For Roselyn Salvador, moving to Kingston from British Columbia was a stressful ordeal. On top of her master’s degree, where she studies the family dynamics of Filipino migrant workers, Ms. Salvador (MA’15) was also taking care of her four-year-old daughter. To get the support she needed and to meet new people, she turned to the Ban Righ Centre and their weekly faculty lunches.

“The people who work at the Ban Righ Centre are so kind and warm that it’s become my second home,” Ms. Salvador says. “It’s so nice to know I have a place to go to de-stress, eat some soup and talk to other women from different departments.”

Each Thursday the BRC invites a female faculty member to an informal lunch where student attendees can ask them questions and have a conversation. Faculty offer to speak about their experiences as women in academia, but the conversational nature of the talk means that a lot of different topics get covered.

“The lunches help broaden my general knowledge and since the atmosphere is relaxed, I never feel shy about asking questions or clarifications,” says Ms. Salvador. “University is meant to give students an opportunity for higher learning from teachers and scholars. These lunches do just that in a non-traditional setting that is not only informative, but a safe space too.” 

Susan Babbitt (Philosophy) spoke at the BRC’s faculty lunch on Sept. 25 and was impressed with the quality of the conversation. “We sat and talked and I was amazed by the conversation that happened — it was open, honest and meaningful. They were the sort of things that in my discipline you really hope for and benefit from,” she says. 

Lunches like these have been happening at the BRC throughout its 40 years of operation, says Carole Morrison, the centre’s director. In the last year they’ve made the process a little more formal, inviting professors and advertising to students on Facebook and by word of mouth.

“The response we’ve had from faculty has been fantastic. They see that there’s a need for mentoring relationships and they feel positively about it,” says Ms. Morrison. “There’s an increasing demographic trend of women pursuing graduate study while balancing family responsibilities and we want to support them in every way we can — everyone can benefit from a sense of community and having an intelligent conversation.”

More information about the Ban Righ Centre and their events can found on their website.