Rey Rey Cafe | Photo by Bethany Althauser | The Wright State Guardian
On Nov. 7, University President Dr. Sue Edwards hosted a Coffee Chat in the Rike lobby with free refreshments and access to Rey Rey Cafe coffee. This informal meeting with students and faculty struck up conversations of community on campus.
Conversations with President Edwards
President Edwards began by introducing herself and speaking with students who had been studying in the lobby before the chat. There were several different departments of the school in attendance, with many faculty and staff showing up to network with their peers.
While there were not many students that were in attendance, organizers of the event were still pleased with the turnout.
“We are working on ways of communication,” President Edwards said. “We are always trying to find new ways to reach out to the community.”
Students were encouraged to attend and volunteer for Raidersgiving on Wednesday, Nov. 22, in the Student Union. Students will have the opportunity to meet with faculty and President Edwards again at Raidersgiving.
Building a community
President Edwards previously implemented a system called the “3 R’s:” Relationships, Recruitment and Retention. According to the president's administration, these were created to foster a sense of community on campus.
Events like the Coffee Chat aim for students to meet and get to know their peers and faculty in an informal setting.
“Events like these are incredibly beneficial. They allow for collaboration with not only students but with other faculty members,” Gary Schmidt, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said.
Another purpose is to introduce students to faculty members they might need to reach out to later in their journeys since it may be challenging for them to do so. Students are encouraged to reach out and get to know faculty and staff.
“Students will only meet a handful of these folks when something happens to them that is perceived as negative,” President Edwards said. “The goal with these types of events is to allow students to meet them outside of that ‘negative’ setting, so if they end up in one of those situations, it won't be perceived as negative.”
A friendly face
Edwards said that students and families are welcome to stop by her office, explaining that she has an open-door policy. If she is there and not in a meeting, she will meet with students or their parents.
“Sometimes, I’ll pop by [Edwards’] office just to say ‘hi.’ She really is a warm person,” Erik Potts, a mathematics and statistics lecturer, said.
President Edwards prides herself on being a warm person that anyone in the Raider family can rely on and assures that as long as she is able to, she will keep hosting Coffee Chats and events just like it.
