Auritt Excited About University Commons

By Purnell T. Cropper | July 20, 2010

By Sarah R. Schwartz ’10

“It feels right to be able to provide for others in an institution you believe in,” says Dr. Joycellen “Jey” Young Auritt ’71, who serves as Co-Chair of the Major Gifts Subcommittee for the Campaign with fellow Trustee Jo Bennett. Auritt considers her involvement with At Home & In the World—The Campaign for Arcadia University as a natural step in her life.

“When you’re established in a career and you’ve raised your children, you naturally start to consider those beyond your immediate family,” says Auritt, who also has served on Arcadia’s Board of Trustees for four years. “My years at Arcadia certainly set me in a direction for the rest of my life, and consequently, it feels right to help other people get their lives moving in the right direction.”

Auritt has maintained a private practice in psychology for more than 20 years while simultaneously serving as a staff psychologist for 17 years at the Bryn Mawr Hospital. Auritt also has taught several undergraduate and graduate courses at a number of local institutions of higher learning, including Arcadia University.

With the desire to attend a college in a suburban environment very close to a major city, Auritt found that Arcadia had all of these qualities and more. As a part of the first class of honors students, she experienced a tremendous amount of personal attention and flexibility with her major. This allowed her to study abroad, an uncommon opportunity for Psychology majors at that time and a highlight of her years at Arcadia. “That was a real positive experience. Since then the academic programs have grown so much and students have so many opportunities to study abroad—multiple ones despite their major.”

At Home & In the World—The Campaign for Arcadia University recognizes the need to respond to this growth and better position the University as a leader in international education, both at the Glenside campus and abroad.

Auritt is excited about the University Commons. “The University Commons will be a designated place for students to gather, something we didn’t have when I was a student,” says Auritt. “It will give students the opportunity for an active social life at Arcadia. Th is is the place that you’ll want to be and be seen.”