Dessert with the Dean
An opportunity to hear from with every student
By: Dr. Moshe Sokol, Dean
When Lander College for Men started 11 years ago it was easy to know every student who passed through our doors. As the college and class size has grown, and continues to grow, it gets harder and harder to know each individual student as well as I would like. But the connections and personal attention that are part of the college’s origins remain important to me, and so I started inviting small groups of students to my office for talks over coffee, tea and pastries.
Over danishes we’ve had conversations about everything from the use of calculators during certain math courses to how much oversight the rebbeim should have over students’ lives; we’ve discussed the transition from learning in Israel to a dual curriculum program and the lighting in the beis medrash, as well as feedback on specific courses and activities. I’ve learned a lot about our strengths and where there is room for improvement, where we could cut back, where there’s room for growth and where we’re doing it just right. As much as I’ve learned though, for me, probably the most important aspect of the dessert discussions is reinforcing the feeling among students that my door is always open, and to break the ice, if you will, so each student truly feels that he can meet with me, and will be heard. That together we can continue to make Lander College for Men ever better.
