Senior Associate Director steps down after decades on the job
After nearly 34 years at Iowa, Kathy Bassett is retiring in June. Kathy was the University’s fourth admission counselor when she joined the staff in 1976. After five years in that role, she spent a year processing applications and appeals as the assistant to the associate director of admissions, then moved on to become the coordinator of high school/college relations. She’s worked in out- reach services ever since.
Favorite thing about working at Iowa: “I always said I wanted a job where I could keep learning. I can truly say I’ve never been bored—and I’ve never had too little to do.”
Favorite admissions project: Being a part of the committee that planned and oversaw construction of the Pomerantz Center, which opened in 2005 and is home to the Admission Visitors Center.
Biggest change in the admissions field since 1976: “When I started in admissions, you didn’t hear much about ‘marketing’ or ‘recruiting’; we didn’t think those words applied to public higher education. Now, we use targeted marketing to tell prospective students about Iowa, and are constantly adding new innovative technologies, like social media.”
Favorite memory of working with high school counselors: Working with the Iowa High School Counselor Advisory Board.
Why she’s retiring now: “My goal has always been to retire when I’m young and healthy enough to actively embrace retirement. Long ago, I decided that I’d retire by the time my son graduated from college, which he did nearly two years ago. The time is right.”