John R. Swallow

John R. Swallow is the 24th president of Carthage College.

A scholar with more than 25 years of teaching, research, and leadership experience at small liberal arts colleges, President Swallow has a deep commitment to innovative education. Since taking office in July 2017, he has developed comprehensive strategies to guide the College’s work on several fronts.

Through his vision, Carthage has implemented a variety of forward-thinking initiatives. He has overseen the launches of The Aspire Program™ for career development, several academic programs that align with student interest, and three new NCAA Division III sports.

President Swallow stood up for cost transparency, going against the grain to implement a tuition reset. Determined to make a Carthage education accessible to the widest possible pool of talented students, he lowered the “sticker price” by 30 percent.

Similarly, he has worked to ensure an equitable and inclusive educational environment. President Swallow convened an advisory board of student, faculty, and staff representatives dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and directed each department on campus to design and carry out a diversity-focused project. Empowering its passionate alumni network, Carthage has raised millions of dollars in targeted campaigns to support women and students of color.

President Swallow laid out an overarching strategic framework to inform Carthage’s decision-making in the coming years as demographic changes make higher education increasingly competitive. United by the theme “Partnerships for a Rising Tide,” it emphasizes mutually beneficial connections with community partners.