'Dear Colleague' personal note to AU faculty about sunday night dinners and wednesday afternoon tea

Some readers may know that periodically, no more than two or three times a semester, I write personal notes to all of AU’s 600 or more tenured, tenure track, temporary and adjunct (part time) faculty members.  Though my messages are distributed widely, I try to write them as if I were writing to each colleague individually.  In fact, I know most of AU’s faculty members by face if not by name.  For seven years, I have welcomed them at new faculty and adjunct faculty orientations.  Along with two Deans of Academic Affairs, I have hosted new tenure track faculty members at monthly lunches.  And I have had hundreds of formal and informal consultations on matters relating to teaching, research, the tenure process, AU’s culture and balancing the obligations of research, teaching and service.  In my role as faculty resident, I have also entertained many faculty members and administrators in my apartment.

Here is a ‘Dear Colleague’ note that I wrote inviting faculty to my bi-weekly sunday night dinners, and to a new tradition I am seeking to establish, Wednesday Afternoon Tea in the faculty resident’s apartment.

Dear Colleagues, 

As many of you know, I prepare and serve a number of ‘Faculty Resident’s Dinners’ for students on Sunday evenings during the academic year.  Anderson Hall’s first floor  ‘Style Lounge’ is the venue.  I know that neither the day nor the time - 8 PM - are ideal for those of you with children, but faculty, partners and mannerly children are most welcome.  Please let us know you are coming by calling me or  emailing facultyresident@american.edu.  

There is also a new Faculty Resident event, Wednesday Afternoon Tea, from 4:30 until 5:30 in my 101 Anderson Hall apartment.  Afternoon tea is a popular custom at some residential colleges in both England and the US.  I thought it  would be an appealing addition to the AU residential life calendar and it is proving to be so.  Please feel free to drop by for tea, coffee and conversation.

Here is the dinner schedule and menus for the remainder of the fall semester.  There are always several vegetarian options.  Typically one is very similar to the non vegetarian main course dish being served.

September 21. Sri Lankan chicken and vegetable curries with accompaniments

October 5. Moroccan lamb with couscous.

October 26.  Paella, Philippine, style

November 9.  Sri Lankan lamb and vegetable curries with accompaniments.

December 7.  Traditional English dinner, standing rib roast and Yorkshire pudding

I hope the beginning of the semester going well,  Do stop by for tea or dinner if your schedule permits.

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