Boston University students and top administrators termed the third-ever Dean’s Luncheon a success after casually dining yesterday in the Castle to talk about campus issues.
Faculty attendees of the event included deans and associate deans from each college at BU, as well as Chancellor John Silber and Provost Dennis Berkey. Student Union officials chose 26 students, who Union Vice President of Academic Affairs David Bresler said had specific questions they wanted to ask deans. The application process was open to all students on campus, he said.
College of Communication Dean Brent Baker said Silber discussed how students felt they could not talk to administrators, and noted that it is the Dean of Students’ job to listen to student concerns, not the chancellor’s. According to Baker, the topic of the recent U.S. News and World Report collegiate rankings and the change in the guest policy were all mentioned.
‘Generally people were just socializing and just enjoying themselves,’ Baker said. ‘The comment was made that we should do these more often.’
Issues ranging from the quality of campus facilities and plans a new law school building to the merits of the COM 101 class and whether or not visual arts should be in the College of Fine Arts or COM also came up at the luncheon, Baker said.
Baker said he heard concerns from many students, but said he was surprised to find COM students not unhappy with many issues.
‘It was kind of interesting that the COM students said they didn’t have any real issues,’ Baker said.
Baker, who sat at the table with Silber and members of the Student Union executive board, said the discussion was relevant to many of the concerns students have had over the last semester.
Many of the lunch’s participants went away satisfied. Berkey said the event was enjoyable and he learned a lot of good information about various schools.
‘I learned quite a bit about the [School of Management] curriculum from the students’ perspectives, about the relative popularity of various campus housing options and about professional aspirations of students in [the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences] and [the School of Education],’ Berkey said in an email.
Berkey also said the event was a good opportunity for him to meet with students and listen to their concerns and congratulated Bresler for putting in the time and effort to make the event happen.
Baker said he was glad this year’s luncheon was open to a wider range of the student population, unlike in previous years when the students in attendance were mainly the leaders of individual college governments.
The event was the third in the last two years, the first occurring in the fall semester of 2001. Union VP of Public Relations Frances Cosico and Berkey started the luncheon.
‘It was such a success that it became one of the centerpieces of the union,’ he said. ‘[It is] one of our more prestigious events.’
The event will occur again next semester, though a date has not yet been set. Bresler said they were looking into having two luncheons next semester but wanted to make sure all of the deans could attend the event.
He said, however, a concern of the deans was students believed this luncheon was the only way to speak their minds.
‘[This] is not the only way to get your opinions across to the deans,’ Bresler said. ‘They all want to talk to students.’
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