop in front of the dorms to the train station in Renens. From there you will take the train to Yverdon and walk about a quarter of a mile to the campus. The whole trip takes about 55 minutes if you are lucky enough to catch the express train.

You will be provided with a travel pass that will allow you to travel by bus, train, or subway anywhere in the canton (state) of Vaud. Unfortunately, this pass won't work for weekend excursions out of Vaud. See Swiss Rail System for information about Swiss rail passes.

Excursions

SU will have a number of planned excursions for us, but on weekends you are free to plan your own excursions: Zermatt, Interlaken, Lucerne, France, Germany, Italy, etc. The information office at the Lausanne train station will assemble an itinerary for you that tells you which trains to catch. You buy a ticket and go. It's all easy, close, and fun (but not cheap if it's outside of Vaud).

Meals

It appears that lunch will be provided. You will have a kitchen and there are grocery stores nearby, so stock up on breakfast and dinner stuff. (The kitchens may not be stocked with plates and pans, though.) There are also lots of reasonably priced falafel stands and pizza parlors.

What to Bring

Travel light and bring your ATM card.

If everything doesn't fit into the overhead bin, then you're bringing too much.

Make sure you call your bank before you leave and warn them to expect charges coming from Europe. Bring a backup credit card just in case. Traveler's checks are cumbersome and insecure.

Cell phones are a pain and can be expensive to use. (If you bring your smart phone, make sure roaming is set to "voice only".) You can rent cheap cell phones in Switzerland.

You can do your laundry in the dorms, so you don't need to bring lots of clothes. Just make sure that every top goes with every bottom.

Dress for mild summer weather, casual, but not too casual. Be prepared for hiking in the Alps (day pack, good shoes, camera, sweater, hat, sunglasses, sun screen, and light rain parka) and bathing in the spa (bathing suit unless you're a nudist).

Bring your laptop. (Light, small netbooks are ideal.)