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Alumna Shares Value of Degree

1974 grad Janet M. Botz parlayed a liberal arts degree into a successful business and higher education career. Now she’s helping other SVSU students get more from their education.

At a time when specialist degrees may be perceived as necessary for success, Jan Botz, B.A. 1974, wants students to understand that a liberal arts degree can take them far.  

With a degree in sociology and English, Jan began her career as a reporter and editor for The Saginaw News. In 1980, she began a successful 29-year career with Dow Corning Corporation, where she held a number of key managerial positions, including chief communications officer. In 2008, Jan began three years as vice president for Public Affairs and Communications at the University of Notre Dame, where she led the development of a comprehensive positioning and branding program and oversaw several major issues that confronted the university. She now has her own communications consulting firm and works as a program director for The Conference Board.

In 2013, Jan established the Botz Liberal Arts Fellowship at SVSU, which provides support for liberal arts majors to complete an internship in a business setting. This program represents one of the largest gifts to the university from an alumnus/a.

“As an alumna, I feel it's my duty to help students today and into the future,” Jan says. “I wanted to introduce liberal arts students to opportunities in business and to help businesses see the value these students will bring to their firms. I also hope to encourage others to do what they can to help SVSU continue to grow and thrive and be as important in other people’s lives as it was in mine.”