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Scott Pulsipher
Photo of University President Scott Pulsipher in robe behind lectern.
Scott Pulsipher addresses WGU graduates.
Born
Scott D. Pulsipher
Education
Occupations
  • University President
  • board member
  • Writer
Years active2016–present
Known forPresident of Western Governors University.
TitlePresident of Western Governors University
Websitewww.wgu.edu/about/governance/president.html

Scott D. Pulsipher is the president of Western Governors University,[1] the largest nonprofit university by total enrollment in the United States.[2] He was appointed to this position in April 2016.[1]

Education

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Pulsipher earned a bachelor's degree in management with a finance emphasis from Brigham Young University. He later obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School.[3][4][5]

Career

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Yantra

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After completing his bachelor's degree, and not long after business school, Pulsipher joined Yantra, a supply software company, as a VP of product management and marketing. Yantra was later acquired by Sterling Commerce (now owned by IBM), and Pulsipher remained with the company. During his tenure, revenue climbed $600 million and annual employee turnover declined from around 18 percent to under 2 percent.[6][1]

Amazon and Needle Inc.

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In 2009, Pulsipher left Sterling Commerce, and joined Amazon as general manager of the Amazon Webstore.[6][7][1] While there, he helped launch Amazon’s website in the U.S., U.K., and Germany.[8] He moved onto Needle Inc. in 2013 and then to Western Governors University.[7][6][9]

President of Western Governors University

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Western Governors University (WGU) is a nonprofit online, competency-based institution that allows students to move through academic programs at their own pace, and focuses on necessary career skills.[10][11] In 2018, 72% of WGU graduates reported that their education was worth the cost;[12] and in 2021, this rose to 77 percent, compared to only 37 percent nationally.[11] In 2021, over 150,000 students enrolled in WGU.[13] The university graduates between 45,000 to 50,000 students a year.[3]

As the president of Western Governors University, Pulsipher has overseen significant growth and expansion of the nonprofit university. During his tenure, has overseen a plan called 10x Vision, created to scale enrollment and launch new ventures to expand access to higher education.[14]

Community engagement

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In addition to his work as an educator and administrator, Scott Pulsipher has been involved in various volunteering and community service initiatives. He served on the board of trustees for the Utah Technology Council (now Silicon Slopes Commons) from 2016 to 2019, where he helped to foster support for Utah's technology ecosystem. He also served as Tech Chair and board member of the Marriott School of Marketing's advisory board at Brigham Young University from January 2010 to April 2016.[1]

In 2019, he was named to the White House workforce-policy advisory board, a 25-member advisory board, along with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., Ginny Rometty, CEO of IBM, and other business leaders, governors, and education and labor officials.[15]

In 2020, he was named to the National Task Force on Transfer of Credit.[16]

Pulsipher chairs the Presidents Forum, which is a network of college and university presidents committed to the reinvention of higher education. He is also a member of the Handshake’s Impact Advisory Board, trustee for the Committee for Economic Development, and on the board of the American Council on Education.[17][18]

Education policy

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Pulsipher has spoken at different conferences and events about changes that colleges, policy makers, and employers should make to help more people find employment or advance in their careers.[19][20] He regularly speaks on podcasts, including Work In Progress,[21] MarketScale,[22] HEDx,[23] The Disruptive Voice,[24] The Rant,[25] Harvard Business School,[26] The University Innovation Alliance,[27] and the EdUp Experience.[28]

Pulsipher has also come before Congress to testify on the state of education and needed changes.[29][30] This includes testifying before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce about the importance of a high return on investment for a college education.[31][32] WGU partly measures programs’ ROI by reviewing graduates’ median pay increase two years after graduation, the cost of each program, and how many years a student has until they reach retirement age.[33]

Awards

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In 2020, EdTech Digest named Pulsipher one of the Top 100 Influencers in EdTech.[34]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Scott D Pulsipher, Western Governors University: Profile and Biography". Bloomberg.com.
  2. ^ "Largest Colleges and Universities in the U.S. | BestColleges". www.bestcolleges.com. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Stoll, Ira (September 12, 2023). "Higher Education Could Help Heal America". Education Next. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  4. ^ "Office of the President". Western Governors University. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  5. ^ "Validation request". The Conference Board. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Johnson, Whitney (May 1, 2018). Build an A-Team: Play to Their Strengths and Lead Them Up the Learning Curve. Harvard Business Press. ISBN 978-1-63369-365-4.
  7. ^ a b "Pandemic crisis touted as time to finally embrace older students". Times Higher Education (THE). July 24, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  8. ^ Basken, Paul (July 24, 2020). "Pandemic crisis touted as time to finally embrace older students".
  9. ^ Stambor, Zak (June 5, 2013). "Needle names Amazon Webstore exec Scott Pulsipher president and COO". Digital Commerce 360. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  10. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "A Focus on Value: Five Questions for WGU President Scott Pulsipher". usprogram.gatesfoundation.org. November 16, 2021.
  12. ^ Blumenstyk, Goldie (April 10, 2018). "With Its Model Under the Gun, an Online-Education Leader Makes the Case for Mentors". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  13. ^ PH&A, On EdTech by. "2021-22 IPEDS Data: 12-Month Enrollments - On EdTech". On EdTech Newsletter. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  14. ^ "Western Governors University: 10x Vision – Case – Faculty & Research – Harvard Business School". www.hbs.edu. Harvard Business School.
  15. ^ Hanrahan, Tim (February 13, 2019). "White House Names Top Executives to Workforce Advisory Board". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  16. ^ "CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez Named To National Task Force On Transfer Of Credit". CUNY Newswire. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "ACE Holds Capitol Hill Forum on Proposed Distance Education Regulations". www.acenet.edu. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  18. ^ "ACE Board of Directors". www.acenet.edu. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  19. ^ D’Agostino, Susan. "Challenging 'Bad' Online Policies and Attitudes". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  20. ^ Schindelheim, Ramona (February 22, 2023). "We have a lot to talk about at SXSW EDU". WorkingNation. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  21. ^ Schindelheim, Ramona (March 21, 2023). "Online backlash: Bad policy holds students back". WorkingNation. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  22. ^ Horn, Michael (December 18, 2023). "Competency-Based Learning is the Key to Success: WGU's Strategic Vision". MarketScale. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  23. ^ Hedx (March 29, 2023). "Scott Pulsipher". HEDx. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  24. ^ "The Disruptive Voice: 117. Creating Pathways To Opportunity at Western Governors University: A Conversation with Scott Pulsipher". thedisruptivevoice.libsyn.com. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  25. ^ "Serving Working Learners - A Conversation with Scott Pulsipher, President at WGU". Listen Notes. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  26. ^ "Podcast - Managing the Future of Work - Harvard Business School". www.hbs.edu. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  27. ^ University Innovation Alliance (April 22, 2024). WGU President Scott Pulsipher interview on #WeeklyWisdom. Retrieved July 30, 2024 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "579: How to Lead From the Front - with Scott Pulsipher, President of Western Governors University". EdUp Experience. March 27, 2023.
  29. ^ "Hearing on "Expanding Access to Higher Education and the Promise It Holds" – Ways and Means". Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  30. ^ ""American Education in Crisis"". democrats-edworkforce.house.gov. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  31. ^ Knott, Katherine. "House Education Committee Ready to Tackle Short-Term Pell". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  32. ^ "POLITICO Pro: 5 takeaways from opening testimonies in Foxx's first education hearing". subscriber.politicopro.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  33. ^ "How can the Education Department build a list of low-value college programs?". Higher Ed Dive. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  34. ^ Staff, Fierce Education (March 30, 2023). "Leading from the Front: Scott Pulsipher, President, WGU | Fierce Network". www.fierce-network.com. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
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