Ten thousand talks—and counting

More than 30 years ago, UVic established a program that, through the enthusiasm of campus volunteers, delivers expertise from every area of academic inquiry to audiences across Greater Victoria. An early example of the university’s deep commitment to community engagement and knowledge mobilization, the UVic Speakers Bureau today is Canada’s only university-wide initiative of its kind. And this May, Rosa Stewart, professor of Hispanic and Italian studies, gave the bureau’s milestone 10,000th talk: a travel piece focusing on England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Stewart’s talk is a good example of what sets the bureau apart. In addition to the wide range of academic topics that expert faculty, staff, graduate students and retirees present in the community, the bureau also offers topics that draw on the personal interests and experiences of its volunteers.

The range of topics offered through the bureau is as diverse as the campus itself. This year, 159 volunteers made themselves available to give presentations on 458 different topics. From travelogues like Stewart’s to world-leading expertise on health care or Earth and ocean sciences, the bureau connects the campus to audiences throughout the community.

This past season, volunteers presented 442 talks to nearly 15,000 attendees. The variety of groups booking speakers is impressive: government ministries, seniors’ residences, churches, libraries, schools (K-12), community centres, Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, and many others. 

School group bookings have been on the rise, with K-12 speaker requests tripling in the last three years. More talks are now given in schools than to any other audience, including seniors groups. Teachers across the region see the bureau as a tremendous opportunity to expose their students to topics that may fascinate, inspire and point them down new paths.

And it’s not just the audience that benefits from the bureau. In 1992, the dean of graduate studies encouraged students to join the bureau as a way to share their knowledge and research with members of the community—and to help grad students prepare for their oral exams. At the time, Dr. Lara Lauzon was completing her master’s degree in what is now the School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education. Speaking to those community groups had a major impact on Lauzon’s academic and professional career and encouraged her to continue on to a doctorate and professorship at UVic.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to connect our volunteers with community groups all over the region,” says Mandy Crocker, the bureau’s coordinator for the last 24 years. “It’s fantastic to see the popularity and success of the Speakers Bureau grow each year.”