The UA has completed its acquisition of Ashford University and has named several leaders for its Global Campus.
The University of Arizona Global Campus will now oversee Ashford University, which serves about 35,000 students with online courses. The UA acquired the university, which is based in the San Diego area, from Zovio Inc.
On Tuesday, Nivine Megahed was appointed chair of the Global Campus board of directors and Paul Pastorek was selected as interim CEO.
The board appointed Craig Swenson as Global Campus president.
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission, which accredits the Global Campus, recently approved the UA acquiring Ashford.
Megahed, an independent appointee to the previously announced nine-member board of directors, will serve as chair for one year.
Megahed, president of National Louis University in Chicago, is a clinical psychologist and has more than 30 years of experience in education.
Workers install a steel frame atop the University of Arizona's Environment and Natural Resources 2 (ENR2) Building located at 1064 E Lowell Street as part of the Green Roof Project, on Nov. 5, 2020. The ENR2 Green Roof Project, which started being planned in 2017, began its first phase last year with the preparation of garden beds. Currently phase two is underway as a frame is built in preparation to install Solar panels provided by TEP as part of large scale renewable energy program. The solar installation is planned to be finished by the end of the year. In 2021, native desert plants will be planted in the rooftop gardens and research will begin examining the differences between agrivoltaic gardening (gardening beneath solar panels) and plant growth away from solar panels. (Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star)
Pastorek, who formerly served as acting chief operating officer and chief financial officer for Loyola University in New Orleans, state superintendent of schools in Louisiana and general counsel for NASA, is transitioning to Global Campus interim CEO from Global Campus interim president.
He will lead to the transition from Ashford University to the UA Global Campus under the guidance of the board.
Swenson, who will serve as Global Campus president, has served as president of Ashford University since 2016 and has presided over two other institutions and was chief academic officers at two others.
The Global Campus is a nonprofit corporation operated in affiliation with the University of Arizona. The Global Campus will remain an independent institution accredited by WSCUC and governed by its own independent board of directors. Under its direction, Ashford faculty and staff will continue to offer the university’s programs without interruption as they now become faculty and staff of Global Campus.
