The Committee on Lectures (COL) is the funding arm of the Student Government for speakers and events. It works to bring to campus a broad spectrum of stimulating lectures, political debates, and academic forums; cultural events, including musical performances and art and dance programs; and entertainment such as film and comedy. The COL offers financial assistance to registered student organizations that wish to sponsor a public lecture or cultural event. The funds distributed by the COL are student fees allocated by the Student Government.

The COL is open to a wide variety of programming and strives to be impartial in its consideration. While appeal to the student population is one criterion for event sponsorship, the COL also recognizes the need to present topics to broaden student awareness.

How are lectures chosen? Lectures program events are chosen by students, for students.

How Are Lecture Series events chosen?

Short answer: Lectures Program events are chosen by students, for students.

The Lectures Program oversees funds provided by Iowa State’s Student Government to support speaker requests from recognized student organizations and to support lectures that add value to students’ educational experiences.

The Committee on Lectures, comprised of students across campus and supported by faculty and staff members, reviews requests for speakers covering a broad range of topics and issues from student organizations, academic units, individual students, and website submissions.

The COL and the Lectures Program collaborate with dozens of students, faculty, and staff to coordinate more than 80 events each academic year.

The COL solicits lectures on both sides of important issues and works closely with student organizations, in a non-partisan way, to explore the entire marketplace of ideas.

Join the Committee on Lectures

Membership on the Committee on Lectures is open to all members of the university community. Apply to join the Committee here.

The COL comprises up to twenty-eight voting members - faculty, staff, and students - plus the director and assistant director of Lectures, who serve on an ex officio basis. Two student chairs are elected from among these members. COL members represent a cross-section of students, academic disciplines, and administrative offices and work in close collaboration with student organizations, academic departments, university offices, and off-campus organizations. They are expected to have the vision and imagination to provide opportunities for students to think, learn, and act in new ways.

The Student Government appoints up to eleven student members and at least two alternate members to the COL, and a cabinet-level official acts as a liaison between the committee and the Student Senate. The Graduate and Professional Student Senate appoints two representatives, and the Memorial Union Student Union Board (SUB) appoints one.

The Office of the Provost, which provides administrative supervision of the Lectures Program, appoints a faculty chair to the COL and approves faculty representatives nominated by each of the colleges. It also appoints at-large members to the committee.

Membership on the COL is open to all members of the university community. Students interested in joining the COL can find an application link on the Committee on Lectures page. The COL meets monthly during the academic year to evaluate funding requests and advise student organizations while planning events. Meeting schedules are set at the start of each semester.

COL Operation Policies

Voting Minimums for Meetings and Email Votes (approved 11/30/23) 

  • Quorum for valid votes at an in-person meeting = 3 students present.
  • Email voting:
    • Requires a minimum of 3 students to respond to make the vote valid.
    • Voting closes by 5pm the next business day (voting deadline will be provided).

Lectures Campaign Event Guidelines (renewed 9/14/23) 

  • Must be renewed annually in the fall .

Students

Jayden Cruz, Chemical Engineering
Kolton Eisma, Agricultural Studies, GPSS
Braden Fels, Political Science
Tessa Ginkel, Accounting
Nevaeh Hardy, Animal Science
Claire Hartley, Political Science, Student Government
Ana Henningsen, Public Relations
Jayden Jech, Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Ava Johnson, Event Management, Co-Chair
Meredith Lipovac, Environmental Science
Caelia Marshall, Neuroscience, GPSS
Sidney McCoy, Animal Science
Nick Michel, Landscape Architecture
Lizzie Noe, Event Management & Marketing, Co-Chair
Towoju Oginni, Electrical Engineering
Grace Paul, Marketing
Preston Poppe, Mechanical Engineering
Erin Renshaw, Dietetics
Alejandro Sanguino, Mechanical Engineering
George Thomas, Mechanical Engineering, GPSS
Allyson Thompson, Political Science, Center for Cyclone Civics
Lauren Vierregger, Agronomy, Student Government
Will Vlasek, Agricultural Systems Technology, Student Government

Faculty and Staff

Katherine Bangert, Human Development and Family Studies (Human Sciences)
Jenni Digavalli, University Library
Heidi Doellinger, Engineering Administration (Engineering)
Dave Gieseke, Veterinary Medicine (Veterinary Medicine)
Stephen Gilbert, Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Ted Grevstad-Nordbrock, Community & Regional Planning (Design)
Mark Hargrove, Biochemistry (CALS & LAS)
Leon Liao, Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering (Engineering)
Suzanne Lyndon, Business (Business)
Rebecca Nation, Student Innovation Center
Laurie Smith Law, Honors Program
Alissa Stoehr, Women and Gender Studies (LAS)
Erin Todey, Graduate College
Amanda Knief, Lectures Program (ex-officio)
Laura Shaw, Lectures Program (ex-officio)