Feature Story
Michael Griffiths Named Vice President of Online Operations
President Aaron Hale has named Michael Griffiths the Vice President of Online Operations for Southern Virginia University. In this role, Griffiths will lead the design, accreditation, and launch of the university’s online undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
“As higher education continues to evolve, expanding our reach and making advanced degree programs accessible to a broader community is central to our mission,” said President Hale. “We are thrilled to welcome Michael Griffiths in this role. He brings the visionary leadership and technical expertise required to spearhead this transformational launch.”
“Under his leadership, we look forward to offering online bachelor’s degrees, as well as our first fully online master’s degree,” continued President Hale. “This marks a monumental milestone for our university, ensuring flexible, high-quality academic opportunities for students wherever they are.”
Aimed to serve students who are unable to attend classes on campus, SVU expects to offer online undergraduate classes beginning in spring 2027, building toward fully online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in fall 2027, pending accreditation approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
To maintain SVU’s personalized teaching style in a digital environment, Griffiths is utilizing an asynchronous video learning model that he developed while teaching at Brigham Young University–Hawaii. This model replaces standard text posts with asynchronous video exchanges between students and faculty.
“The most important thing about higher education isn’t just content—it’s the teacher and the content mixed together,” said Griffiths. “We want to bottle the magic, expertise, and passion of our professors and allow more people to experience that, recreating our close-knit campus environment for students who cannot be here in person. I first came to SVU as a professor and got to experience the unique feeling of campus personally, and I’m excited to build an online learning experience that helps online students feel the same.”
Griffiths joined Southern Virginia University in 2023 as a professor of computer science with more than 30 years of international experience in software development and education. He previously served as director of online learning for Brigham Young University–Hawaii, where he founded an online program delivering education to students in 70 countries. His background also includes executive roles as COO at Pro-Vigil Surveillance Services, CTO at Lexipol and English3, and CEO at Toorz. He also founded two charter schools and worked with the government of the Ivory Coast to establish a pilot for a national online learning program.
“Dr. Griffiths brings many years of experience in developing online programs and teacher training,” said Provost Brent Yergensen. “He also has worked with SVU for several years and is a champion of our mission and values. He is visionary and practical in identifying what programs will best assist students into careers and how those students’ successes will support and tell the SVU story. We are thrilled to have him here.”
Originally from England, Griffiths earned a bachelor’s degree in French studies and a doctorate in educational and instructional technology from Brigham Young University. He also served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paris, France.