Fond farewell
to retired CBA employee

Katherine Schafer served CBA with devotion and desire

During almost 20 years at the College of Business Administration, Katherine Schafer tackled many jobs – student advisor, assistant to the dean, temporary faculty member, and business advisor. Now, she is reaping the fruits of retirement.

“I’m retiring because life is too short,” Schafer said. “I would like to do what I want to do when I want to do it, which is everybody’s dream.”

A CMU alumna, Schafer taught at Mount Pleasant High School for three years before moving to Columbus, Ohio, where she was director of information technology for the College of Education at The Ohio State University. In 1986, she returned to Mount Pleasant and took a job in CBA’s business advising office.

“I really enjoy being around young people. It was a very invigorating and satisfying atmosphere,” Schafer said.

Making a difference for students and faculty

In 1988, Schafer became director of CBA Student Services, and in 1997, assistant to the dean, serving under former deans Terry Arndt and John Schleede.

“She was excellent. She was thorough, professional, collegial, and she always had a warm, wonderful smile,” said Arndt, now an accounting professor. “She was politically savvy, too, and always gave me sound advice.”

Associate professor of accounting Debra McGilsky worked with Schafer on several fronts, from the college curriculum to getting her office carpeted.

“She was a great colleague, a wonderful friend, and she was devoted to the students of the College of Business Administration,” McGilsky said. “Her desire was to give them the best educational experience they could have, which she accomplished through excellent work in student advising, college curriculum, college assessment, class scheduling, and facilities management.”

As much as Schafer enjoyed working with CMU faculty and “idea generators,” she will have no trouble keeping busy in retirement. She already has taken a trip to Europe and the Bahamas and is planning a trip to Alaska. She also is involved in building a new home in northern Michigan and thinking about starting a business with friends.

“CMU has been very good to me, and I always aimed to leave a part of myself there. I like the people, the philosophy, the goals, and I believe in CMU’s mission,” Schafer said.