Brown Bag series explores topics, reaches out to students in small groups to increase understanding of University operations

The Graduate Student Senate and Higher Education and Administration Doctoral Students are hosting a “Brown Bag” Lunch Series this fall where administrators and students can participate in an “informal discussion.”

Eight University administrators will facilitate the discussions, an idea from University President Mary Ellen Mazey, GSS President David Sleasman said.

“Within her first few days of starting back in July, [she made a] speech about how she wanted to get to know students and she invited students back to her office, she said [to] bring your lunch and come back,” Sleasman said.

Each discussion in the series will take place from noon to 1 p.m. and Sleasman expects approximately 30 to 40 people for each speaker.

“The idea is kind of a small group around lunch,” Sleasman said. “Everybody’s eating and talking and it’s very informal and it’s a good chance to meet people that you might not have had a chance to meet before.”

Michael Ogawa, vice president of research and economic development and interim graduate college dean, is one of the speakers in the lunch series. He will be speaking about the strategic planning process for graduate education.

Sleasman wants administrators to pick their own topics because he wants them to speak on what they think is important.

Ogawa said he chose this topic because it is one of the most important activities at the graduate college this year.

“I think it’s always good to get feedback from different groups on campus,” Ogawa said. “It’s something that’s well worth doing. It’s something I’m excited about.”

Anyone can attend the discussions and Sleasman emphasized he wanted the topics to be universal for that reason.

“The idea is kind of like people do in the food courts or the dining halls or over meals – but just to talk to whoever’s facilitating,” Sleasman said. “Most people don’t have a chance to meet them and they’re actually quite important to the University.”

Christina Wright, HEADS President, said she wants people to get “a better understanding of the organizational practices here at the University.”

“I also hope this becomes an annual program,” she said.

Wright said she thinks students in HEADS will really benefit from the series, as many of the topics apply directly to graduate students.

“Sometimes as graduate students, we have questions about how certain decisions are made and now we’re able to go and expand interaction with key administrators on campus,” she said.

Sleasman’s overall goal for the series is that everyone involved benefits.

“All these administrators get to meet one new student, one new faculty member, one new staff member that they may not have had a chance to meet before and get a better view of Bowling Green, of the school and of the community,” Sleasman said. “That’s what I hope, that there’s more engagement and that one person they meet somehow influences both people.”