University of California, San Diego. University Communications.

University Communications was founded in 1960, and it is responsible for public relations, publications and news bureau activities, including marketing and outreach, for UCSD. Overseeing publications, the department prepares campus brochures, booklets, posters, and catalogs.

Administrative History

University Communications serves the campus, the community and the news media as a source of information about the campus, about matters that affect the campus and about matters that affect American education. Its staff informs the public about teaching, research, administration, public services, and student life at the University and stays abreast of developments in government and the community that could affect the University. UCPA develops news releases, features and reports about the University.

University Communications has experienced periodic reorganization since the Publications and Public Information Office (PPI) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography moved to Urey Hall and was renamed Public Affairs. On February 1, 1965, Cy W. Greaves was appointed manager of Campus Relations which included public information, community relations, publications, and gifts and endowments.

In July 1965, a Scripps office under the direction of Nelson Fuller was created. The Public Affairs Office managed public relations functions for all university units except the University Hospital of San Diego County, which maintained its own public relations office (1969), later designated as Public Information -- University Hospital (1971). After the School of Medicine (SOM) opened in 1967, a public relations office funded by SOM was created and named the School of Medicine, Public Affairs Office.

In 1976, the Public Affairs Office was renamed the Public Information Office and Paul West headed the office until 1985 when he was succeeded by Winifred Cox.

The office was again reorganized in the late 1980s to centralize and incorporate units of the Medical Center. The Public Information Office became known as University Communications with divisions to represent individual campus units. In 1989, the public information offices at the School of Medicine and the UCSD Medical Center were merged into a single unit called Health Sciences Communications, a division of University Communications.

Currently, Clare Kristofco currently directs University Communications, now named University Communications and Public Affairs.