The program began for first-years in the fall of 2000 and was expanded to include upperclassman students in the fall of 2002. The program proved so popular that administrative funds quickly ran out and not all students who wanted to participate could do so, prompting the AAS to allocate additional funds to the program last spring. A few weeks ago, Lincoln Mayer '04 and Mira Serrill-Robins '05 proposed that the AAS fund the program again this fall.
The AAS has allocated $13,500 to fund the student portion of the meals, enough for 1,000 students to participate, and the dean of faculty and president's offices have agreed to fund the meals for professors.
Dean of the Faculty Gregory Call expressed his approval of the expanded program. "I was very pleased that the AAS stepped forward to fund the student portion of the program. That made it possible for the dean of the faculty's office and the president's office to pick up the costs of faculty participation," Call said.
Each participant will be allotted $15.00. Mayer and Serrill-Robins were able to negotiate a 10 percent discount at participating restaurants, so the school will only pay $13.50 of each meal.
According to Mayer, the AAS decided to fund the program in large part because of its popularity. "This semester, the senate, recognizing the breadth and depth of TYPO's appeal, generously and fully funded the program," Mayer said. "We expect that no one who wants to participate will be turned away."
Students will be able to participate once each semester, and professors will be limited to two outings per semester.
Call noted that the changes to the program will allow more students and faculty to participate. "Past experience with the program had shown that some professors were invited out frequently early in the semester and that this could limit the funds available for their colleagues to participate later in the term," Call said.
Only two restaurants, Bart's and Panda East, have agreed to participate so far. The AAS hopes to expand participation to three more restaurants.
Heather Wojtowicz, assistant to the dean of new students, will be responsible for the administrative part of the program. "I'm glad to be the administrative person for the TYPO program because of the success of the program and how much the students and faculty enjoy it," she said. "I think that the hard work of the AAS in bringing the program back this year will be greatly appreciated by this year's TYPO participants."
Call also noted the benefits that both students and faculty receive from participation in the program. "I look forward to seeing how the newly redesigned TYPO program functions this year and hope it will continue to effectively promote student and faculty interaction outside the classroom," he said.