University speakers hitting the road

The UW–Madison Speakers Bureau, starting its first full school year of operation, has already given new voice to the Wisconsin Idea.

Based in the Chancellor’s Office, the Speakers Bureau began last semester to send university speakers across the state. They have spoken to service clubs and other organizations of all kinds.

“We’ve selected a cadre of speakers on a host of topics,” says Susan Stein, director of the Speakers Bureau. “The one thing they all have in common is their commitment to UW–Madison and its role in Wisconsin as a resource for a lifetime.”

Venues so far have been diverse, including the Geological Society in Racine, the Brown County Bar Association in Green Bay and the Appleton Evening Lions Club. The topics vary with the speakers, but a consistent message has been the value of UW–Madison to the state.

Stein said the feedback from groups has been very positive: “One hundred percent of them said they would like to have another UW–Madison speaker come again in the future.” In fact, several clubs have sent second and third requests to the Speakers Bureau.

Other benefits of speaker placement, said Stein, have been positive local press coverage and a strengthening of the university’s ties to community leaders.