Bryn Mawr College

For Faculty:Dean's Office Entertainment Fund

 

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, the college is committed to encouraging and supporting interactions between faculty and students.  Students who form meaningful relationships with their professors outside the immediate context of course work consistently report greater satisfaction with their undergraduate experience. The rewards for faculty members can be just as great.

To foster and facilitate interaction between Bryn Mawr faculty and students, the Undergraduate Dean’s Office offers two funding options.  As the academic year gets underway, I wanted to remind you of these opportunities and clarify how they are intended to be used:

1) All faculty members are eligible to receive up to 20 meal passes per semester for their use during lunch with students (who will cover their meal expenses with a meal plan or their own funds). 

2) In addition, each faculty member can be reimbursed up to $100 per semester for expenses related to entertainment of students in an activity that takes place outside of class time.

Faculty requests for dean’s office funding to provide refreshments for students after attending an exhibit, a talk by a campus speaker, or at an end-of-semester celebration (held outside of class time) would all be perfectly acceptable.  However, the meal passes and entertainment funds could not be approved for meal expenses incurred during activities that are required for or directly related to a class. Examples of such activities include field trips, language tables, or meals during required class lectures or discussions.  Faculty anticipating a need to fund these types of events or activities should consult with their department chair.

I am very aware that budget constraints have impacted every office at Bryn Mawr and that individual departments and programs may lack the funding to cover food-related expenses for their courses.  However, as the Dean’s Office receives increasing numbers of funding requests we have to ensure that the funds dedicated to faculty-student interaction are distributed equitably and according to the spirit in which the funds were originally set aside.

To obtain the Faculty and Student Entertainment Request for Reimbursement form, please complete the Faculty & Student Entertainment Fund Request Form and return to Joann O'Doherty in the Dean's Office for processing. Please allow several days for turnaround.

Many thanks for your understanding, and all the best for the year ahead,

Michele Rasmussen