McPherson College announces Dr. Aaron Meis will join the college as executive vice president, providing leadership for institutional strategy, planning, and execution of the Community by Design 2.0 plan. In addition, Dr. Meis will supervise enrollment and student success, including admissions, student affairs, advising, career services, and the Student Debt Project — a program ensuring students an opportunity to graduate with no student loan debt.
“I am incredibly excited to join the McPherson College family,” Meis said. “I have gotten to know McPherson College and President Schneider over the past decade. I am inspired by the dedicated faculty and staff and the powerful personal connections that students make there. The Community by Design 2.0 plan and the extraordinary success of the Ward-Burkholder Endowment have positioned McPherson for its next 137 years. I’m humbled to be a part of the next stage of the college’s history”.
Dr. Meis has 28 years of higher education experience. During his 15-year career at Xavier University, he led the development and implementation of multiple institutional enrollment strategies in first-year recruitment and undergraduate retention and persistence, serving for more than seven years as the university’s chief enrollment and student success officer. Prior to his service at Xavier, Dr. Meis served as dean of admissions at Converse University in Spartanburg, SC. He began his career at Loyola University Chicago, serving for a decade in various roles in undergraduate admission.
“We are thrilled to welcome Aaron to McPherson College,” said Michael Schneider, McPherson College president. “His vast experience aligns with many of the college’s strategic goals outlined in the Community by Design 2.0 plan. I look forward to working with him on the college’s expansion and growth, including new academic programs, plans for a modern destination campus, and the Student Debt Project. His expertise will provide an immediate impact on our campus.”
Dr. Meis has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in higher education administration from Loyola University in Chicago. He earned his Doctorate in Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he has received certificates in educational management from Harvard University and leadership development from the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.
He will begin his role at McPherson College in May.