30-Year Profile: Steve Sparks

Steve Sparks

Before iPods were all the rage with students, before computers were even on campus, and just when VHS tapes were becoming “totally groovy,” Steve Sparks was working at Sacramento State.

Sparks, a 32-year veteran of the University Media Services department, started working as a technical assistant before the computer wave hit the 20th century. His department, which serves as the maintenance shop for the Media Center and repairs “anything and everything” electronic on campus, has advanced leaps and bounds to catch up with the times—and beat them.

“The department has really adapted,” says Sparks, who is now manager of maintenance services. “We try to stay ahead of everyone, and take the first equipment off the assembly line. We’re a guinea pig for new technology, so there’s no tech support if it breaks.”

From satellite systems, cable television and microwave broadcasting, to designing smart labs and security systems, Sparks and his department manage and operate the latest equipment used by faculty and students for learning purposes.

The technology is certainly a stretch from 1973, when Sparks’ job tasks included operating public address systems for sports events and showing movies like “The Graduate” through a projector in Shasta Hall.

“When I started out here, campus cable was only in Douglas Hall and used for giving tests to students and staff.” Sparks says. “Now cable goes to every classroom and lab on campus, and when requested we can also feed Comcast signals to any of these classrooms. We also now have cable in the dorms which get the signal by way of satellite.”

In the ‘80s, the campus even had a mobile TV studio in a bus with editing equipment. “It had cameras that we could set up and do a film shoot with,” Sparks says.

Sparks has been an active staff member on campus, serving as president of the California State Employee Association. He worked on the Staff Council during the ‘70s and ‘80s, and helped form the University Staff Assembly that creates fun functions and events for faculty and staff.

“Back in those days we used to play softball—faculty against the staff—and have Christmas parties and Valentine dances,” says Sparks, who also serves on the Quality Improvement committee for the campus.

Sparks has seen many changes to campus, including the construction of the overramp to the Guy West Bridge and the building of the Library in three phases.

“All the new five-story buildings allowed campus to have more classrooms and lab space. It really helped expand the college,” Sparks says.

Sparks, who had always set his sights on a job with the state, says he liked the fact that his position was in Sacramento, where he wanted to stay after graduating from American River College.

“In a lot of state jobs, you move around. But in this job, you can advance right here on campus,” Sparks says.