Western Governors University

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Western Governors University
The American Society for Horticultural
Science WGU A Brief Review and Update 12 July
1998
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Factors Impacting Higher Education

• increasing demand for access
• increasing costs
• disappearing education monopoly
• distance education by traditional providers
• non-traditional providers of content
• focusing on competency-based education

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Factors Impacting Higher Education

• expanding access to technology
• technologically literate students
• quality enhancement of instruction
• flexibility for individual learning styles
• availability of information resources
• moving from campus-based to consumer-based
  (competition or choice)

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Goals

• expanding access through technology
• providing formal recognition of acquired skills
  and competencies of students
• create an academic common market
• minimizing the costs of replication and
  duplication not a replacement for traditional
  campus

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• Academic Services Provided
• full spectrum of WGU credentials based on
  competencies and learning outcomes
  
  
  
  
  
• brokered programs and courses based on credit
  hours from a traditional institution
• WGU will not grant credit, be a credit bank, or
  award a credit-based credential

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Academic Content

• WGU will not employ teaching faculty and will
  not develop its own courseware
  
  
  
  
  
• all academic content, both for the WGU
  credential and the brokering function, will be
  furnished by other providers through a
  solicitation process
  
  
  
  
  
• providers must meet WGU quality standards

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Western Governors University
WGU Competency Credential
Curriculum Design Specify Competencies
(WGU Function)
(Partner Providers Institutions)
Content Provision
Assessment of Attainment of Competencies
(WGU Function)
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Western Governors University
WGU Brokered Credential
WGU SmartCatalog Lists Credit Courses and
Programs
(WGU Service)
(Partner Providers Institutions)
Content Provision
Student Seeking Credit Courses and Programs
(WGU Service)
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Western Governors University
Student Options
WGU SmartCatalog
WGU Credential
Provider/ Partner Degree
Individual Course for Credit
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Market for Academic Content

• similar content from many qualified providers
  (English composition)
• WGU will not choose a best provider rather will
  list all qualifying content
• WGU will provide information to student
  tuition, technology, success rate, schedule
• student makes informed choice

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The Response to the WGU Vision
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• Alaska
• Arizona
• Colorado
• Guam
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Montana
• Nebraska

• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming

States
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International

• collaborative agreements with institutions in
• Great Britain
• Japan
• British Columbia
• Mexico
• China
• discussions with Korea, Russia, Malaysia

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• WGU and Accreditation
• inter-regional accrediting committee made up
  from regional associations covering participating
  states
• common requirements for eligibility, candidacy,
  and accreditation joint status
• eligibility status granted 7 May 1998
• preparing for candidacy

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• IBM
• Sun Microsystems
• Micron
• ATT
• International
  
  
  
  
  Thomson
  
  
  
  
  Publishing
• Microsoft
• Sylvan

• 3COM
• Apple Computer
• US West
• Oracle
• KPMG
• Novell
• Sloan Foundation
• Cisco Systems

Partners
members National Advisory Board
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• WGU Current Status
• campus-wide information system, including
  SmartCatalog, functional
• pilot phase of operations enroll limited
  students in about a week
  
• outsourcing of several functions
• information resources (UNM)
• bookstore services (Follett Express)
• student services (WSU)

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• WGU Current Status
• open for general student and provider
  participation in about one month grand opening
  to follow
• accreditation eligibility status granted 7 May
  1998 preparing for candidacy
• licensing completed or waived in 10-11 states
  in-process in remaining states

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• WGU Current Status
• academic councils in place and functioning
• aa degree articulation with USHE
• additional competency-based credentials being
  developed (6-8)
• transitioning several functions from contractors
  to staff

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For More Information www.wgu.edu
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Thank You!