Richard Peterson, MBA, is the Vice President of Academic Administration at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP). As Vice President, Peterson oversees several academic and student support areas, while also serving on many university committees. Prior to his promotion, Peterson held the positions of University Registrar, Director of Academic Administration, and most recently, Associate Vice President of Academic Administration.
Before he worked at RMUoHP, Peterson worked in the student support division department at the University of Phoenix Arizona for seven years. “In my time at the University of Phoenix, I experienced several position changes all within the same department,” said Peterson. “I started in an entry-level inbound call position and I left as an Associate Director in the department.”
While working in Arizona, Peterson regularly visited his family here in Utah, where he frequently drove past the RMUoHP campus. Eventually, he decided to visit the university’s website. “In learning about the university, I noticed that they were looking to fill the Registrar position,” said Peterson. “The requirements for the position fit my expertise so I decided to apply for the position.” Soon after applying at RMUoHP, Peterson was hired.
Since starting work at RMUoHP, Peterson has had a plethora of exciting and challenging experiences. “At RMUoHP,” said Peterson, “I have taken on several significant, new initiatives and have had to develop new processes and become the expert in those areas in a short period of time.”
Many of these experiences have played a role in Peterson’s positive outlook regarding healthcare. “In working with these healthcare providers and seeing the education provided to our students, my overall view on healthcare has been elevated tremendously.”
Peterson’s “elevated” view of healthcare has led him to help with the expansion and growth of RMUoHP.
“In my nine years at RMUoHP, it has grown significantly in many ways,” said Peterson. This growth includes the increase of student, faculty, and staff, as well as the development of many new programs. “I have assisted in many areas of the development of these new programs including the hiring process of program leaders and faculty, and providing high-level administrative support and consultation,” said Peterson.
As the newly appointed Vice President of Academic Administration, Peterson hopes to continue to experience new challenges and use his expertise to successfully fulfill the requirements that accompany his position. “In my professional life,” Peterson explained, “I truly believe that personal success is best achieved by forgetting one’s own desires and instead always doing what is best for the university and its students.”
And, according to Peterson, RMUoHP focuses on putting students first. “RMUoHP has a tremendous amount of experience in delivering healthcare education to students through various models,” said Peterson. “Our unique ability to provide quality education to students through residential, hybrid, and online models sets us apart from other universities.” And all of this is set up with the students’ best interests in mind.
RMUoHP, particularly Academic Administration, is constantly striving to better the student experience. “Every decision we make,” said Peterson, “is done with the student experience in mind.”
