Millikin University president set to retire in 2025

DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — The president of Millikin University is set to retire next year.

Dr. Jim Reynolds began his term in July 2020, and will now end it on June 30, 2025.

As Millikin’s 16th president, Reynolds saw the university through the COVID-19 pandemic and the construction of three new student facilities. This includes the opening of a $29 million new Center for Theatre & Dance, the ongoing construction of a new $3.2 million Health Sciences Center, and the groundbreaking of the $12.3 million Rathje Athletic Center, which should open in fall 2025.

“President Reynolds’s tenure at Millikin University has been marked by his unwavering commitment to student success and advancements in academic affairs,” junior student Maggie Schrage said in a release. “His genuine investment in each student’s journey has created a supportive and thriving campus community for each person advancing their future through education. As he retires, we thank him and his wife, Sue, for their relentless dedication and impact on the university and our lives as students and beyond.”

Reynolds also helped implement several successful assistance programs. Some of those programs include the Millikin Tuition Promise and the Big Blue Pledge: Illinois Free Tuition Program. To progress enrollment efforts even further, Reynolds also made a deal with Richland Community College to upgrade their transfer process and strengthen their academic partnership.

“As Millikin is quickly approaching its 125 ^th anniversary, under President Reynolds’ leadership, the university has made significant strides since COVID to improve our financial health and prepare us for many more years to come,” said Ronald Branch, Millikin Board of Trustees Chairman. “We appreciate the difficulties that President Reynolds has faced in his tenure, and we are thankful for the leadership he has shown in guiding Millikin through those challenges. President Reynolds has been a phenomenal leader and I look forward to him completing his time with us in the same standard of excellence exhibited thus far.”

Now, President Reynolds plans to move his attention from campus, to kin.

“After spending time reflecting on my career in higher education and with input from my wife Sue, I realize that the next chapter of my life needs to shift towards more focus on our family,” Reynolds said. “Millikin is a special place and will always hold a special place in our hearts. But there is a season for everything and it’s time for me to be with my family as Sue and I celebrate the joy of being grandparents. I am proud to have been a small part of the history of this institution and to come back to my hometown and for that, I will be forever grateful.”

In the meantime, the Millikin Board of Trustees is looking at next steps, which will be shared in the coming weeks.

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