Many departments invite guest speakers to give a talk and spend a day or two visiting as part of a seminar series. At research universities, such seminars can be weekly events. Over the years, I have given dozens of talks myself and listened to hundreds more.
I am, therefore, well positioned to give my opinions on the following 12 questions related to the theory and practice of having invited speakers visit a department:
1. Given that seminar talks are somewhat to very boring, why do so many departments offer them? (And do you need to go?)
Guest talks (and the visits in general) are widely believed to be a good way to learn about important research being done in a particular field. They also introduce influential visitors to a department and expose graduate students and others to a broader spectrum of research than they would otherwise encounter. These talk series are sort of like Brussels sprouts; at times unpleasant, but probably good for you.
2. Given that the audience may range from new students to ancient faculty members, and typically includes people from a wide range of subdisciplines within a general field, why do so many speakers give narrowly focused talks that are lost on the majority of the audience?
I have puzzled over that one a lot, typically as I sit through a narrowly focused, incomprehensible talk. I think some people have no idea how to give a general talk, others aren’t interested in doing that, and some care only about impressing a few particular faculty members in the audience. Perhaps some speakers worry that they will appear stupid if they talk about general things. In fact, I think that most listeners, students and professors alike, appreciate it when speakers make an effort to explain and demonstrate why their work is interesting and important in a general sense.
3. Should graduate students be required to attend the seminars?
That’s been a hot topic in departments with which I have been associated. Some departments require attendance; others do not. Ideally, graduate students will want to go. But in reality, graduate students are extremely busy people, and when seminar time rolls around, it’s all too easy to spend the time doing one of many other important tasks.
It seems tenable to require students in the first year or two of a graduate program to attend a specified number of talks, and to strongly encourage them to attend the talks in subsequent years. The required number should be reasonable—allowing for illness, travel, and deadline-related frenzies—but should be large enough that each student will attend some talks outside his or her specialty.
Students should also be allowed to petition to have the requirement waived because of time conflicts. The system should be flexible but, nevertheless, result in the attendance of most students at most seminars. I have come to this opinion over the years because, although I have spent a significant amount of time being bored at seminar talks, I have also encountered many pleasant and important surprises. In talks on unfamiliar topics, I have learned things that have greatly enhanced my knowledge in general, my research in particular, and my teaching at all levels.
4. If students are required to attend the talks, shouldn’t professors, too, be required to attend them?
No. Professors should be strongly encouraged to attend, but an attendance policy for students is part of the educational program devised for their benefit. Professors don’t have to take courses or exams just because students do; talk attendance is no different. I know some students feel insulted by being required to attend, since they would go to most talks by choice. However, the requirement is no more insulting than any course requirement.
5. Is it useful for students to read one or more of the speaker’s papers before attending the talk?
The answer depends on the topic and the accessibility of the speaker’s papers in terms of content and writing. Certainly background reading can enhance your understanding of a talk. But I struggle with that question when I am invited to give a talk and asked to recommend one of my own papers for students to read before my visit. What if I want to talk about something completely new that has not yet been published? In fact, I typically do want to talk about my new material and not just play the same old songs every time. I suggest whatever papers are most closely related, if any, and hope they will be somehow useful.
6. As a speaker, is it worthwhile to give a seminar talk? That is, if invited, should an otherwise extremely busy person spend two to three days (including travel) visiting another institution?
Yes and yes. Invited talks can be particularly important for tenure-track professors who want to increase their visibility and meet more people in and beyond their disciplines. Even at institutions lacking in “prestige,” you may find it worthwhile to visit and even recruit some excellent future graduate students (talented students are everywhere).
Talks are also useful for midcareer and older professors. When I visit another institution, I enjoy the interactions with other faculty members and with students, and many times I have learned something interesting. The trips are exhausting and time-consuming, though, so I don’t like to do too many in any one academic year.
7. As a department, is it worthwhile to organize seminar talks?
This question is related to the first one, but I’m referring here to the cost involved in sponsoring a speaker series. If most speakers require airfare, hotel, food, and other miscellaneous expenses for two or three days, and a different guest visits each week, the bill adds up to a fair sum of money. Yet many departments believe it is money well spent because of the educational benefits and the positive impact on the department’s visibility.
Departments can also use the speaker series to bring in energetic young scholars who might be potential candidates for an upcoming faculty search, or who may simply inspire your department’s students and postdocs.
8. Who should organize the talks: faculty members, students, or others?
According to academic lore, a student-organized seminar series is preferred because speakers are more likely to accept an invitation from a student group, students are more energetic about organizing the talk schedules, and students will feel more invested if they are involved in running the talks. According to other academic lore, a faculty-organized seminar series is preferred because speakers are more likely to accept an invitation from a professor, and professors know better how to organize the talk schedules.
There are elements of truth to both systems of thought. In my experience, organized and motivated people are the best organizers—no matter their academic position.
9. What is the best day of the week on which to have a seminar series?
On Mondays, the week is young and the logistics of bringing in a speaker may be easier. Tuesdays can be convenient because they aren’t Mondays but are still early in the week. Wednesdays might be optimal because the middle of the week is a good time for a change of pace. Thursdays may be favored if there is a custom of two-day visits, and, therefore, the proximity to Friday is convenient. Fridays have the same logistical advantage as Mondays for travel, and are a good day for taking a break from the routine.
I did a poll on this topic in my blog, and the results ranked the preferred talk days, from most common to least: Thursday, Friday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday.
10. What is the best time of day for a talk?
I don’t know if there is a best time, but another blog poll I did showed that mid-to-late afternoon is the preferred time.
11. Should food be served, and if so, what kind, and when?
Rumor has it that the presence of snacks attracts more people to a talk. Some departments have food available before the talk; others provide food after. Some places provide sugary snacks and beverages; others provide salty snacks or crackers-and-cheese-type food items.
As a speaker, it is an extremely bad idea for me to have a doughnut and a cup of juice or coffee immediately before my talk, and it might not be such a great idea for the audience. I am, however, happy to linger afterward, chatting and munching pretzels.
12. What is the best way to arrange a speaker’s meetings and social events during a visit?
The personal preferences of invited speakers vary in terms of how they want their schedule arranged (packed with meetings and social events or more sparse, involving meetings with a few specific people or groups) and how long they want to stay (zip in and out or spend as much time as possible). Speakers also differ on whether they want to meet with students, whether they have strict and/or unusual dietary or other preferences, and whether they would prefer a short or epic introduction to their talks. It’s probably best to ask in advance if the visitor has any preferences about some or all of those issues.
As a speaker, I find these visits fascinating, in part, because every host department has a different seminar “culture.” Does everyone in the audience sit together, or do faculty members sit in front and students in the back? Do students ever ask questions? Is it likely that members of the audience will interrupt with questions during the talk? Is there likely to be an eccentric person at the talk—perhaps a professor or someone from outside the university who attends talks and asks random questions about a pet theory or topic—and will the hosts warn the speaker in advance? You never know, and that is part of the fun of visiting other places, meeting lots of people, and seeing how things are done in other corners of academe.
