Our Story
Pivot Higher Education Solutions was created by Dr. Craig Swenson to help leaders of colleges and universities chart the most effective course through the radically shifting higher education landscape. Dr. Swenson and his associates bring together both the unique skills and range of professional experiences that equip Pivot to address each institution’s distinctive needs.
Dr. Swenson was already a successful business executive when he began teaching evening courses to working adults and ultimately realized his true vocation was as an educator and a leader—and led to a career that included a varied range of experiences. That knowledge and experience inform his consulting
Over the last twenty years, Dr. Swenson served fifteen as a university president and another seven as a provost at institutions known for innovation in adult and distance learning. He also held professorships in higher education policy and administration.
He is president emeritus of the University of Arizona Global Campus, was president of Ashford University, chancellor of the Argosy University system, and interim president of University of the Rockies. He was also provost of the University of Phoenix system and Western Governors University.
Dr. Swenson served on the boards of both the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the CHEA International Quality Initiative. He was a member of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), advising the U.S. Secretary of Education on matters related to accreditation. Additionally, he was a member of the Secretary of the Army’s Educational Advisory Committee and on the Army’s Distance Education Committee. He is active as a peer reviewer and accreditation team chair for the Commission on Senior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and also served on visiting teams for the Higher Learning Commission.
Dr. Swenson earned his PhD in Education from Walden University where his emphasis was Adult and Organizational Learning. He received a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from Brigham Young University and completed undergraduate studies in Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Utah.
