FLUNCH

What is flunch?

The FLUNCH (faculty + lunch) program is designed to encourage student-faculty interaction outside the classroom. Through the program, undergraduates can invite their faculty and/or course instructors to a free lunch at one of many dining locations across campus.

Who is eligible to be flunched?

Only FLUNCHes with individuals teaching academic undergraduate classes will be approved. This does not include non-teaching advisors or instructors for physical education courses, house courses, lab, discussion, and recitation sections. This can include faculty, emeritus faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars - so long as they are currently teaching or have taught as a primary instructor in an undergraduate course. This also includes faculty at the Duke Marine Lab.

Students can also invite up to five other undergraduate guests to FLUNCH professors as a group.

who is eligible to flunch?

Students must be degree-seeking undergraduates at Duke in order to participate in FLUNCH.

If a FLUNCH includes multiple student invitees, only the paying student(s) in the group need to submit a request.

how much flunch money can a student use?

Each undergraduate student can use up to $70 of FLUNCH funds per semester. Students are responsible for any additional charges that exceed the $70 limit. The FLUNCH dollar amount you see listed on the MyDuke or DukeCard websites displays the amount you have already used for this semester. The amount will display as negative. If you have not yet FLUNCHed this semester, your amount should list $0.  A 10% tip will be added to FLUNCHes held at The Commons.  The tip amount counts toward a student's $70/semester FLUNCH account.

what purchases doesn't flunch cover?

The FLUNCH program does not cover alcohol purchases nor purchases of items for consumption by the student after the FLUNCH is held. Inappropriate charges to a student's FLUNCH account may be charged to the student's food points or Bursar account and may be considered violations of the Duke Community Standard. 

where on campus can i flunch?

FLUNCHes can be held at any of the following campus eateries:

  • The Commons (reservations encouraged)
  • JB's Roasts and Chops
  • The Skillet
  • The East Campus Marketplace
  • Zweli's
  • Tandoor
  • Gothic Grill
  • Duke Marine Lab

when can i flunch?

FLUNCHes can only be held between 10:00 am and 4 pm Monday through Friday during the academic year. FLUNCH is not available during the summer.

The last day to submit a FLUNCH request is the last day of class for a given semester; the last day to hold an approved FLUNCH is the Friday of exam week each semester.

For the Fall 2023 semester, the last day to submit a FLUNCH request is Friday, December 8th, 2023. The last day to hold an approved FLUNCH is Friday, December 15th, 2023.

For the Spring 2024 semester, the last day to submit a FLUNCH request is Wednesday, April 24th, 2024. The last day to hold an approved FLUNCH is Friday, May 3rd, 2024.

How to FLUNCH

  1. At least three business days before the intended FLUNCH date, invite your professor(s) and any other student participants to FLUNCH and decide on a mutually convenient time and location.
  2. Submit the FLUNCH Qualtrics form with full information about the professor, the date of the FLUNCH, and other student participants. Incomplete FLUNCH submissions will not be approved.
  3. Wait for an approval or rejection email, which should come without 24 hours of submission. You must receive an explicit approval email in order to access FLUNCH funds. Rejection emails will contain details about why a request was rejected.

    If your FLUNCH was rejected due to inaccurate participant/professor information, resubmit with the corrected information.

    If your FLUNCH was rejected because the FLUNCHee is not a qualifying faculty member, but still acts as the primary instructor of an undergraduate course, email fsengagement@duke.edu.

  4. Once approved, proceed with your FLUNCH. When checking out/paying for the meal, inform the cashier at the eatery that you would like to charge to your FLUNCH account. You may be asked to show your approval email as confirmation.

Submit a FLUNCH Request

Submissions for Spring 2024 requests start January 6th, 2024. Please allow 1-3 business days for processing.

For the Spring 2024 semester, the last day to submit a FLUNCH request is Wednesday, April 24th, 2024 at 5PM. The last day to hold an approved FLUNCH is Friday, May 3rd, 2024.

Email questions to fsengagement@duke.edu.

Submit your Spring 2024 FLUNCH request

Other Frequently Asked Questions

You do not need to resubmit your FLUNCH request, and no further action is needed as long as you are in communication with the other participants about the change.

Yes, you may split the FLUNCH bill with another one, or even more, of the student invitees - as long as the eatery allows it. Each student who is splitting the cost of the bill must individually submit a FLUNCH request.

In order to assure bills can be split, students are strongly encouraged to call their chosen dining location ahead of time to inquire about whether they are able to do so. Splitting checks is at the discretion of the eatery where you hold your FLUNCH.

If an eatery does not allow checks to be split, be sure to make an agreement among your student guest before you attend a FLUNCH of who will pay for the meal.

If you had an approved FLUNCH and accidentally charged the meal to your food or flex account, you can correct the charge by bringing the receipt to the same location where the original transaction occurred and requesting a refund.

Please note that you will need to request refunds sometime Monday-Friday during the active FLUNCH timeframe, 11AM-4PM.