Students dole out big bucks every year to get a college education. Fees increase and, with the recession tightening wallets, many are forced to cut things that at one time seemed necessary.
This year, however, various organizations within Ball State University are not cutting the funds they spend to bring in various speakers. In fact, campus organizations are spending just as much as they ever have to bring notable names like Freshman Connections author Ishmael Beah, who will earn $16,500 to speak tonight about his experience as a child soldier in Africa.
Agreements like these are common between universities and speakers but rarely are made public. These speaker contracts were made public through the Indiana Public Records Act.
Diversity speaker and activist Edward James Olmos is one of the year's highest paid speakers, with a fee of $25,000. Olmos is an Emmy-award-winning actor who has performed on stage and in films. Throughout the years, he has championed various humanitarian causes, including acting as a United States Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. His work has earned him Honorary Doctorate degrees from six different universities.
Olmos is followed closely by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who will be paid $18,100 to speak at Ball State.
Mitch Isaacs, associate director of Student Life, said although speakers are taking in big fees, campus organizations aren't spending any more money than they did last year. They've accomplished this through collaboration, he said. Instead of each student group bringing in their own speakers, various groups are putting their money together to hire more prominent speakers that will draw student audiences with a variety of interests.
The university learned to spend money smarter this year, Isaacs said, who has two years experience booking speakers for Excellence in Leadership. He said he was able to get Dean to speak for $10,000 less than his usual fee.
"When I go to book someone to come, I know their range going in," Isaacs said. "There's some flexibility, but not a lot. The real negotiating comes in with what they'll do for the money."
Dean, for example, will be coming to campus the night before his speaking date to talk with Honors College students and then spend the night in DeHority Complex. The day of Dean's presentation in Emens Auditorium, he will have lunch with Student Affairs directors and give a smaller presentation to political science majors.
"He's accomplished," Isaacs said. "I thought, what a great opportunity to see how to get more students involved in government."
Dean's visit is sponsored by Excellence in Leadership; Student Affairs; Civic Engagement; the College of Communication, Information, and Media; University Democrats and Building Better Communities.
Olmos will be attending a Latino Student Union meeting before his presentation. And because his fee is so high, his visit has many sponsors, including Excellence in Leadership; the Career Center; the Miller College of Business; the College of Communications, Information, and Media; the Multicultural Center; the Latino Student Union; the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics; Building Better Communities and the Teachers College.
"We wanted someone to speak about diversity, a universal topic we all agree on," Isaacs said. "He brings people together and we had many recommendations that he is a powerful speaker."
Because Beah's book is the Freshman Connections reader, his visit will be paid for out of the university's general budget, which allots money to pay for the Freshman Connections author to speak every year.
After Beah gives his presentation tonight, he will be signing books and meeting with students.
Associate professor of sociology Melinda Messineo, who was involved in bringing Beah to Ball State, said he is worth the money that the university is spending.
"It's the role of the university to make these opportunities available, and we don't take that responsibility lightly," Messineo said. "Meeting people from other cultures is an investment and provides for opportunities to expand worlds."
Other planned speakers include "The Apprentice" winner Bill Rancic, who is making $12,500; the Rev. Joseph Lowery, who will earn $11,500; and Meghan McCain, who has a fee of $6,000.
Rancic will meet with students in Knotts and Edwards Halls before his presentation. Building Better Communities, Excellence in Leadership and the Career Center are paying for his visit.
Meghan McCain is speaking with campus officials before her presentation in Pruis Hall. Excellence in Leadership, Civic Engagement, College Republicans, Spectrum, and Building Better Communities are sponsoring her to come.
Although McCain and Dean will both speak about getting youth involved in leadership, Isaacs said he believes their different perspectives will make both presentations well worth students' time.
"Dean is older and has lots of experience in different things," Isaacs said. "McCain is young and just getting started. Dean is a man and a Democrat, and McCain is a woman and a Republican. It provides a nice contrast."
Because of student organizations' collaboration, fewer speakers will be coming to campus, but Isaacs said the big names are more likely to draw larger crowds.
"Student attention is a legitimately scarce resource," Isaacs said. "This gives us all opportunities to pay attention to bigger things. It gives us more options."
As far as gaining student attention, the new collaboration technique seems to be working.
Freshman Justin Long, an urban planning major, said he will attend Dean's speech as a member of University Democrats.
"We're helping host that event," Long said. "I plan on attending Ishmael Beah as well."
As far as the cost goes, he said he believes it's all well worth it.
"Other universities would gladly pay that as well," Long said. "Whatever it takes to get them to come here, I think it's a great educational opportunity."
Yet, other students said they see things a little differently.
Psychology graduate student Angela Lowry said some of the speakers are not worth their fees.
"That seems pretty high for speakers," Lowry said. "The $16,500 [fee] still sounds pretty high, but more reasonable. The $25,000 [fee] is too much."
All-in-all, Isaacs said he believes the campus organizations bringing in speakers are doing the right thing with students' money, but it's OK to be a little skeptical.
"Budgets are tight and students should be asking where the money is coming from," Isaacs said. "It's your money."
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