Patricia Poulter will be ending her 19-year career at Eastern to be the dean of the College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga.

Poulter has worked as the department chair for the Department of Student Teaching and Clinical Experiences and is currently a music professor, the interim journalism department chairwoman and the associate dean for the College of the Arts and Humanities.

She said the opportunity to apply for the dean position was a surprise to her.

Another dean from Kennesaw State University nominated her for the position, and a search firm sought her out, Poulter said.

“They said, ‘We looked into you and we think you’d be good at this. Would you consider applying?’” she said. “I hadn’t really thought about it, but I looked at the school and this looks really exciting.”

Poulter said from there, she did not think much about the application until the search firm called to fly her down to Georgia for interviews.

Later in April, she was offered the job.

Poulter said with friends, family and herself graduating from Eastern, it feels like home.

“It’s just my home in so many ways,” she said. “Even though I wasn’t really looking for a different job… I don’t think you ever want to become completely complacent in where you are.”

When she talked with family, friends and deans from the other colleges, Poulter said they all agreed she should take the job.

She said even her 7-year-old grandson—whom she is very close with—thought she should take the job.

“He said, ‘Well, of course they’ll want her. She’s from EIU,’” Poulter said, smiling.

Her work experiences at Eastern have helped shape her to become ready to step into the dean position, Poulter said.

“When I looked into the possibilities there, what I realized is that the opportunities that I’ve had here at Eastern …the opportunities to work with so many great people, so many great administrators and faculty and students, that I felt really ready to step into where (Kennesaw State University administratiors) want to go next,” she said.

Poulter said working with Bonnie Irwin, the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, was more of a partnership, which helped make transitioning into the dean position possible.

“I feel as confident as one can be going into it,” she said. “There’s always unknowns.”

Poulter said the search for her replacement will probably begin when Irwin comes back from vacation.

Irwin was not available to comment on Poulter’s departure.

Poulter said she is unsure if the associate dean position will be a one or two-year position, but before her departure on June 30, she said she has been meeting with possible candidates to explain what she does.

Despite moving south, Poulter said she will be back to Illinois to visit her friends and family.

“What makes Eastern so great are the people that are here, and that’s what’s going to be hard to leave, you know,” she said. “Of course, I’ll be back.”

Amanda Wilkinson can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].