Undergraduate students may feel there are limited opportunities to voice their opinions to senior administrators on campus. Four years ago, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences began to forge a connection that would help open a dialogue.
Jack Censer, dean of the college, has hosted lunches with students for the past seven semesters, and plans to continue doing so during the spring of 2011. Originally, in the fall of 2007, these gatherings were only for seniors. The college decided to open them up to more students from the college as the demand increased and the open spots filled quickly.
Now, Censer hosts about six lunches per semester, with alumni sometimes joining in. Students bring their concerns and feedback regarding academic and community issues.
“I try to fix those things I can and help them fix what they can,” Censer said. “And we also have a lot of fun talking about everything from food and restaurants to stories about Mason.”
Each lunch serves 12-15 students. The college advertises the lunches in the monthly e-mail newsletter and the first students to reply get a spot. Some lunches are for seniors only and others are major-specific, but the rest remain open to all students within the college.
“Students find this opportunity appealing for a variety of reasons,” said Evan Baum, assistant dean for undergraduate programs at the college. “They get to meet the leader of their college, provide feedback to a senior administrator at the university, connect with other students, and at the newly chosen venue of the Mason Inn, they get to check out one of our newest amenities on campus.”
Junior Lowell Brooks, a public administration major, has attended several of these lunches.
“I have enjoyed the insight, personal attention and conversations with other students sharing similar interests,” he said. “By attending these lunch invitations, I have received a bountiful amount of information, voiced my opinion concerning a wide array of topics, and networked with the dean, alumni and students.”
Censer welcomes the opportunity to hear feedback from students.
“It's a chance for me to learn more about the students and to find out how they experience learning in the college,” he said.