Off-campus speaking venues

Off-campus lecture requirement for OHC fellows

Public engagement with issues in the humanities is integrally linked to our research mission. All OHC faculty research fellows are required to give one off-campus public presentation of their work to a non-academic audience somewhere in the state of Oregon, within one year of their fellowship term. The subject is not restricted to the academic research project worked on during the fellowship term; fellows may give a more general overview of their research, or present a part of their research that they think a general audience would find appealing. Fellows are required to notify the OHC when they schedule their talk to coordinate publicity and ensure that the OHC knows the fellowship requirement is fulfilled.

Below is a list of some possible off-campus venues. It is not comprehensive, and we welcome proposals for alternate venues. If you try out a new venue/series, after your talk we will ask you to let us know if the venue is suitable for future OHC fellows’ talks.

Pub Talks, Quack Chats, and other public talk series

Several UO departments and other Oregon entities host popular and successful public talk series that count toward the OHC fellowship requirement. Please let us know if you are giving a Lane County History Museum Pub Talk, OMSI Science Pub talk, UO Department of History’s History Pub Talk, Museum of Natural and Cultural History’s Ideas on Tap talk, or something else along these lines.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

This is a popular choice for OHC fellows. The speaker usually presents for 50 minutes, takes a 10 minute break, then either presents some more or opens it up to questions. For scheduling at the downtown Eugene location, contact: Beate Galda at gronau19@gmail.com. For scheduling at the Bend location, contact: Brenda McDonald at brendamc@uoregon.edu. For more information about OLLI-UO and to browse their offerings, please visit The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) website.

Eugene Public Library

Presentations are generally one hour plus some time for Q&A/discusson, and take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays from 6-7:30 or on Saturdays from 3-4:30. (Additional days and times are possible, but these are times that work well for the Library’s schedule.) The Library is able to offer modest honoraria (up to $80) when their budget allows, and they promote their events with flyers, press releases, and social media posts. Contact: Scott Herron, Adult Services Librarian, scott.l.herron@ci.eugene.or.us.

City Club

City Club loves to present programs that deal with contemporary issues being faced by our community, and sometimes larger national issues. “The key is to have someone who can add good information on a hot topic and who is a good speaker. Or even better, to have 2 speakers present opposing views on a topic.” City Club meets on Fridays at noon at the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC). Contact: City Club of Eugene

Temple Beth Israel – Center for Jewish Life

Temple Beth Israel is a reconstructionist synagogue located at 1175 East 29th Avenue. We do a lot of programming and advertising so Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays are never available for talks. We would also want to know the topic of any particular talk beforehand to ensure that it fits with our mission and goals as a non-profit organization and a religious institution. Contact: Jody Kirtner, Program and Communications Manager at jody@tbieugene.org or 541-458-7218 for scheduling and inquiries.

Old Nick’s Pub

Established in 2015, Old Nick’s Pub is an intimate, laid-back venue with regular live entertainment from local indie bands & DJs. We are located at 211 Washington Street, across from the Washington/Jefferson skate park. Contact: Joshua Finch, They/Them/Theirs, Booker/Scheduler at booking.oldnicksbar@gmail.com or 514-844-1280. Students/faculty that are presenting or attending who are under 21 must present/attend before 8:00pm. Visit their website or Facebook for more information. www.oldnickspub.com https://www.facebook.com/oldnickseugene

Rotary Club of Eugene (aka Downtown Rotary Club)

Talks should be 30 minutes long and will be scheduled for their Tuesday meetings. You need to send them a written synopsis of your proposed talk for their approval. Contact: Mary, eugenerotary@gmail.com or 541-485-5983.

Willamalane Centers

Presenters should contact Kerry Jack, kerryj@willamalane.org, 541-736-4444. She will usually offer 3-4 possible dates for the presenter to choose from.

Presenter should have a brief presentation description (3-4 sentences) for publication in the quarterly recreation guide (mailed to Springfield residents) and the Willamalane.org website. They may also use all or part of the description in paper and electronic newsletters and press releases. Kerry may need to edit for space, but will run any changes past the presenter first.

Scheduling is done several months in advance. A rough guideline is:
Contact Mid-September through Mid-October for presentations in January-April
Contact Mid-January through Mid-February for presentations in May-August
Contact Mid-June through Mid-July for presentations in September-December

Willamalane Adult Activity Center 215 W. C Street, Springfield
This is an established free lecture program on Thursdays and Fridays. Start time is at 1:30pm and presentations generally last one hour. Host can provide A/V including projector, screen, speakers and laptop in any combination. Audience is older adults, and can range in size from 15-45 people.

Willamalane Center 250 S. 32nd Street, Springfield
They are currently developing more evening programs for younger adults, so audience size is smaller. Presentations can be held Tuesday evenings, with a few Wednesday options. Suggested start time is at 6 p.m., but 5:30 or 6:30 p.m. are options as well. Any combination of A/V can be supplied.