The new director of the SIUC School of Journalism, Donald Jugenheimer, said one of his aims for improving the school is to enhance the visibility of the school nationally.

Jugenheimer, who took over the position on Jan. 2, said the School of Journalism has a fine faculty and outstanding students, but it is not as well recognized nationally as it deserves to be.

I believe people nationally and even in the state of Illinois do not realize the quality of the programs the School of Journalism offers, Jugenheimer said.

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Jugenheimer said he plans to increase the school’s visibility by working with alumni and University Relations. He said he also wants the journalism faculty to attend more meetings and conferences outside of the University to spread the word of quality instruction at the school.

I want to bring in publicity with news releases and also get faculty research recognized, Jugenheimer said.

Jugenheimer said he wants to re-examine the graduate and undergraduate programs as well to make sure students are being served in the best possible way.

Joe Foote, dean of the College of Mass Communications and Media Arts, said getting students into the college should be Jugenheimer’s main emphasis.

Recruitment and retention is one area I want Jugenheimer to work on, and I have full confidence that he will enhance visibility of the college as well, Foote said.

Jugenheimer said that SIUC is doing a good job in recruitment and retention of students, but he wants to do better. He said he hopes to increase contact with prospective students through the mail more, as well as meeting with them individually or in groups. Jugenheimer also said he would like to meet with counselors and teachers at the high school level.

Anna Paddon, assistant professor in the School of Journalism who will work with Jugenheimer on the Director’s Advisory Committee, which deals with accredidation issues, said she is glad to have the new director in place.

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He seems eager to learn as much as he can about SIU and the School of Journalism, she said.

Dennis Lowry, former acting director of the school, said Jugenheimer was selected after a nationwide search that began in December 1994 when Foote announced that former director Walter Jaehnig was to be replaced. A committee then made recommendations to the School of Journalism faculty who in turn made their recommendations to Foote.

Lowry said he hopes Jugenheimer will lead the school into the 21st Century.

We have to make sure that what has been a good school in the past continues to be, he said.

Jugenheimer brings a great amount of experience to the position, Foote said. At Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, Jugenheimer was chairman of the Department of Communication and Speech, spent three years as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and also was chairman of the English, Foreign Language and Philosophy Department.

Jugenheimer was a professor of journalism for 14 years at the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas.

In addition to a new director for the SIUC School of Journalism, the College of Mass Communications and Media Arts also obtained a new associate dean, Jyotike Ramaprasad. .

Ramaprasad did her graduate work at SIUC in the early 1980s and was hired as associate professor at the School of Journalism in 1991 where she remained until becoming associate dean.

Ramaprasad is presently out of the country and was unavailable for comment but will return to SIUC later this month.