Bruce Gietzen leaves legacy starting department’s 1st broadcast concentration

Director of Student Media, Bruce Gietzen, will retire in August after mentoring hundreds of students in broadcast.

By Caitlyne Nguyen

Bruce Gietzen, the six-year director of Student Media, five-year adjunct professor and broadcaster for over three decades, has made the decision to retire in August 2023. Gietzen has touched the lives of hundreds of students and staff, leaving behind an incredible legacy and very large shoes to fill.

When hired in 2017, the Baylor University administration team wanted Gietzen to build up the small broadcasting program it had at the time. Now, he’s implemented an entirely student-run weekly newscast, Lariat TV News, which aids in the creation of a new generation of broadcasters and reporters. Gietzen has also worked closely with and helped advance the Baylor Lariat, Roundup Yearbook and “Focus Magazine,” pushing their email and digital platforms to keep up with the industry’s rapid change.

“I felt very honored that Baylor trusted me to come in and work here and get a chance to work with the students, so it’s been a blessing for a long time,” Gietzen said.

As Gietzen has helped the student-run media departments become something that is successful and widely respected, he said he’s proud of how much the department has grown as a whole. Gietzen loved being able to work closely with young students and help them to navigate the professional world that they were entering.

“Our entire goal is to give students a lot of opportunities to find out what their passion is and what they enjoy the best,” Gietzen said. “Then help them, train them and provide them skills that will help them get jobs when they graduate.”

The love that Gietzen has for his students was not one-sided, as many students have found their strengths, passions and connections through him.

“I’m going to miss his leadership. He always leads by example and it’s been such a blessing to have a sports connection through him as my advisor,” Michael Haag, sophomore Baylor Lariat Sports Editor, said. “I can’t thank him enough for all that he’s done for me.”

Gietzen’s not only proud of how far the department has grown but being able to see students put in hard work to achieve greatness is something he finds the greatest pride in.

“Seeing the commitment, passion and energy of the students as they dig into something they found that they want to keep doing, is very satisfying; [I’m] proud of that,” Gietzen said.

While the native of Fort Worth does enjoy his time with the students, the decision to retire was not an easy one. In addition to working as a faculty member at Baylor, Gietzen was also a co-chair of the Waco ISD Education Foundation’s H-E-B celebrity cook off and raised over $1.5 million for classroom grants. He is also part of the Board of Directors Executive Committee for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame which he plans on continuing after his official retirement. After evaluating the many accomplishments in his career, he didn’t want to “wait too long” and wanted to enjoy the rest of his time. Gietzen said he wants to spend time with his friends and family but will continue to do what he loves to do.

“I’m just going to be able to work when I want to work, and not when somebody else wants me to work,” Gietzen said. “I’ll never stop doing something.”

Gietzen has spent time building and cultivating relationships with students and faculty at Baylor, which he believes is something he will miss the most. While he will no longer be just down the hall or a couple of steps away, he wants to continue fostering those relationships with his students and staff and hopes they will continue it as well.

“I’m a phone call away. I’m not going to disappear from their lives,” Gietzen said. “I want to stay in touch with them. I want to hear about their successes and help them if they need help.”