ARE CONTINUING.
CORONAVIRUS ONE YEAR LATER,
TOMORROW AT 9 ON LOCAL 4.
>> Tati: THIS PAST YEAR HAS HAD
A LOT OF PEOPLE REEVALUATING
THEIR LIVES AND THERE’S A WAY TO
GET A FOUR-YEAR EDUCATION TO
CLANG THE PATH YOU’RE ON IN HALF
THE TIME.
WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE,
AND YOU ATTEND IN YOUR OWN TIME
AND IT’S AT THE PACE THAT’S
RIGHT FOR YOU.
WE ARE JOINED BY THE REGIONAL
VICE PRESIDENT OF WGU ALLISON
BELL.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Tati: IT STARTED IN 1997.
HOW IS THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
DIFFERENT?
>> A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT
IT IS AN ONLINE COMPETENCY-BASED
FLEXIBLE PROGRAM WITH STUDENTS
AT THE CENTER.
I MEAN WE MEASURE WHAT YOU KNOW
AND ONCE YOU DEMONSTRATE
COMPETENCY, YOU MOVE ON, SO YOU
CAN MOVE AT YOUR OWN PLACE AND
TYPICALLY MORE QUICKLY THAN IN A
TRADITIONAL MODEL.
THEY WORK IN 6-MONTH TERMS, SO
MORE TIME TO GET THE COURSE WORK
DONE AND IT’S A FLAT RATE, LIKE
ALL YOU CAN EAT, YOU DON’T PAY
MORE TO LEARN MORE.
>> Tati: WE WOULD HAVE ALL
APPRECIATED IT WHEN WE WERE IN
COLLEGE.
>> SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.
>> Tati: HOW CAN PEOPLE EARN
THEIR FOUR-YEAR DEGREE IN AS
LITTLE AS 2 1/2 YEARS?
>> IT’S BECAUSE OF OUR
COMPETENCY MODEL AND
STUDENT-CENTERED MODEL.
YOU CAN ENROLL AT THE BEGINNING
OF ANY MONTH AND YOUR FIRST TERM
STARTS AT THAT TIME AND YOU WORK
WITH A PROGRAM MENTOR WHO IS A
FACULTY MEMBER WHO HELPS YOU
PLAN AND STAY ON COURSE, HOLD
YOU ACCOUNTABLE, AND THEN YOU
WORK THROUGH YOUR COURSE WORK.
IF YOU COME FROM A LOT OF
COMPETENCY FROM WORK EXPERIENCE,
TRAINING, PRIOR LEARNING, YOU
CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT AND MOVE TO
THE NEXT COURSE AND WORKS FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO
ACCELERATE THROUGH.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE LIKE TO SLOW IT
DOWN.
MAYBE YOU NEED TO TAKE MORE TIME
ON A TOPIC THAT YOU DON’T
ALREADY HAVE COMPETENCY IN SO
YOU CAN SLOW DOWN OR WHEN LIFE
HAPPENS WHICH IN THIS LAST YEAR,
THAT’S HAPPENED, IF YOU HAVE A
CHILD WHO IS SUDDENLY AT SCHOOL
OR HOME AND YOU NEED TO SLOW
DOWN THE COURSE WORK, YOU CAN
FOR THAT MODEL.
>> Tati: GREAT TO HAVE THE
OPTIONS.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE SOME COLLEGE
BUT NO DEGREE.
HOW IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT
DEGREE CHANGED OVER THE PAST
YEAR?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK BACK.
I’VE BEEN IN THE FIELD FOR A
LONG TIME AND I WORKED WITH
FOLKS BACK IN THE LAST BIG
RECESSION IN 2009 AND WORKED
WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE EXECUTIVES
BUT HADN’T EARNED THEIR DEGREE
AND LOST THEIR JOBS AND HERE
THEY ARE WITH ALL OF THIS
EXPERIENCE AND HAVING TROUBLE
LANDING AN EQUIVALENT POSITION
BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE THEIR
DEGREE.
THIS IS REMINDING ME OF THAT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE WELL-
WELL-QUALIFIED AND NEED TO
REDIRECT.
AND FAIR OR NOT, YOU’RE AT A
DISADVANTAGE.
>> Tati: VERY TRUE.
HOW DOES WGU KEEP YOUR PROGRAMS
AFFORDABLE?
>> SO WE ARE A NOT-FOR-PROFIT
AND OUR TUITION HAS ALWAYS BEEN
AFFORDABLE.
YOU’LL PAY BETWEEN $6,000 AND
$7,000 A YEAR FOR TUITION, AND
THAT’S ALL YOU CAN COMPLETE.
SO FLAT RATE.
A COUPLE OF THINGS WE’VE DONE
THIS YEAR, WE LAUNCHED
RESILIENCY GRANTS FOR THE BURDEN
THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
SO APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
AND WE OFFER ONLINE ACCESS
SCHOLARSHIPS TO HELP FOLKS WHO
MAY NEED ACCESS, HIGH-SPEED
INTERNET TO UTILIZE THE ONLINE
DEGREE PROGRAM.
>> Tati: THIS IS GREAT
INFORMATION!
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
>> Tati: IT’S OUR PLEASURE.
TO SEE ALL THAT WGU HAS TO OFFER
AND THE PROGRAM THAT’S RIGHT FOR