Getting off campus

This week, I had the thrill of participating in my first public lecture! It's rare for me to have the opportunity to share my work with the larger Columbus community. That said, there are endless opportunities for participation within the academic boundaries of campus, so why leave?

If you're lucky (like I am) there might be some other local colleges and universities that host exciting events that you can attend and take part in. My new friend Laurenzo (pictured right) organized this event with a local independent cinema so that our work at tOSU could be showcased to a broader audience. My academic work is inherently interested in accessibility, and sometimes that means finding ways to bring my scholarship away from my "normal" audiences and learn from some new perspectives.

How can you make this happen? Well, in previous posts I talked about advocacy, and that plays a huge part. Starting with professors who live in your community is a good idea, you never know who they know!

Attending off-campus events and connecting with the speakers or host organizations is a good way to get included in the next big thing.

Another aspect to consider is funding. Often, your individual College, department, or Graduate Council offers small grants that can help fund events such as this. Applying for as little as $400 helps with an honorarium for speakers, securing a space, and light refreshments. It's a good idea to keep events free to attend, so, a little money can offset fees without alienating guests.

Have you spoken off-campus recently? Share your experiences in the comments!