The Domain Dinner Program originated in 1998 as a result of the strategic planning process articulated in The Highest Order of Excellence. The reference to domains is based on the identification of eight intellectual domains representing existing areas of strength and opportunity for linking education and research activities in exciting and productive interdisciplinary ventures. As the dinners have evolved, however, the need for defining a program within a "domain" has diminished and indeed, many cross-domain dinners have been held. Since their inception in the 1998-99 academic year, there have been over 60 dinners. A list of prior dinner topics and speakers can be found at the "Past Events" link.
In 2008 the dinners were renamed the Lawrence B. Dumas Domain Dinners in honor of the late Provost's vision and support of the program.
Domain Dinners are designed to stimulate faculty interactions across departments and disciplines and highlight Northwestern's distinctive interdisciplinarity. These events, featuring Northwestern faculty, consist of cocktails, a program, and dinner. They provide the opportunity for faculty from both the Chicago and the Evanston campuses to gather in a relaxed environment for intellectual discourse. There is no charge for these dinners.
The program portion of the evening is faculty generated. To organize a program, faculty members are invited to propose a theme or topic that engages colleagues from multiple disciplines. The proposal describing the topic of the program and the faculty presenters should be submitted to the Office of Administration and Planning. The proposals will then be vetted with the appropriate parties to ensure a variety of programming and a sufficiently broad appeal. The format of the program may vary, although it is strongly encouraged (due to time constraints) to limit the number of faculty presenters to three with one additional moderator to tie the presentations together. Ample time should be allowed for discussion and questions. The Office of Administration and Planning will work with the faculty to design an appropriate format.
** Proposals for future Dumas Domain Dinners are now being accepted. Please contact the Office of Administration and Planning for further information.**
