For the very reasons that Ed mentions, I remember suggesting back in 1995, 
when I arrived at UTC, that what was needed was a Faculty Lounge where we 
could gather for a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever, and to get to know each 
other across discipline lines.  That would not cost nearly as much as a 
dining room, and I think it would serve the same purposes and yield the 
same benefits.  It fell on deaf ears then, maybe now it won't.

Lala

At 05:34 PM 9/23/2005, Ed Smith wrote:
>I seem to be especially active on RAVEN today, but all the discussion
>about food on campus and people going elsewhere to eat made me start
>recalling some history.
>
>
>
>Some of the other "Old Timers" around here may remember years ago when
>Food Service tried providing a dining room for faculty and professional
>staff in the Chickamauga Room in the University Center. It lasted
>2-3yrs, I think. It was never really heavily patronized. For me at
>least, I believe it was because it was just a little too much and too
>elaborate for everyday lunch. It was usually very good, however.
>(Similar to the Faculty Club dining, where the food was excellent, but
>more formal and expensive than one might want on a regular basis. Also,
>I believe the less central location of the Patten House was a factor).
>And an important added advantage was that it was buffet style so that it
>never took very long to get served, leaving time to eat at a casual
>pace, and more importantly to sit for awhile and dine with other UTC
>faculty/staff.
>
>
>
>Which gets me to my point. This was a time fairly early in my career at
>UTC. But it helped immensely in building a "foundation" of colleagues
>that still serve me well today (not the colleagues but having a base of
>faculty and professional staff that I know and can call or refer someone
>to). And it allowed us all to spend time discussing the current issues,
>be they national, state, local, or UT System, or UTC Campus. And, I must
>admit, there was the occasional gossip morsel digested on rare occasion.
>Despite the limited number who utilized it, because of the usual group
>that would be there pretty regularly, the folks like me who showed up on
>a less regular basis, and guests, dignitaries, and job applicants from
>off campus being hosted  there, it was a good cross-section of
>departments and other campus segments.
>
>
>
>OK, I'll really get to my point this time. The Chickamauga Room provided
>one of those things that doesn't show up on cost/benefit sheets or that
>can be quantified in monthly reports. My guess is it lost money, hence
>it being discontinued. But, for me at least, it helped in my roll on
>campus and my job in general in a less tangible way that I believe does
>pay off. It was a way of knowing who was who, what the issues in various
>departments were, and how things sort of interrelated to give one a more
>subjective, holistic sense of "the system". Now, the faces of newer
>faculty and staff I recognize, but the names or much knowledge about
>people's roles in their depts., what's going on around campus, etc. are
>fewer and farther between.
>
>
>
>And to this day, I believe if they had included less heavy or formal
>options such as sandwiches and grill items, it would be frequented more
>because of the less hectic experience than the main dining area and the
>time saved during a busy day.
>
>
>
>It would be nice to have something like that again.
>
>
>
>ED
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Ed Smith
>
>Psychologist and Clinical Services Coordinator
>
>UTC Counseling and Career Planning Center
>
>
>
>NOTE: Email communication should not be considered confidential, so
>cannot be assumed to be privileged communication as described in
>Tennessee State Law
>
>

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