Public Affairs Committee
In 2013, the 50th anniversary of the Public Affairs Symposium, Student Senate voted to rename it the Public Affairs Committee (PAC).
The Public Affairs Symposium (PAS), established in 1963, is a student-run organization focused on attracting speakers and holding programs based on an annual theme. The purpose of the symposium is to engage the college and community on a topic of ethical and/or social significance, to encourage continuing dialogue and to increase campus awareness of that subject. PAS has brought distinguished figures in government, business, education, nonprofits and the entertainment industry to campus for lectures, discussions, debates, films and other activities. Previous themes have included Why Can't We All Just Get Along? Civility and Respect in Today's World; Is Privacy Dead?, Living On a Risky Planet; The Power of Food: Pleasure Politics and Culture; and Sex & Social Issues.
The Poitras-Gleim Lecture, endowed by a gift from Ted and Kay Gleim Poitras in 1990, is held annually in conjunction with PAC and provides a forum to explore and promote cross-disciplinary thought and communication.