New faces and fresh ideas on Springfield’s campus

EDUCATION | Rachel Wells

Asked what is her most important accomplishment at the University of Illinois Springfield, and Susan Koch, about 100 days into her position as chancellor, names Kimberly Pate.

“The hiring of our athletic director was absolutely critical, and even though I wasn’t on board yet I was very, very involved with the hire through the months of May and June because I knew it was very critical,” says Koch, who began her term as UIS chancellor on July 1.

Formerly provost at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Koch in her first several months has listed numerous priorities ranging from boosting faculty diversity to finding a niche for UIS in Springfield’s growing medical community. With each priority, though, Koch issues a central message – that of making connections, with both the campus and Springfield communities.

Meanwhile, Koch’s first new hire, athletic director Kimberly Pate, says her department and the students representing it are the key to some of those connections. “I hope that athletics can be the front porch that connects the community with the university. I do hope that we will become Springfield’s university, that we will earn the respect and recognition from the community as their college team,” Pate says.

Both Koch and Pate are stepping into roles that about two years ago were under significant fire. In April 2009, only eight percent of voting university faculty members were confident that chancellor Richard Ringeisen and athletic director Rodger Jehlicka possessed the necessary leadership skills to adequately perform their jobs, according to the student newspaper, The Journal. UIS was torn by opposing viewpoints about faculty involvement in the athletics department, a debate intensified by the shushed handling of a coach’s alleged misdeeds toward female student athletes earlier that spring. [See “Not ready for the big time,” Jan. 27, 2011.]

AD Kimberly Pate A Brevard College student from 1999 to 2003, Kimberly Pate says she “grew up” at her alma mater, where she earned a 3.98 grade point average and started for the softball team. After completing her degree, she began work in Brevard’s administrative offices while also coaching. Soon after, Pate moved into athletics administration at Brevard and became athletic director in 2007.

Pate says she’s aware to some degree of UIS’ past troubles, some of which occured during the transition into the more competitive National Collegiate Athletics Association Division II arena. But she says she doesn’t know enough to judge the manner in which the incidents were handled.

While at Brevard, Pate oversaw the 658-student North Carolina institution as it made the same transition into Division II. “I think I’m coming in at a great time,” Pate says. “I know change and transition is tough, because I’ve been through it.”

“I feel like I’m very fortunate to come in at a time when I think people, by and large, are ready to see athletics succeed and support the mission of the university, which I think is fundamental.”

Before coming to UIS, 36-year-old Pate had already been tested by scandal at Brevard, though the incidents were only made public this past May.