Lyceum
The Lyceum Committee is comprised of members of the Oxford College faculty and staff. Its goal is to plan academic and artistic events for Oxford College students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. Every academic year, the committee offers a series of lectures on political, social, and religious topics by renowned speakers and presents artistic performances by national and international artists. The Lyceum Committee wishes to highlight the cultural and religious diversity at Oxford College and Emory University.
General goals and purpose
The duties of the committee are the following:
to plan and promote programs that will enhance the artistic and cultural life of the College and of the larger Oxford and Newton County community.
to work closely with faculty and others involves in planning these events.
to conceive, develop, and implement a yearly Lyceum calendar of events and help promote these events.
to inform the director of development of funding needs for events at the College, for physical facilities and equipment needs as well as those related to programming.
Lyceum FAQ
The committee will meet and discuss proposals during the weeks following the proposal deadline and will make decisions by no later than May 20th, therefore giving hosts whose events will be held during the following fall semester a month to schedule and finalize their fall event date, time, and location. The number of events approved for the academic year will depend on the budget, number of proposals, and funding requests for each proposal. The committee can choose to fully or partially fund events, and in the latter case, the committee should suggest to the faculty host other sources of funding (divisional funds, dean's funds, etc.) to cover the remaining expenses.
Hosts need to follow these deadlines for scheduling events to make sure there is sufficient time to advertise and coordinate with other events happening on campus: by the end of May for fall events and October 1st for spring events.
Furthermore, each academic year, the Lyceum chair consults with the Associate Dean of Finance and Budget to find out what the estimated funds for Lyceum will be for the following academic year.
When you agree to be a sponsor, you are agreeing to take on the following responsibilities:
- Booking and finalizing the details of your event according to the Lyceum deadlines.
- Communicating the time restraints of the event (max 75 minute duration with Q&A for lectures)
- Facilitating communication between presenter and Events staff regarding event preparation
- Informing presenter of the honorarium when the event is initially scheduled
- Providing recommendations for transportation and/or housing accommodations in the area, if needed
- Helping to advertise the event to faculty, staff and students
- Meeting your presenter when they arrive on campus
- Introducing your presenter at the event
- Generally being in charge of the event
- Possibly taking the presenter to dinner or arrange for a post-event reception
- Lyceum will reimburse sponsors for dinner (for the sponsor, presenter(s), and two Oxford affiliated guests) for up to $50 per person. Additional guests will need to be covered by the sponsor, sponsoring department or the guests themselves.
Closely related topics should not be planned within the same academic year (fall and spring).
The same event should not be scheduled back-to-back years. There should be one gap year before bringing the same person/group to campus again.
Events should be academic in nature or directly related to an enriched liberal arts experience.
With your approval notice, you will be sent a SIF (Supplier Information Form), this is to be completed by your guest and returned to the Lyceum admin. Once a date, time, and venue has been reserved, you will receive a contract to share with your guest. This is to be signed and returned as soon as possible. In order to ensure a timely payout, it is required that these forms are filled out and returned three weeks prior to the event date. Payment cannot be completed without the necessary documentation.
Emory University has a Net 30 payment policy, so the presenter will be paid within 30 days of their event. A check will be mailed to the address provided by the speaker, unless other payment options are selected on the SIF.
For guests who have their own contract requirements, including being paid prior to the event, the faculty host must plan well in advance (16 weeks). To inquire if this is possible for your event, email the Lyceum admin.
Lyceum only issues payment for honorariums and the cost of dinner. All lodging and travel costs should be factored into the honorarium request and are the responsibility of the speaker/performer.
In cases when a speaker or presenter has to cancel their event, the person hosting the event will have the option to re-book the same event for the next academic year, and the Lyceum chair will be responsible for rolling these funds over to the next academic year for the rebooking. Otherwise, funding will return to the Lyceum budget.
Oxford Studies credit
Events that wish to be considered as part of Oxford Studies, a one credit-hour course, must select this during the online application process.
Funding policies
There are three standard funding amounts:
- Speakers and artists from Emory University can be funded up to $500.
- Speakers from outside of Emory typically range from $1500 – $3000.
- Performing arts events and exhibitions can be funded up to $5000.00, depending on the size of the group and/or the standard cost for the group or exhibition in question.
Dinner budgets
If a host wants to provide dinner for their presenter(s), the Lyceum will reimburse sponsors for dinner (for the sponsor, presenter(s), and two Oxford affiliated guests) for up to $50 per person. Additional guests will need to be covered by the sponsor, sponsoring department or the guests themselves.
1) Oxford Art Program:
Established in 2002 as an estate gift of Joseph Guillebeau.
Intent from donor: One-half of the net proceeds to Oxford College of Emory University in Oxford, GA, to be used and/or invested for the benefit of the Fine Arts program.
2) Oxford Music, Drama, and Fine Arts Fund
Established in 1977
Intent: This is a quasi-endowment established by the trustees with funds transferred from the Oxford program for growth endowment. This fund is for the support of the music, drama, and fine arts at Oxford College.
3) Virgil Y.C. Eady Lectureship
The campaign to raise funds for this endowment, to honor Dean Emeritus Virgil Y.C. Eady, began in early 1966, after Mrs. Eady discussed the idea with Dean Fleming. A group of Dean Eady's friends and former students, alumni of Oxford, led by Dr. Williams A. Matthews, made plans and arranged to solicit funds for this endowment. May alumni and friends gave before Dean Eady's death and many more made contributions in his memory after his death.
Intent from organizers: Income from this endowment will be used to make possible lectures each year in the field of fine arts and humanities. The income may also be used for musical concerts.
Who do I contact to get help planning my event?
You should contact Jennifer Brown: Jennifer.Beatrice.Brown@emory.edu
Where can I hold my event?
There are several spaces on campus available for events, depending on your event needs. Common venues are Williams Hall, Oxford Chapel, Mural Room (student center), Greer Forum (student center), and Humanities 202. If you have questions about which space is best for your particular event, please contact Jennifer Brown (contact listed above).
Do I have to hold my event at a specific time/place - i.e., Williams Hall at 7:30pm?
No, you do not have to hold your event at a specific time or place. We encourage you to think of times and places that will work best for your particular event. For example, lectures are often best held during the late afternoon (e.g., 4 pm), so that members of faculty who are on-campus, as well as emeriti in the area, can attend the event. You are free to choose a time and place that you think will work best for your guest and for attendance.
Do I have to hold my event on specific days?
You are encouraged to hold events on weekdays. Be mindful of student holidays.
How do I pay for my dinner and submit receipts?
You should use your corporate card to pay for dinner with your guest(s). Afterward, you should submit the receipt through the Reconciliation and Reimbursement Request Form - for "Business Purpose" choose Lyceum and it should be routed to the Lyceum Admin to process.
What happens if my presenter(s) cancel?
If your presenter cancels, contact the Lyceum admin, you will be given the option of rescheduling, finding a new presenter, or the funds will be reallocated to the Lyceum budget.
What's the relation between Oxford studies and Lyceum? Are they the same thing?
No, Oxford Studies is a one credit-hour class that students can take, wherein they attend events and write response papers. Most Lyceum events are approved as ones that students taking the Oxford Studies class can attend to write their response papers, but Oxford Studies approved events are not limited to Lyceum events. Many other parts of the College host events that are also approved as Oxford Studies events.