Bill Lacy, director of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, wants to give all of its political speakers the “rock star treatment.”

“We invite a speaker, and we say ‘you tell us when you can be here, and we will make it work for us,’” Lacy said.

On campus, the Dole Institute provides opportunities for politicians and members of the media to speak to the community. The Dole Institute announced its leadership prize for 2009 on Sept. 9. University of Miami (Fla.) president Donna Shalala will receive the award later this fall, which honors leadership through honorable service.

But the Dole Institute doesn’t just lure speakers and give awards. It actively recruits political experts to be instructors. This fall Kay Barnes, former Kansas City, Mo., mayor and 1960 KU graduate, will be one of those instructors.

Barnes will lead a study group for the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics. The group will examine decisions and challenges mayors make in small and big cities alike.

“I want to talk about my experiences being mayor, some of the functions of being a mayor and give some description of each of those,” Barnes said.

Barnes said Dole Institute representatives approached her two or three years ago about leading a study group, but she put those plans on hold as she pursued a congressional seat, which she lost in 2008. She said both she and the institute worked out a plan to bring her on campus.

Dole Institute

The Dole Institute holds fall and spring study groups and occasionally brings in political figures to speak to the community. These speakers have incuded Shalala, news anchor Tom Brokaw and former President Bill Clinton.

Lacy said it was important for students to hear from politicians directly because students need to get more involved in the political process.

“Young people need to take a greater role in politics and their government,” Lacy said.

He said the Dole Institute was moving from a standard lecture with a prepared speech to an interview-style format. He said former Vice President Walter Mondale mentioned that he appreciated this new format after his visit in 2007.

“He said ‘Because you told me you would do an interview, and I wouldn’t have to write a speech, or pay someone to write a speech, it made it much more comfortable for me to get on a plane and come here,” Lacy said.

SUA student lectures

Student Union Activities also brings in political speakers. Its springtime Student Lecture Series aims to bring in a big-time speaker to campus. Stephanie Green, McPherson junior and social issues coordinator, said SUA was an organization with a deep history and a name recognized by talent agencies. She said her office was working right now on bringing in a speaker for the spring.

“We’ve had that experience in the past,” Green said. “We’re well known. Speakers will want to come. A lot of agencies recognize SUA.”

Green said it was important for students to know what’s going on around their world. She also said last year’s speaker, broadcaster and former political advisor George Stephanapolous, had a good reception on campus.

“He was an amazing speaker,” Green said. “We had an amazing crowd turnout.”

But SUA pays for its speakers where the Dole Institute typically does not.

Keith Yehle, director of federal relations for the University and former legislative director for U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), said he preferred the model where the University didn’t pay for talent.

“The speakers you want to come here should come on their own,” Yehle said. “Our members of Congress come here to talk to students, they don’t ask for a fee. If we got into the habit of paying speakers, students will spend all their money and get a limited amount of speaker.”

The Dole Institute does, however, pay $25,000 to its recipient of the Dole Leadership prize. Lacy said recipients usually donated the money to a charity of their choice. He also said speakers might get a stipend if they are scheduled to appear with other speakers.

Yehle has an extensive list of contacts in Washington, D.C., meaning he will sometimes make suggestions about speakers to Lacy. For instance, Yehle recommended Octavio Hinojosa Mier, the executive director for the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and 1995 KU graduate, come speak. Mier spoke to KU students last Friday at a Pizza and Politics session.

Dealing with controversy

Lacy said the Dole Institute could handle controversial views but wanted to make sure the conversation didn’t turn extremely vitriolic and partisan.

“Controversial not in the sense of the position that they take on an issue,” Lacy said. “But we really emphasize being respectful of other points of view, of being civil and cordial.”

Lacy said he was disappointed when former President George H.W. Bush got heckled during his reception of the Dole leadership prize last year.

“That night when I went home, every Kansas City TV station led with President Bush being heckled at The University of Kansas, which makes all of us look not that particularly good.”

Yehle said he has received phone calls from people who are concerned about a speaker booking, but said he leaned toward the side of letting speakers speak.

“It’s about freedom of thought,” Yehle said. “It’s about academic investigation. You cannot be the University without hearing from everything.”

Becoming leaders

When Barnes comes to campus she expects to take full advantage of her platform. Barnes, who now leads a public leadership program at Park University, said she would draw on her experiences to discuss a variety of issues, including dealing with everyday “brush fires,” with one community group opposing another.

“One segment of the community getting into a fuss with another,” she said. “Union issues, neighborhood issues, so, I always had to be prepared to respond in one way or another to those.”

Barnes begins her stint on campus Wednesday.

— — Edited by Tim Burgess