By Sarah R. Schwartz ’10

After eight years of service to Arcadia, Joshua Stern is now the chief student affairs officer at Arcadia Univeristy, with new new title of Associate Vice President and Dean of Students.

“As Associate VP, I have oversight for the Student Affairs Department, which includes Community Service, Commuter Life, Counseling, First and Second Year Programs, Health Services, Residence Life, and Student Engagement,” he says. “I’m very excited to partner with my colleagues in Student Affairs and across the University to support and enhance the student experience here.”

Stern joined Arcadia in 2002 as Director of Residence life. Previously, he served as Director of Housing for the Art Institute of Philadelphia and various residence life positions at Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., Bentley College in Waltham, Mass., and at the University of Pennsylvania.

He says the most important aspect of his position is being a student advocate. “My staff and I need to assure students that we are here to support them and help them attain the skills they will need to be successful both during and after their time at Arcadia,” he says.

While his professional focus is on student education and success, Stern has discovered a few things for himself. “What I’ve learned during my eight years at Arcadia is to appreciate how hard my faculty and staff colleagues work to create an atmosphere of academic rigor, social engagement, and personal support for our students. I’m really proud to be a member of the Arcadia family.”

Stern and his wife, Kim, reside in Abington with their two children, Noah and Ava, who love to visit Arcadia to explore Grey Towers Castle.