Information for Hosts of Colloquia or Seminars

This page contains information on the following subjects:

Host's responsibilities

The host of a colloquium speaker should make sure that the visitor understands that a colloquium talk should be aimed in large part towards a general audience. More technical or narrow talks may be more appropriate as seminar talks than as colloquia, and the speaker should be guided to an appropriate level for the audience in any case.

Most details of a speaker's visit, such picking up the visitor from the airport, making sure the necessary equipment is available for the speaker's talk, and arranging a dinner following a colloquium, are coordinated by the host.

Some hosts offer home hospitality to their guests; if some of the speaker's travel expenses will be reimbursed, and the speaker will be staying in a hotel, it is desirable to have Margaret make hotel reservations to facilitate direct billing to the department.


Support for Speakers

The Department of Mathematics only reimburses speakers, up to a predetermined amount, for expenses related to travel, such as air fare, taxi, rental car, hotel, meals or per diem.

To request support from the department through the Visitors and Colloquium Committee, please send email to the chair of the committee with the answers to the questions on the Speaker Request Form.

If your request is recommended for funding (you will be notified by email), please fill out the Visitor Information Form and give it to Margaret Somers at least three weeks prior to the arrival of the speaker so that Margaret will be able to encumber the funds with which to reimburse the speaker.

If the paperwork is done far enough in advance, Margaret will be able to have a check ready for the speaker during the visit.

  • The reimbursement rules apply to funds used from a host's grant as well as to funds provided by the department.

  • Hotel Information and Dates to Avoid

    The host should coordinate with Margaret so she can make the reservation for the speaker.

    On football weekends, it may be difficult to impossible to find a hotel room (let alone at the rates listed below), so keep this in mind when choosing a date for your speaker. Over Homecoming weekend no hotels will have open rooms Saturday night at decent rates. Here are the tentative home football dates for Fall 2011, current as of 09/09/11. Check the Gatorzone website or the UF calendar website for updates.

    In the past our visitors have usually stayed at the Holiday Inn University Center, but listed below in addition are several cheaper alternatives which hosts are encouraged to consider, especially for longer visits.

    Hotel Phone Best rate Date rate last checked Comments
    Holiday Inn University Center
    (Univ. Ave. & NW 13th St.)
    376-1661 $89.00 tax-exempt iff direct-billed to dept.;
    otherwise higher
    10/12/10 This is the hotel's "university business" rate.






    Reitz Union 392-2151 $95 tax-exempt iff direct-billed to dept.;
    otherwise higher
    09/10/10





    Rush Lake Motel
    (1410 SW 16th Ave.)
    373-5000 $50 for single, $4 each additional tax-exempt if direct-billed to department 09/10/10 Some visitors may find the walk to math dept. a bit long. There is no shuttle. Some rooms have kitchenettes, a convenience for visitors with special dietary considerations.


    Thanks to D. Groisser who created the original of this page; updated by Phil Boyland, Friday, September 9 2011.