Not all new arrivals to Millikin’s campus are members of the class of 2018.

As of this semester, Millikin welcomes Dr. Jeffery Aper to begin his term as Provost, a position which has until now, been vacant since the spring of 2013. Backed by years of experience, a positive outlook, and a strong hold of the ideals of the university, Aper was carefully chosen by a committee of selected individuals from nearly one hundred applicants.

As provost, Aper will serve as chief academic officer to work closely with faculty and staff to ensure that the quality of instruction and student experience at Millikin is always top priority to maximize the quality of student learning and instruction as well as student life. To do this, Aper places a strong emphasis on the importance of one of Millikin’s largest and most notable traits: the dedication to performance learning.

“The whole idea of performance learning, to me, means that we’re all going to work closely with students in ways to go beyond traditional kinds of classroom or lab or studio or stage based learning,” Aper said. “We’re going to engage people at a level to where students really get to do things that require a high level of knowledge and skill.”

Aper has grasped this along with other fundamentals of Millikin, noting what sets it apart from other universities and taking time to plan both short term and long-term goals for the university. One of his long-term goals including that Millikin become known nationally for their strong dedication to a unique and versatile learning style as well as creating a successful community that allows students to reach their full potential in a way that improves the quality of life. Thus, he resonates soundly with one of Millikin’s three key goals: a personal life of meaning and value.

“We have one reason for being here and that is to make sure that we give every student that walks through the door the best possible opportunities for learning and developing their knowledge, skills and just themselves as human beings,” Aper said. “It’s a pretty great job.”

In addition, Aper will also continue to work with University President Patrick White to continue to manage the university budget, a long-standing issue that he feels confident about in making a significant amount of headway.

In order to do this, Aper stressed adaptability, problem solving skills and attention to the specific needs and demands of the university that are gathered by paying close attention to the bigger picture.

However, while he is certainly qualified and prepared to fulfill his duties to improve the university, the most important thing he would like students to know is their own personal worth and that they are valued by faculty.

“People up and down the line care a lot about students, about the quality of their experience, about making sure that what they’re doing here really matters and will matter years from now.”

Millikin welcomes him as a new addition to the constantly growing campus-wide family, and wishes him luck during his first semester.