Femovich Leaves Penn after 17 years to head Patriot League

Summer Pennsylvanian Sports Editor Jason Bodnar talked with Femovich on Tuesday to discuss her experience at Penn and her future with the Patriot League. · Summer Pennsylvanian: After 17 years here, you're leaving to become the executive director of the Patriot League. Why did you accept this position? Carolyn Femovich: I see it as a challenge and a new opportunity for me professionally... This is an opportunity to be in a leadership role in a conference with institutions that are similar in their philosophy to the Ivy League in that they're strong academic institutions who also believe that athletics can play a significant role and an appropriate role in a student experience. SP: At Penn, and in the Ivy League, you were noted for involvement in women's athletics. How has the gender situation changed in your 17 years here? CF: I certainly hope it's gotten better. I think it has gotten better. When I came in 1982, we were still nationally, as well as institutionally, working through some of the Title IX issues and that continues to be a challenge for us and any other institution because it's not a static point. You don't get to a point and say, 'OK, we've achieved equity and everything's going to be OK from here forward.' It's a constant process. It's a dynamic process. SP: What else needs to be done for equality? CF: I think we continue to struggle with the external piece of how our women's programs are recognized and the public recognition or support for what they do in attendance as well as alumni support for their programs financially. I don't think it's any secret that a place like Penn relies heavily on the alumni to support many, many initiatives; not just athletics, but many initiatives here at Penn. And so, for our women to develop their alumni network and their base of people when their history is much shorter than the men's is an area that we need to see a constant growth because they're still not at a level where the men are. So our job institutionally is to make sure that we're balancing the resources regardless of where the funds come from. SP: The Ivy League has been called archaic with regard to some of its athletic rules. Do you think the Ivy League has evolved enough? CF: I think we've made change -- perhaps sometimes slowly -- but change very carefully where we think it has a direct impact on the student-athlete experience. Our goal is to always balance that obligation, that commitment to the academics first, but also be able to excel in athletics. So perhaps we as a league are much more cautious and careful, and sometimes even slow, in how we make change, but I think it's for all the right reasons. I think you don't come into this league to work as a coach or an administrator unless you understand that that is the hallmark of the Ivy League and therefore we are going to do some things differently than the rest of the world. SP: Over your 17 years at Penn, what have been your best memories? CF: (Pause) Wow. That's a tough question to answer. There are so many marvelous memories... I can't pull out three or four or five or even one very, very special memory but I think our success, or our feeling of success, is when our teams and our athletes really achieve at the highest level and do that with all the appropriate academic focus. That's what we're about. SP: What parts of Penn will you miss? CF: I'll miss the people more than anything... I think that's what always becomes the most important thing. And I think there will always be a part of me that will bleed a little bit red and blue and certainly be cheering for the Penn Quakers along the road and checking the web page to see how everybody's doing. But Patriot League schools compete in a number of sports with Penn, so hopefully I'll get to see some of the Penn teams and Penn coaches along the road. SP: Who will you be rooting for when Penn plays a Patriot League team? CF: Oh, I couldn't say that. (She laughs). I would root for a good game.