Elon University's Take a Student to Lunch Program was created in fall 2005 to inspire stronger out-of-classroom relationships between students and faculty.
According to Evan Heiser, dean of students and assistant to the vice president for Student Life, the Take a Student to Lunch Program was used 850 times by 348 different Elon faculty and staff in its 11th year.
But while 585 students have enjoyed the benefits thus far into the academic year, the remaining 90 percent of the student body has either not heard of or has not participated in the program.
“The one main goal is to support and enhance the intellectual climate on campus,” said T.J. Bowie, coordinator for Residential Campus Dining and Engagement.
The program allows for a faculty or staff member to bring up to five students to a participating establishment, such as Irazu Coffee Shop, Acorn Coffee Shop, Varsity Sports Grill, McEwen Dining Hall, Colonnades Dining Hall or Lakeside Dining Hall.
There, academic conversation is strongly encouraged in hopes of fostering collaboration and further intellectual stimulation.
Yet despite the figures of usage the program boasts, many students seem to be in the dark.
Of the 40 students surveyed in an informal canvassing of campus, only five had ever heard of the program. Only three of the 40 students said they had used the program.
“I’m not sure why I’ve never heard of it before,” said junior Kevin Culloty. “A teacher has never asked, and before this [canvassing], I never even knew it existed.”
Despite intentions to promote collaboration and friendship outside of the classroom, many students seemed unaware such a program existed.
One explanation for this disconnect is the program only being promoted to Elon faculty and staff members via email.
“The program is advertised to faculty and staff members with a reminder email about the program sent at the start of each semester,” Heiser said.
Though there is a lack of student awareness about Take a Student to Lunch, those who have used it said they fully understand the benefits.
Senior Ripton Rosen used the program for the first time during the 2015 fall semester.
“There were six of us, and we all went to lunch,” Rosen said. “I’d never heard of it before, and it wasn’t the teacher’s idea. Another senior suggested it. But I thought it was helpful because it humanized the professor for me.”
Bowie added that faculty members benefit from the program as well as the students.
“I believe the program is incredibly effective and that is supported by great feedback from professors,” Bowie said. “They have reported genuinely enjoying the opportunity to connect further with students. Some specific examples are professors working with their research mentees, advisees or students wanting to know more about their area of expertise.”
Utilizing the program is as simple as entering any of the participating venues and asking to use the Take a Student to Lunch Program to pay for the meal.
While Heiser and Bowie did not explain how the program was specifically funded, they said the university covers the expenses fully for students and faculty.
“There is no cost to the student or faculty/staff member to use the program,” Heiser said. “Both will need to swipe their Phoenix Cards when using the program, but nothing is charged to them specifically.”
But for students like Rosen, the message for increasing engagement in the program is simple: There needs to be more targeted promotion to students.
“It needs to be broadcast more, specifically to students,” Rosen said. “It was surprisingly helpful ,and students will reach out to use it just as much as faculty.”