Olivet Nazarene University is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Stephens as the Vice President for Student Development, effective August 1, 2022. In this role, he will be responsible for providing leadership and oversight for all non-academic student activities including athletics, community life, campus recreation, residential life, counseling and health services, multiethnic student services, and spiritual development.
Jason has most recently held the position of Dean of Student Engagement and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Indiana Wesleyan University. Prior assignments at Anderson University, Houghton College and Greenville University included Director of Residential Life, Assistant Director of Student Programs and resident director. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board for the Association for Christians in Student Development, a national body of 800 members. Additionally, he leads annual conference planning for the association and has provided four presentations at other national conferences.
Jason is pursuing his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Indiana State University which he is scheduled to complete later this summer, with a dissertation proving how faith-formation and psychological belonging are essential factors to retain minority students; a master’s degree in higher education from Geneva College; and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana Wesleyan University.
President Gregg Chenoweth commented in his announcement to the Olivet community, “Jason can enter our community with your confidence. Jason clearly communicates a heart and vision for a holistic approach to students; is relational, articulate, and a strategic thinker; has a command of the student development discipline and uses data to pursue root causes; shows ambition to engage with and develop his staff; and is student-centric, but capable to make hard decisions for the overall need. We welcome Jason to our community, believing this is his time for our time.”
Jason and his wife Kendra, their two kids, Caleb and Hannah, and furry family member, Charlie, will move to Kankakee County later this summer.
Published 5/25/2022
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