“Years ago, I regularly interviewed the Notre Dame finalists for Rhodes Fellowships. I always asked them at the end, what, if anything, they would change about Notre Dame,” remarked Mark Roche, Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. Professor of German and concurrent professor of philosophy. “One of the most common concerns at the time was insufficient peer- to-peer intellectual engagement outside the classroom.”
Seeking to address the above complaints, Roche agreed to participate in the new “Professors for Lunch” series, which was launched this semester. “Professors for Lunch” is the idea of Vincent Phillip Muñoz, Tocqueville Associate Professor of Religion and Public Life and associate professor of political science.
Similar to Roche, Muñoz recognizes the current intellectual climate to be “promising – with much room to improve.”
“Notre Dame students are extraordinarily smart,” Muñoz said, “but are not extraordinarily intellectually daring. They are complacent with being intellectually comfortable.”
“Professors for Lunch” attempts to address the issue by providing “space for students to talk about interesting questions… in a casual and informal way.” Morgan Pino, the event coordinator for “Professors for Lunch,” affirms this intent.
“Prof. Muñoz and I started the Professors for Lunch event because we wanted to provide an informal space for professors, students, and staff to meet and discuss some of the newest and most interesting academic work produced by Notre Dame professors,” Pino said. “Our first event featured Prof. Brad Gregory on his excellent new book, The Unintended Reformation, and the second event featured a three-professor panel on “Why Choose the Liberal Arts?” in place of Prof. Mark Roche, who could not attend.”
Thus far, both faculty and students have displayed interest and enthusiasm in the event. This support is evident by the program’s wide support among campus and faculty organizations. The Tocqueville Program for Inquiry Into Religion and Public Life, Student Government, the College of Arts & Letters Office for Undergraduate Studies, and the Off Campus Council all officially sponsor “Professors for Lunch.”
Muñoz further described faculty support. “Most faculty were enthusiastic,” he said. “Most faculty at Notre Dame teach because they want to help students think deeply and clearly about the most important things. They are enthusiastic about anything that relates to this.”
Roche echoed this sentiment while discussing his agreement to participate.
“I was happy to agree to participate, as I enjoy engaging Notre Dame students on great questions, including questions concerning the purpose of a Notre Dame education,” Roche said. “It is important to work creatively to cultivate a holistic education that blends the intellectual and the residential life in meaningful ways.
That should be a distinction of Notre Dame, not a gap at Notre Dame.” In addition to faculty members, student attendees have also displayed interest and enthusiasm.
“Many of my friends who have attended the lunches have become really interested in the work of the professors we’ve featured, and the professors have met so many new students from outside their disciplines,” Pino said.
Students at Notre Dame are often eager to communicate with professors but simultaneously unsure of how to do so comfortably. Through its informality, “Professors for Lunch” provides a setting that overcomes this element. Pino also praises this aspect of the event.
“The strength of Professors for Lunch is its draw in bringing together students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines to showcase Notre Dame professors’ work that can really interest or apply to everyone,” Pino affirmed. “With this event, the professors are coming to the students– directly into the dining hall– to converse with the students, get to know them, and discuss interesting and exciting issues.”
Muñoz is pleased that “Professor for Lunch” provides students with a forum to grow intellectually.
“Just as we push students on the athletic fields, we must push students intellectually inside and outside the classroom,” he said.
Scott Englert wants to learn how to surf this summer. Send him tips at senglert@nd.edu.
