Speaker and Event Guidelines

The Lectures staff recognizes that every event is unique, but to make each event the most successful, please follow these guidelines and pass along important notes to your campus collaborators and to your speaker.
 

Length of Event

Generally, a lecture-style event should be 45-50 minutes in length, with 10-15 minutes of Q&A. If the event is a documentary, panel, or other format, it is important to note that in the funding application and on all publicity. 
  

Welcome and Introduction

If an event is co-sponsored by the Committee on Lectures, then specific information needs to be included in the Welcome. If requested, a student member of the Committee on Lectures can be tasked with this or someone from the host organization may give the welcome. The introduction of the speaker may be done by the same person or a different person.

The Welcome should include:

  • List of the event's cosponsors.
  • Reminder to students that card scanning for class attendance will take place after the lecture concludes and explain where the attendant will be located.
  • Mention the Q&A and explain format.
  • If the University Book Store is selling books, point out its book sales location.
  • If there will be a book signing, mention it will take place and point out the location.
  • If there will be a reception, mention it and the location.
  • Share two or three upcoming Lectures-sponsored events.


Tips for Speakers on Engaging with the Audience

Lectures attendees come from a wide range of backgrounds and typically include students, faculty, staff, and community members. A few helpful suggestions:

  • Use large, legible fonts for slides so everyone can see – even those in the back of the room.
  • Use a microphone, even in small spaces, for those who may have trouble hearing.
  • Always address and speak to the entire room.
  • Use language the entire audience can understand – make your presentation approachable to people who may be less familiar with the topic.

 

Committee on Lectures Event Policies

(approved and renewed 5/1/25) 

Event Safety

  • If the Iowa State University Police Department determines that public safety officers are needed for an event, groups must comply with ISUPD requirements, including but not limited to venue choice; restrictions on attendees bringing bags; and prohibiting signs, posters, or other materials that may block the view of other attendees.
  • Consistent with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, individuals shall be removed by public safety if said individuals are actively disrupting the operation of the event.

Event Funding 

  • Funding from the Committee on Lectures (COL) for any event is not guaranteed.
  • COL reserves the right to decline to provide financial support for any event.
  • To be eligible to receive funding from COL all policies must be followed.
  • Violation of any of these policies by a student or campus organization will result in a suspension of funding from the Committee on Lectures and event assistance (including listing an event on the Lectures website) from the Lectures Program for two full academic years after the academic year in which the violation occurred.
    • The suspension extends to any student or campus organization asking for funding or assistance who has a current officer who was serving as an officer of the organization that is under COL suspension.

FUNDING

  1. Funding requests must come from a university-recognized student or campus organization or academic unit.
  2. COL may agree to fund an event sponsored by an off-campus entity if COL votes to act as the student organization.
  3. Each student or campus organization may request funding for one speaker per academic year.
  4. COL does not provide funding for speakers who have made a public presentation on campus within the past three years, except under special circumstances.
  5. COL will provide up to $750 per event to cover Event Costs for events brought by student organizations.
    • Event Costs may include University Transportation shuttle to/from DSM; lodging (at Gateway or Courtyard Marriott); university vehicle to transport speakers around campus and Ames; room and setup, and AV tech, and recording and captioning the lecture. 
  6. Events sponsored by an academic unit or off-campus entity must cover the costs, if any, for speaker transportation (flights or mileage, airport transportation, Ames/campus transportation), event room rental, event AV technology, AV technician, catering, and any other services unique to the event.
  7. COL funding cannot be used to pay for food and beverages, including meals for speakers with students. 

CONTRACTS

  1. If a group is requesting more than Event Costs for an event, there must be a written speaker agreement, letter of confirmation, and/or contract provided to the Lectures Program staff.
    • If the Lectures Program director is not providing signing authority on a contract, the requesting group must provide a copy of the signed contract for the Lectures Program staff to review. COL reserves the right to refuse funding if the Lectures Program staff determines the contract or agreement is not in the best interests of the Committee on Lectures.
  2. COL does not permit payment of deposits or cancelation fees.
    • Full payment via check on day of event will be offered in lieu of a deposit.
    • Contracts may stipulate that if the event is canceled by the university that Lectures Program may reimburse nonrefundable travel expenses for the speaker, as permitted by university policy, the Iowa Board of Regents, and Iowa state law.

LOGISTICS

  1. Any group seeking funding for more than Event Costs must submit a complete title and event description for COL to vote on the funding request.
  2. Students must be included in the planning and presentation of the event.
  3. The event must be free and open to the public.
  4. Ticketing and/or registration for free events is not permitted. 
  5. The event must take place while classes are in session during the fall or spring semesters.
    • COL does not fund summer or winter session events. 
    • Events are not held during Finals Week. 
    • Events proposed to be held during Study Week require approval from the Provost’s Office.
  6. Speakers, panelists, and/or performers must agree to a Q&A for students at a public lecture.
  7. The microphone(s) during Q&A is monitored by Lectures staff.
  8. Texting Q&A is required for events in Lee Liu Auditorium.
  9. Texting Q&A may be utilized at any event upon request.
    • All texting Q&A will be facilitated using the Lectures-provided software.
  10. Any non-student group that requests live streaming or hybrid option for its event will be required to pay the fee for that service as set by the Memorial Union Event Management Office.
  11. Student groups that receive any funding from COL and opt to drive a speaker must use a driver approved in the ISU Transportation system and use an ISU vehicle.
  12. All groups must comply with campus facility-use policies, including but not limited to publicity, technology, and food and beverage restrictions.
  13. Any group seeking COL funding for an event off campus must provide a 30-day notice of venue location. COL reserves the right to refuse funding for off-campus events.

PUBLICITY GRAPHIC

  1. One publicity graphic per event is allowed.
  2. Any student organization whose event is receiving more funding than Event Costs must use the Lectures-designed graphic for all publicity on campus, student organization social media, and ISU-affiliated spaces (including, but not limited to, CyRide, Greek houses, and university housing).
  3. If a student group wants to create the publicity graphic, it must conform to Lectures Program Graphics Rules (see below) and it must be submitted to Lectures Program staff no later than four weeks from date of event.
    • If a student-designed graphic is not submitted or revised as required by the deadline, the Lectures Program will provide the graphic that must be used for all publicity as referenced in item 24.
  4. The Committee on Lectures does not provide funding for individual events to be publicized on or off campus, including paid digital ads, flyers, and signboards. The Lectures Program staff will not assist student organizations with on-campus publicity.
    • Student organizations must comply with Student Engagement policies for publicity and should contact Student Engagement for assistance.
  5. If a group wants to utilize advertising on the Memorial Union digital screens and asks Lectures Program staff to assist with the process, the group must agree to provide a worktag or reimburse Lectures for the cost.
  6. Lectures Program will not use a graphic provided by a non-campus entity contents conflict with any COL or university policy or if Lectures staff has concerns about content or copyright.   

Student Organization Event Notice Requirements

  1. If a student group brings an event that the group only wants to be listed on the Lectures website—and seeks no other support or assistance, there is no minimum notice needed.
  2. Two weeks’ (14 days’) notice is required for a student organization event that seeks no funding but requests publicity and card-scanning support.
  3. Three weeks’ (21 days’) notice is required for a student organization event to request funding from COL and/or logistical support, including but not limited to room reservations, speaker travel assistance, and contract assistance, from the Lectures Program staff. 

Event Notice Requirements - Events Not Funded by COL

  1. An event sponsored by a recognized student or campus organization or academic unit that seeks publicity on the Lectures Program website but no funding or logistical support may be placed on the Lectures calendar at any time. 
  2. Lectures Program will not promote events that require a free or paid ticket or registration to attend and/or are not free and open to the public.
  3. If the event is placed on the calendar at least 14 days in advance, the event will be made available to faculty to give students extra credit for attending. The sponsoring organization must provide a space in or close to the event space for a Lectures Program student worker to sit and use their computer to card scan.

 

LECTURES PROGRAM GRAPHICS RULES (from Lectures Program Style Guide)

Graphics created by Lectures and any graphic created by a group being funded by COL must follow this style guide to ensure consistency, readability, and accessibility for graphics.

  • Fonts
    • Designer’s choice for fonts to use for each graphic
    • Lectures Program may require font change for readability
  • Title
    • Does not need to be italicized or in quotes
    • Can have a subhead with or without a colon
    • First word after a colon should be capped
      • Example: Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine
    • Do not use an ampersand (&) unless it is part of the unit’s official name
      • ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
      • Dolce & Gabbana
    • Avoid using speaker names in titles; these examples would need to be changed:
      • Astronomy: A Conversation with Carl Sagan
      • Advances in Microbiology Presented by Jose Santos
  • Date
    • Days of the Week
    • Preferred—spell out day of the week, but designer gets to choose.
    • Months
      • Preferred—spell out month, but designer gets to choose.
    • Suffixes on dates (3rd, 10th, 22nd): NEVER USE
  • Time (6pm, 11am, 6PM, 11AM)
    • am, pm
      • No space between time and am/pm
      • Never use periods (a.m. p.m., unless it’s the end of the sentence)
      • Designer’s choice: capped or lowercased
    • Hours
      • Preferred—don’t include the minutes when time in on the hour, but designer gets to choose.
  • Speaker Image (must be included)
    • Hi-res photo of head, may include upper body
    • Ensure copyright permission and/or include copyright credit
    • Name should be connected to or close to image, even if name is also part of headline (non-COL funded event graphics only)
  • Speaker Name
    • Use full name, no honorifics or titles in front or behind name
    • Employment info (title) or identification line, if desired, under speaker name

Mac Barrett

Author of The First Cat in Space

Kenneth Quinn

Former U.S. ambassador to Cambodia

  • Special Designations
    • Include the lecture’s designation, year, and semester as appropriate.
  • Sponsors
    • Do not have to be on graphic
    • If one sponsor is included, then all funding sponsors need to be listed.
  • Approvals
    • Lectures-created graphics need to be approved by the sponsoring unit
      • Contracts with agencies or third parties: designated contact
      • Contracts with speakers: speaker or designated contact
      • Events sponsored by ISU entity: designated contact
    • Student organizations that create their own graphic must obtain proper approvals
  • Logos, Trademarks
    • Logos—ISU units, including student and campus orgs
      • Required: Verification that logo has been approved per Trademark Licensing policy for student orgs and university departments: https://trademark.iastate.edu/
      • Do not use without verification of approval.
    • Logos—non-ISU units
      • Must be a financial sponsor
      • Must have confirmation in writing of logo verification
    • If multiple logos are requested, Lectures Program may decline to include all logos within a graphic.