This initiative started during the pandemic to bring students back to campus, and it has since become a hit: “Especially in a large programme like ours, these lunches are a great opportunity to stay closely connected with our students”, Van Gelderen explains.
Students decide the (discussion) menu
Not only do students enthusiastically join the lunches themselves, but they also bring friends along. “With just 11 spots per lunch, we’re almost always fully booked”, says Van Gelderen. “Whether students want to organise a debate or simply chat, everything is possible”, he explains. “There are no fixed rules. Everyone decides for themselves how they want to spend the lunch: brainstorming with fellow students, having a personal conversation with a lecturer, or just quietly listening.”
No excuses to skip class
Students ask questions they might not dare to in a packed lecture hall, like how to balance a board year with their studies or tackle a challenging course. “Even students who are usually less engaged in lessons or activities join in enthusiastically”, says Van Gelderen.
The lunches bring together a diverse group—students from different years and backgrounds with a range of experiences and study habits—resulting in interesting conversations. “And the best part”, Van Gelderen adds, “is that there’s always a class scheduled right after lunch. So, no excuses to skip it!”
What’s the lecturer’s role?
“We listen to the students and simply join in the discussions”, says Van Gelderen, who, next to being Programme Director, is also an Associate Professor. “We don’t lead the conversations; we follow the students. This way, the topics that really matter to them come to light. It gives us valuable insights into what can be improved in the programme.”
At each lunch, either Van Gelderen or a member of his core team is present. This team, consisting of lecturer Ingmar Leijen and two enthusiastic student colleagues, ensures everything runs smoothly.
One lunch can make a big difference
“These lunches may sound time-consuming, but they’re actually incredibly efficient”, Van Gelderen notes. “In just one lunch, you learn what truly concerns students and hear the solutions they suggest. Those conversations, no matter how small they seem, really make a difference.”
A simple remark from a student can spark a new course, a better schedule, or a solution to a longstanding issue. Take the notification crisis, for example: students missed important updates because they were overwhelmed by irrelevant notifications on Canvas. “We tackled the problem and solved it.”
For students, the free lunch is, of course, a nice perk. “But it’s about much more than that”, Van Gelderen emphasizes. “These conversations lead to changes that genuinely benefit everyone. And thanks to the open atmosphere, students feel heard and taken seriously. That’s what makes this so special.”
