The Board of Directors of The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) announced that it has appointed Mr. Paul Pastorek as CEO and President of UAGC. Paul has been serving as the Interim CEO of UAGC since December 1, 2020. Before this appointment, he successfully led UAGC as President during the transition of Ashford University to UAGC. The Board collectively believes that Mr. Pastorek has consistently demonstrated a unique capability for successful change management, here and in previous public and private job appointments. He is the most qualified individual to lead UAGC during this crucial transition to non-profit status and achieve the cultural change necessary to position UAGC to be in full control of its destiny and thereby realize its mission of service to students.
The Board expresses its sincere gratitude to Dr. Craig Swenson for his service as President of Ashford University from May 2016 until his appointment at UAGC in December 2020. Dr. Swenson will continue at UAGC as a member of the associate faculty. He has provided stable leadership to Ashford and UAGC by prioritizing the outcomes for students and fostering the university’s faculty and staff’s academic accomplishments. Dr. Swenson has successfully represented the university with its accreditation agency, the WASC Senior College and Commission (WSCUC), and the US Department of Education. He has also spent the last two years laying the university’s foundation to transition from a for-profit enterprise to a not-for-profit institution.
Finally, the Board accepts and acknowledges Mr. Pastorek’s appointment of Dr. Iris Lafferty as Interim Provost. Dr. Lafferty has served as a university leader for many years and most recently as UAGC’s Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She will continue serving in that capacity while providing leadership as the academic head of UAGC.
The Board will continue to transition the UAGC to a fully independent, not-for-profit enterprise that advances educational opportunities and delivers superior outcomes for its students.
