Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center

Program allows students to have lunch with faculty starting in Spring 2015

By Sara Swann

Starting in Spring 2015, Syracuse University students can have lunch with SU faculty and staff members for free.

With $3,000 approved from the Student Advancement Fund, the Student Association was able to create Chat & Dine with Faculty and Staff. Modeled after a similar program at the University of Rochester, Chat & Dine will help students become better acquainted with their professors and other faculty and staff members, said Aysha Seedat, director of student life for SA and a junior policy studies major.

“The faculty and staff members are here for us. They want to hear our feedback on how they can improve. If there are ways to better incorporate technology into something, they want to hear that,” Seedat said.

When the program begins, students who are interested in having lunch with a professor or staff member will fill out a form for Chat & Dine. Within seven business days, the request will be either approved or denied by SA. If approved, the students will be scheduled for a specific Chat & Dine date, Seedat said.

Students will be limited to two Chat & Dine opportunities per semester “so all students can have the opportunity to participate and it is not the same students meeting over and over again,” Seedat said.



Freshmen and sophomores will receive priority when it comes to Chat & Dine “so that they can get a more personal experience with their professors, especially since a majority of them teach large lecture classes,” Seedat said.

“The resources professors and staff members have are infinite,” she said. “They can offer so much more than advice about a student’s career path.”

The tentative days for Chat & Dine to take place are on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center, located between Bird Library and Watson Hall, will host the students, faculty and staff members meeting for lunch, Seedat said.

Groups of two to four students paired with one faculty or staff member will be arranged for each Chat & Dine luncheon, Seedat said.

Students, faculty and staff members will eat lunch in the Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center’s first floor dining area. Students can order off the menu with their choice of an entrée and an appetizer or a dessert, said Kelley Champa, assistant director of food services at SU.

“It sounds like a great program and it’s simple — that’s what makes it nice, the fact that it’s uncomplicated,” Champa said. “Both students and faculty will be able to benefit by getting to know each other on a more personal level.”

Jen Chen, a senior chemical engineering major, said she thinks Chat & Dine is a great opportunity for SU students to take advantage of.

“Eating lunch with your professors, especially in a small group, can make them seem more personable and less intimidating,” Chen said. “I would definitely participate in Chat & Dine.”

In the future, if all goes well, SA plans to expand the program so even more students, faculty and staff members can benefit, Seedat said.

“It’s about more than just faculty and staff who can be there for students as mentors,” Seedat said. “Students can learn so much from the faculty and staff here at SU.”





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