Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Photographic material
- Textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on provenance.
Level of description
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1964 - 2016, predominant 1964-1999 (Creation)
- Creator
- University Communications
Physical description area
Physical description
3.04 m of textual records
3.25 m of photographic material
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Interest in Simon Fraser University grew rapidly after the University opened its doors in 1965. To provide information to the public, SFU first relied upon the Executive Assistant to the President. This position was held for the first two semesters by R. J. Watts, an instructor in the English Department, and, in an acting capacity during the summer of 1966, by E. N. Turner, a graduate student from the same department. In August 1966 the University hired Dennis Roberts, an experienced newsman and public relations director as its first full-time information officer. Roberts wrote news releases, prepared brochures, began a speakers' bureau to address off-campus groups, and started a campus tour program. He was assisted by a secretary and student tour guides. Because there were no vice-presidents or other senior officers in those years, the Information Officer also acted as a special assistant to President Patrick McTaggart-Cowan. Roberts wrote many of his speeches, and McTaggart-Cowan even deputized Roberts as speaker at several meetings.
With increased funding, the Information Office gradually expanded its scope. The Director hired an information assistant, and, in 1972, changed the name of the Information Office to University News Service to better describe its functions and to avoid confusion with the term "information systems." In addition to press releases, the University News Service produced SFU Week, Comment, and Takkali.
Roberts also took on responsibility for the SFU Pipe and Drum Band for eight years. After he retired from SFU, the University made an arrangement with the Port Moody Pipe Band to perform as the University's band. In his spare time, Roberts produced SFU-oriented greeting cards and cartoons for faculty, students and staff. Roberts left the University in 1982 and was replaced by his long-time assistant Ken Mennell, who remained as Director until 1998. Mennell changed the name of the office to Media and Public Relations in 1988 to reflect the department's activities more accurately.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Fonds consists of records created or received by Media and Public Relations in the course of carrying out its administrative and operational functions. Activities and topics documented include the establishment, organization and operation of the unit; photographing SFU people, places and events for campus publications; providing information to the public; arranging special events; liaising with other units in the University; and producing press releases, brochures, and on-going publications.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The records were transferred in several accessions from the department.
Arrangement
The textual records were arranged by the Archivist. The photographic contact sheets and negatives were arranged according to the creator's original record numbering scheme.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Copyright restrictions apply and are administered by Media and Public Relations. Access restrictions may apply in accordance with Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislation. Consult the archivist for further details.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Records include materials that are protected by copyright. Copyright ownership varies. Generally, SFU is the copyright owner of materials authored by SFU employees, but copyright in materials authored by third parties typically remains with the third party.
SFU-owned materials - SFU makes its own protected materials available under Creative Commons License CC BY (Attribution). For license details, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Any other use of copies requires the permission of SFU Archives.
Third-party owned materials - researchers may request copies or download copies (when available online) for purposes of private study, research, or other use permitted under fair dealing as set out in the Canada Copyright Act. Use of copies for any other purpose may require the copyright owner's permission.
Item-level descriptions may provide more detail. Consult the Reference Archivist for more information relating to determination of copyright ownership, term of protection, and how to contact copyright owners for permissions.
Finding aids
A photograph index is available for the pre-1987 contact sheets. This index, prepared by the Archives Department, also covers pre-1987 photographic material from The Peak, and the Instructional Media Centre. The photograph index is a helpful starting point, but must be used with caution because the indexers did not use consistent subject terms. The photograph index is available only in the hard-copy version of this finding aid maintained in the Archives Reading Room.
Associated materials
Also see the inventory for Dennis Roberts fonds, F-161.
Accruals
Additional material has been accessioned but not yet processed (as of January 2007: 33 cm., 1967-2002). Please consult the archivist for information about using these materials; restrictions may apply. Further accruals are expected.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Aberle, Kathryn (Subject)
- Mennell, Ken (Subject)
- Roberts, Dennis (Subject)
- MacLachlan, Don (Subject)
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Finding aid prepared by Ian Forsyth, Frances Fournier, Enid Britt, Judith Thiessen (November 1998).
Updated by Frances Fournier, Enid Britt, Kelly Spray (August 2001).
Accruals processed and description revised by Frances Fournier (December 2004).
Name of fonds changed to reflect latest accruals by Richard Dancy (August 2016).
Accruals processed and description revised by Lisa Beitel (January 2007).