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University Communications
& Enrollment Management; Development and the SVSU Foundation; and Information Services and Public Information. The following year, Alumni Relations and Annual Giving; Athletic Promotions (which faced elimination the following year); the Business and Industrial Development Institute; Continuing Education and Public Service; Corporate Relations and Placement joined the department. In 1992-1993, the Conference Bureau became part of Public Affairs.
In 1995, the administration eliminated the vice president slot and replaced it with a special assistant to the president, two executive directors and a director.
The changes enabled tighter departmental control and closer oversight by the SVSU president. Eugene Hamilton took over as the new special assistant to the president for government and community relations. He assumed the critical role of liaison with the Legislature. Hamilton, in 2001-2002, was still in that position when Gilbertson upgraded it back to a vice presidency responsible for Community Relations, Continuing Education, University Communications and the Conference & Events Center. Development and the SVSU Foundation continued separately under an executive director, whose oversight included Alumni Relations and Annual Giving and Development. Two years later, this directorship was combined with the vice presidency under Lucille Beuthin, and Hamilton took the title of special assistant to the president for governmental relations, affirming the university’s sensitivity to strong ties with the Legislature.
Another burst of changes to SVSU’s Public Affairs structure occurred in 2008-2009. The departure of Beuthin from the vice presidency returned the organization to the executive/ director setup similar to that in place between 1995-1996 and 2001-2002.
University Communications
From an Information Services unit crafting news releases and brochures about the university in 1989, University Communications grew in importance to one of the seven divisions that report directly to the president.
Under the direction of Marilyn G. Frahm, the team attained stewardship of the university’s reputation and brought to bear talent and technology to promote its public image in an increasingly competitive higher education environment.11
After the April 24, 1985, fire destroyed the Administrative Annex north of Wickes Hall, Information Services moved into the new Administrative Services Building on south campus. When CIESIN took the space, Information Services moved again — this time, to the second floor of Wickes Hall. The Nursing Department expanded into the second floor of Wickes, so Information Services relocated to the third floor. Tim Inman, the department’s photographer, said that’s how SVSU became a relatively early entrant into the soon-to-bedominant world of digital photography. The darkroom was on the second floor in space formerly occupied by the Chemistry Department. Because it was too expensive to relocate darkroom plumbing, Inman said the department “went digital,” and the nurses and nursesto-be gained a lunchroom with a sink.
The transition to digital photography and the addition of Mac computers with sophisticated page design software dramatically improved the number and quality of university publications produced in University Communications. Prior to technology upgrades, the
