By BJ LEWIS
bvl001@latech.edu
Faculty members at Tech have been making lunch time in
the
Mert Douglas, director of
multicultural affairs, said she and other faculty members like Sam Speed,
director of housing, Michelle Pride, counselor and academic studies
coordinator, and Jennifer Byrd, coordinator of student development, sit and eat
lunch and interact during the lunch hour to give students an opportunity for them
to feel comfortable and share what is on their mind.
“The idea to go to the students in that setting came from
the African American Male Initiative,” Douglas said. “[Pride] suggested going
to the students and hearing some of their conversations about [Tech overall].”
She said the faculty who go to lunches have since
extended their efforts to all the students and want the students to benefit
from it.
“Sometimes I know the students; sometimes I don’t,”
Douglas said.
“I just start a conversation with them.”
Douglas said these informal round table discussions also
provide her with a chance to catch up with certain organizations’ officers to
be able to pass on information if need be.
During the first lunch with the students, the faculty
members and students talked about the financial freeze. At that moment Dr. Jim
King, vice president of student affairs, and Dickie
Crawford, dean of student affairs and auxiliary services, were passing through
the Student Center, Douglas said. She said Pride invited them to come over to
the tables and the situation was able to be discussed with the students.
Speed said he has been meeting with students for quite
some time.
“I like being with the students,” Speed said. “For me,
most students who come to my office come with a complaint or problem.”
Speed said he likes being among the students and giving
them someone to relate to.
He said a big gap exists between faculty, administration
and the student body.
“If they don’t feel like they can openly come to me,
there is a problem,” Speed said.
He said the time the faculty spends at lunch with the
students breaks down barriers.
Tarviya Royal, a sophomore biology major, said she gains insight from the
faculty during the lunch times and the students give some as well.
“We let them know what’s going on around campus as
students,” Royal said. “They’ll give us feedback and suggestions.”
Royal said it has made her relations with other faculty
members better and it has made her more open to them on campus.
Byrd said the informal lunches were important to Tech
students to show that the faculty is accessible to them.
“It allows us to better serve the students,” Byrd said.
“We appear more open at a lunch table in the Student Center than we do behind
our desks in the office.”