Please Review Before Applying

Understanding the Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS):  

The Distinguished Lecture Series is a programming body in its own right and we seek to use our programs as an opportunity to grow the skills and experiences of our student members. DLS is not an event grant and we will not agree to "collaborate" on a program that only seeks to access our funding or marketing.  We are happy to partner with other groups, but the opportunity for our members to be involved in the planning and execution of the program is a requirement for any collaboration to occur.

Who Can Apply:

Collaboration requests must come from a UW-Madison Registered Student Organization or a UW-Madison academic division/department/official program on campus. We do not program collaborations with entities outside of the University unless you have an official signed letter of sponsorship from a campus department.

Application Deadline:

For programs taking place prior to December 1 of an academic year, the collaboration form will be due April 1 of the previous academic year (i.e. if a program is to take place in November 2021, your proposal must be submitted prior to April 2021). After April 1 the collaboration form will then close until mid-August.  We will accept proposals for an individual academic year until February 14 of that academic year or until we no longer have funds available, whichever occurs first.  

Proposals must be received at least eight school weeks in advance of the event date to allow time for the review process and proper marketing of any accepted proposals. The earlier you contact us and the more detail you give will better allow us to accommodate and prepare for the potential collaboration. 

Venues:

DLS has experience putting on lectures in a variety of venues across campus, including Shannon Hall and the Play Circle at Memorial Union, Varsity Hall and the Marquee in Union South, the DeLuca Forum at the Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery, and the ballrooms at Gordon Dining & Event Center.  Most of our large programs occur in Shannon Hall.  However, we are not a means of access to Wisconsin Union venues; to reserve Union spaces please contact Campus Event Services for general Union spaces or the Wisconsin Union Theater for theater spaces.

Costs:  

If the collaboration is approved, we will come to an exact agreement regarding how much each party will pay. Please understand that WUD DLS does not have unlimited funds. Please be direct and transparent with us about how much money you will need and how the money will be used.

FUNDRAISING RESTRICTIONS:  

WUD DLS Committee collaboration programs are not available for paid admission or fundraising events, even if such donations are considered optional. 

CORPORATE/BUSINESS SPONSORSHIPS:  

Your event cannot have corporate/business sponsorship, included displays, banners/signage, pre-show trailers, branded giveaways, food sampling or serving of outside food without being expressly approved by the WUD DLS Committee and the Wisconsin Union in advance.  

Proposal Process:

1. Review all information detailed on this page thoroughly before completing the application.  Email DLS about any questions you have before completing the form.
   
   
2. Complete the Collaboration Application at the bottom of this page with as much detail as possible.  Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
   
   
3. Once your proposal is submitted for consideration, it will be reviewed by our leadership team. If it meets our basic criteria and fits our mission and goals, it will be shared with the WUD DLS Committee for consideration.
   
   
4. If you reach this point in the process, you may be invited to a future WUD DLS Committee meeting to pitch your proposal and answer questions.  After this presentation, you will be excused from the meeting.  The committee will then discuss your application and presentation and vote to determine if the proposed idea aligns with the committee collaboration goals and if we have the resources to support the event.
   
   
5. Following the meeting, the WUD DLS leadership team will contact you with the results of the committee decision and next steps in the process if accepted.

Important Information for Approved Collaborations

SEATING AND GUEST LISTS:  WUD DLS Committee collaboration events are often seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Each collaborator may hold a small section of seating (exact seat numbers based on venue size) for your group members working the event. We do not allow reservations, RSVP lists, guest lists, Eventbrite pages, etc. for our events. Should an event be expected to have high attendance (over 800 attendees), we may choose to pre-ticket the event through the Campus Arts Ticketing, in such a case, the tickets will be free, but will be available to UW-Madison students before any other entity. 

MARKETING:  Your organization is responsible for all primary marketing.  The WUD DLS Committee will help market collaboration screenings to the UW-Madison community through our usual marketing channels.  The WUD DLS Committee must be listed as a programming partner, with our logo included, on all marketing for the event.  

QUESTIONS:  If you have any additional questions, please contact the WUD DLS Director at dls@union.wisc.edu.  

DLS Collaboration Proposal Form