Univ. of Ill. Names New Springfield Chancellor

A Northern Michigan University administrator will take over the top position at the University of Illinois-Springfield this summer.

Susan Koch will become chancellor at the Springfield campus in July, the university said Monday. She's currently provost and vice president of academic affairs at Northern Michigan.

"With its strong reputation as a public liberal arts university, UIS is providing the state of Illinois with graduates who have the knowledge, skills and values necessary to be productive contributors to and leaders of their communities," Koch said in a news release. "I'm excited about working to continue and enhance this very important tradition."

University of Illinois President Michael Hogan said Koch has a lengthy track record of supporting liberal arts teaching.

"Dr. Koch's record reflects a proven appreciation for the value of a strong liberal arts education and a deep commitment to civic engagement," he said. "I couldn't be more pleased to have her joining our leadership team as we continue to advance the excellence of our Springfield campus and the entire University."

A South Dakota native, Koch taught health education before moving into administration at the University of Northern Iowa in 1995. She was the dean of Northern Iowa's graduate college before moving to Northern Michigan in 2007. Northern Michigan has about 9,300 students.

Koch replaces Richard Ringeisen, who retired last fall.

Hogan oversees the three-campus university system, while a chancellor is the top official at each campus. The Springfield campus is the smallest, with about 5,100 students.

The university is still looking for a new chancellor at the Urbana-Champaign campus, where interim Chancellor Robert Easter has been in charge since Richard Herman resigned in October 2009 over the university's admissions scandal. Herman's name appeared often in thousands of university e-mails detailing preferential treatment the school gave some well-connected student applicants.

Koch earned a bachelor's degree in health/physical education/biology at Dakota State University, and her first job was as a high school teacher in Waterloo, Ia. She earned a master's degree and doctorate, both in health education, at Northern Iowa and joined the faculty there in 1985.

(Photo courtesy of WIUM Public Radio)