CULTURAL CENTER

The Hofstra Cultural Center is currently planning our Fall 2026 Academic Event calendar and welcomes your submissions. With the recent upgrades to the Guthart and Fortunoff Theaters, we are now able to host virtual and hybrid events. These upgrades has enabled us to welcome speakers from around the world who might not otherwise be able to participate in person, opening the door to new perspectives and expanding the scope of our conversations.

Consideration will be given to in-person events that represent the spectrum of programs here on campus, as well as collaboration across disciplines. Grants will be made available for amounts from $500 – $2,500 for programs and funding will be applied to honorariums, travel, hospitality, or miscellaneous event costs. The funds supported by HCC are to be used to cover the stipend; transportation and lodging for the invited speaker(s) as outlined in your proposal. In addition, we are requiring that host department share in the costs of hosting proposed event.

Applications are due Friday, April 17 and applicants will be notified by Wednesday, May 6 with a meeting schedule to follow. Please reserve making any commitments before meeting with the HCC team regarding your proposal.

Successful program applications:

• Are interdisciplinary/unique/relevant and of interest to students and faculty in numerous academic departments.
• Consider world historical, current and local events – 250^th Anniversary of the American Revolution.
• Include student leadership or involvement in the program.
• Allow for livestreaming and archiving of event.
• Encourage attendance from numerous audiences, including the surrounding community and

local schools

• Consider timing, class usage of events and relevance – using class time to have a base audience, opening up to community, etc.
• Use resources wisely and efficiently.

Thank you for your interest. Please contact the Cultural Center at X3-5669 with any questions. 

The priorities of this grant program are to host events that are free, unique, and open to the public; encourage class participation through integrated course syllabi; and are planned with enough timing to encourage a large and broad audience. Generally, grant funding will not be available to subsidize an ongoing event series unless a special circumstance can be provided, nor will grant funding be provided to subsidize an event with a ticket price.

In the past few years, the Cultural Center has supported programs in disciplines such as the sciences, drama, literature, sustainability, classics, religion, music, student affairs, cultural studies, rhetoric, anthropology, language, women’s studies, and political science.

The Hofstra Cultural Center Advisory Board will give priority to programs that:

• Are interdisciplinary or of interest to students and faculty in numerous academic departments.
• Encourage attendance from numerous audiences, including the surrounding community and local schools.
• Have a plan for audience recruitment, timing, promotion, and engagement.
• Are unique, relevant, or tied to the mission of the University or various academic units.
• Use resources wisely and efficiently.

In addition, the Board will consider:

• The schedule and subject matter of events to ensure a balanced calendar throughout the semester.
• If the calendar represents a diversity of interests and academic disciplines.
• That events are appropriately planned and at times and dates that maximize the audience.
• If any other funding is available or has been allocated for the program.
• What the funding will be used for.

Grant applications need to be as detailed as possible, and include timing, event structure, and logistics. Contracts and event plans need to be completed in a timely fashion, for the Events calendar, or the funding may be withdrawn.

Thank you for your interest. Please contact the Cultural Center at X3-5669 with any questions.

Generally, honoraria can be provided. For example, a $250-$300 honorarium is suitable for a panel or lecture given by local speakers; if the speaker participates in an additional event, such as a class or an informal meeting with students, then $500-750 might be appropriate. More than $750 typically will require justification for the additional cost or an understanding of other engagements. If someone is well-known enough that the individual is represented by a speakers bureau, that should be included in the request and, if possible, all attendant costs associated with the contractual agreement.

May be included in the expenses, but should not be excessive and follow the University’s Travel and Entertainment guidelines. Three hundred dollars is the typical reimbursement limit for travel; if a plane ticket costs more, then it must be purchased at least three weeks in advance for reimbursement. Plane fares are coach fare only unless there are special circumstances. Car service to and from the airport is provided by and billed to the Cultural Center and should be budgeted at $150 each way. If an overnight stay is required, guests will be given lodging at the Uniondale Marriott at a budgeted cost of $200 per night.

May be included in the expenses, but should not be excessive and follow the University’s Travel and Entertainment guidelines. For example, food to entertain the speaker(s), host a select group of students for an invitation-only meal with the speaker and/or coffee and/or snacks for the audience to encourage attendance may be acceptable, but free lunches or dinners for all attendees will not.

CURIOUS ABOUT CULTURAL PROGRAMS?

The dedicated Cultural Center staff is ready to help you engage with diverse artistic and intellectual opportunities that spark new perspectives.

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