The Office of the Provost has begun a new program this semester known as “Take Your Students to Lunch,” aimed at increasing the interaction between students and their professors outside the classroom. Through the program, a professor can take up to seven students at a time to the Faculty-Staff Dining Hall, above the student area in Russell Sage Dining Hall, and all expenses are charged to the program. Seven students is the maximum because the tables in the dining hall only fit eight.
“This program provides an opportunity for faculty and students to get together outside an academic setting,” said Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Gary Gabriele. “The whole point of the thing is creating a kind of community between faculty and students.” He said that one of the quirks of our society is that the best place to get to know someone is over a meal, whether it be a business lunch or a date, so this type of program is ideal for forming relationships.
Gabriele said that a successful educational experience depends not only on students learning from professors, but on professors learning from students. “If you’ve taught a course and haven’t learned anything, you haven’t been very innovative, or pushed the envelope very far,” he said. Gabriele continued that he hoped that this program will facilitate that kind of exchange.
“I think this is a great program. It really gives the students a chance to meet their professors,” said Mike Goldenberg, chair of the Student Senate’s committee on academic affairs and services, and head of the Faculty-Student Interaction project under the old Senate structure. “Students should be proactive and take the first step in asking their professors to lunch.”
Gabriele said that the school used to have a program like this a number of years ago, but it was abandoned. The idea for the new program grew out of the Academic Advising Task Force put together last year to deal with problems in the advising system. Discussions with faculty about interaction between advisors and advisees led to people discussing the benefits of the old program, and a recommendation to revive it. When the recommendation was brought to President Jackson, Gabriele said it turned out that there were already discussions taking place concerning a similar program being implemented.
The program is being piloted this semester with limited funds, and as such is only available to full-time faculty. However, the program will be assessed and the Provost’s office will determine if and how the program can be expanded.
Provost G.P. “Bud” Peterson said that he hoped students would take this opportunity to discuss with their professors their opinions on the grade modifiers issue. Faculty have been directed to use a few minutes in class over the next few weeks to gather student input, but he said he knew at least a few professors would forget or not want to use class time for it.
Gabriele agreed that issue was a good one to use this program for. “We really think the best way for students and faculty to come together on this is in informal settings,” he said.
At present, the Faculty Senate plans to vote on the modifiers issue in late April.
