KU News Release

KU lunch program encourages student-faculty interaction

LAWRENCE — With more than 17,000 students and 775 faculty members, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences can feel like a big place. But by fostering student-faculty interactions, a program in the College is succeeding in making the University of Kansas’ largest academic unit more personal.

The Take Your Professor to Lunch program is an initiative that pays for students and professors to have lunch together throughout the academic year. The College created the program last year after seeing research that found that students who have educational relationships with faculty members outside the classroom are shown to be more successful in their collegiate experience.

The program promises to build on the successes in its initial year.

“This is a great way for students to connect with faculty,” said Dean Joseph E. Steinmetz. “Now that this program is established, we expect more students and faculty to take advantage of this valuable opportunity.”

Some students may be hesitant or intimidated to ask a professor to lunch, says Italian professor Jan Kozma, but the benefits of the program should outweigh those concerns, she said.

“Not only is this a fine opportunity to get to know their professors, but in order for their professors to be able to write really good, personal and effective recommendations in the future for them, the professor needs to know them on a one-to-one basis,” said Kozma, who has dined with students using the program.

The program is open to any student who is majoring in a department or program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This includes students who have not selected a major and pre-professional majors, such as pre-business or pre-law.

Students may participate once per academic year and may take any member of the College faculty of their choosing. If students prefer to go to lunch with a professor as a group, they may do so, up to a maximum of three students.

Students who are approved to participate will be given a $15 meal voucher to pay for lunch for the student and the professor; in the case of a group, each additional student will be given a voucher for $7.50. The vouchers can be redeemed on campus at the Underground, Market or Crimson Café.

Students who are interested in participating should arrange a date and time for lunch with the professor they wish to take to lunch before applying for the program. Students may fill out a form at www.clas.ku.edu/outreach/lunch, which will verify a student’s status in the College.

The Take Your Professor to Lunch program is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and made possible through the support of alumni and friends.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.