Speaker Series funding uncertain for this year
While Robert Kennedy, Jr. will speak in November on last year’s Speaker Series funding, university officials are uncertain whether they will receive funding for this year.
The series was able to put forth $35,000 from last year’s funding to bring Robert Kennedy Jr. to speak at Central Michigan University Nov. 19.
“Last year, the President’s Office and the Provost’s Office each contributed $20,000 to make it possible to bring highly sought after, nationally and internationally recognizable speakers to campus,” said Steve Smith, director of public relations.
The Speakers Series has not met as a committee yet and will not until next Wednesday, so any discussions of funding are premature at this point, Smith said.
The series lost its regular funding in 2003, said Director of University Events Bob Ebner.
“For a couple of years, we struggled and didn’t have any speakers at all,” he said.
That led to the president and provost assisting the Speaker Series for several years, Ebner said.
“Funding was never certain during (2006 to 2009),” said Librarian and Bibliographer of Clarke Historical Library John Fierst, former Speaker Series chairman.
A need for funding
Salman Rushdie and retired Gen. Wesley Clark spoke at CMU during Fierst’s time as chairman from 2006 to this year. Funding for both speakers came from the former President Michael Rao’s office and many other places, including various deans.
Earlier this year, series chairwoman and Communication and dramatic arts professor Jill Taft-Kaufman sent a request to receive funding from the university’s budget to the Academic Senate.
Philip Squattrito, Academic Senate chairman, said the Academic Senate agrees with the need for funding of the series but, at this time, only endorses the idea of providing greater funding.
“My recollection is the Senate agreed with the need,” he said. “(But) the university has to decide.”
The Speaker Series would like to bring national and internationally known speakers to campus, rather than several small speakers throughout the year, Taft-Kaufman said.
“We’re going to want to bring in at least one noted speaker that is well-known,” she said.
