Cost for 2013-14 Speakers
Soledad O’Brien: $45,000
Wil Haygood: $15,000
Lauren Bush Lauren: $20,000
Bill Rasmussen: $40,000
Cost for 2014-2015 Speakers
Sheryl WuDunn: $19,500
Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons: $18,400
Laverne Cox: $20,000
Rainn Wilson: $40,000
Ball State Excellence in Leadership is spending more than $111,300 on speaker fees and expenses this academic year.
Speakers like Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight in "The Office," and Laverne Cox from "Orange is the New Black" are part of the 2014-15 lineup. Most speakers EIL brings are free for students and open to the public.
EIL has a $131,025 budget this year, according to records from the University Office of Compliance. The university is spending $40,000 on Wilson alone and $20,000 for Cox. Last year EIL had a $157,410.59 budget.
Funds from various co-sponsors each year, as well as from the EIL organization, enable Ball State to pay for the speakers that come.
The EIL Speaker Series brings a variety of professionals who have been suggested to the organization through email and surveys, as well as those who connect to leadership currently in the media.
At the end of each EIL workshop, those running the program give surveys to students who belong to the organization. These surveys provide insight as to whom they wish to see on campus. Students can also request certain individuals by emailing the program.
“We really try to listen to some of what the students are saying and what they are interested in,” said Lauren Berger, assistant director of Student Life.
Based upon those recommended speakers, Berger and her staff work closely with speaking agencies from around the country. Each agency represents people from different career areas. They provide information based on who would engage students the most.
Looking into current events and big stories in the news help to narrow down those who are experts in these fields of leadership.
“Once we have that list put together, I try to reach out to students to see about name recognition for speakers," Berger said. "Are these people that they would be interested in hearing about? Do they think their friends would be interested in hearing about them?”
Name recognition and receiving multiple requests for specific people inherently factor in to the final decision.
Aiming to be diverse in the selection, business leaders, authors and political speakers are just a few on the list of possible individuals to visit Ball State. With any professional, however, planning far in advance will ensure a higher chance of their attendance.
“I’ll start communicating and trying to figure out what our Speaker Series will look like probably around October," Berger said. "Things won’t start to get finalized until usually the spring."
Sophomore communication studies major Leslie Thomas is a member of EIL and commends the organization for the speakers they bring to campus.
“They choose some good speakers, and I see that they really branch out to national, well known people that students really like and can learn from,” Thomas said.
If a speaker has higher name recognition, they will be featured in John R. Emens Auditorium for Ball State students and Muncie community members. The less well-known speakers will be featured in Pruis Hall.
While positive reactions from students indicate a successful speaker, the mission of the program is to provide variety of who will visit next. Rarely will the same speaker come to campus twice, simply as a result of those to hear professionals from many different areas.
“We want to expose not just our EIL students, but really all the Ball State students to hearing different perspectives, even if it’s not something directly related to their major,” Berger said. “Hopefully they’re able to connect that to something they are learning in class, or something they are learning in an internship and be able to make a difference, or use that information in the future.”
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