This spring, students in dorms across campus will enjoy dinner and conversation with professors during residence faculty nights. This time-honored tradition, with roots at Branner Hall, is wholly unique to Stanford, students said.

According to Roland Hsu, senior associate director of Undergraduate Advising Programs (UAP), this “fine and very well received tradition” was most likely initiated by the late History Prof. Kennell A. Jackson, a long-time resident fellow at Branner.

Hsu said that head peer academic coordinators (HPACs) in each residence, under the guidance of UAP, work with Residential Education and Dining Services staff to schedule and plan the quarterly events.

Wilbur Hall held its faculty night on May 11, and Florence Moore Hall followed on May 15. In the fall and winter quarters, approximately 50 professors attended each dorm’s dinner.

Freshman Sophomore College (FroSoCo) held its faculty night on May 3. According to senior Dana Ung, a FroSoCo college assistant who organized the evening, FroSoCo’s faculty night has averaged 30 professors each quarter, a higher turnout than in past years.

Residential and Dining Education staff do their part to enhance the ambiance.

“The tables are decorated, complete with bottles of sparkling cider, the food is excellent and conversation is lively,” said Rinconada HPAC Megan Hoarfrost, a junior.

Many HPACs described the atmosphere of faculty nights as comfortable, intimate and casual.

“The professors themselves are more relaxed, so you get to see a different side of them,” Ung said. “A lot of students talk to professors in office hours, but when you talk to them over food, it changes the atmosphere. They’ll joke around and talk about things they might not talk about in an academic setting.”

Other HPACs highlighted the importance of making connections with faculty members.

“Whether you are interested in getting letters of recommendation in the future, finding an advisor or simply looking for advice regarding your academic career, inviting a professor to faculty night is a great way to do so,” said Junipero HPAC Sonia Nagala, a junior.

“In a large lecture, it’s often difficult to get to know faculty on a one-on-one basis, but during faculty night, you get to have an intimate and intellectually stimulating discussion with your professor, conveniently in your own dining hall,” she added.

Students and professors alike spoke positively about their experiences at faculty nights, which can lead to mentoring relationships or research positions.

“Having been invited to many such faculty nights, I can personally say that the evenings are a wonderful way for students to have the benefit of informal time spent with their faculty,” Hsu said. “Conversations begun at faculty nights often continue in class following the special evenings.”

Mathematics Prof. Simon Brendle was a recent guest at FroSoCo, Roble and Wilbur.

“It is a great experience to interact with students that have such a deep interest in mathematics and science,” he said.

Many students echoed the sentiments of their professors.

“I’ve invited five professors to faculty night, and three of them are now people to whom I can go for academic advice and for general mentorship,” said Mirlo HPAC Paul Mark Elizondo III, a junior.

Some take advantage of the opportunity and develop relationships with faculty members at the dinners, continuing to seek advice from them throughout their time on campus.

“My freshman year, I invited [Music] Prof. Jonathan Berger, who was teaching my first introductory seminar at Stanford,” said Nagala. “Inviting him to Faculty Night was the first step I took in developing a meaningful student-faculty relationship with him. Dr. Berger is currently my advisor, and I see him at least bi-monthly for academic advice.”

Junior Rosemary Reidy recalled a similar experience from her first year at Stanford.

“Inviting a professor to faculty night was one of the best things I did during the spring of my freshman year,” she said. “I invited a psychology professor and asked her about opportunities in the psych department. She connected me with a research position in another professor’s lab for the school year and invited me to join her research for the summer. Eventually she became my advisor and has helped me out in countless academic and personal situations.”

Students at Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Yale and New York University said that they were not aware of anything similar to Stanford faculty nights occurring at their schools.

“To invite a professor to faculty night and begin fostering a relationship with him or her is part of the definition of taking full advantage of your Stanford undergraduate career,” Elizondo said.