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TO EDUCATION, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
WGU Named 'Best Value School' by University Research & Review
SALT LAKE CITY, April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Online,
nonprofit Western Governors University (WGU), www.wgu.edu, is one of
13 universities honored as an inaugural Best Value School Awardee by
University Research & Review (UR&R), a national organization built to
help prospective students find the right high-quality colleges and
universities to fit their needs.
According to UR&R's founders, the new Best Value School Award is "not
a ranking system" and is designed to recognize institutions that
provide a great value for their students. Awardees are chosen by a
selection committee made up of academicians and entrepreneurs, who
consider nominees on a case-by-case basis rather than relying on a
one-size-fits-all metrics system.
"Every adult considering enrolling in an online degree program should
take a close look at Western Governors University, one of the most
unusual and innovative schools we've seen," according to the Best
Value School Award website. "Two things stand out, besides the very
reasonable cost, and they are: competency-based learning and the
overwhelmingly positive reviews this school receives from its students
and graduates."
WGU's more than 50 online, accredited degree programs are
competency-based, an innovative approach to education that allows
students to advance through their programs as soon as they're able to
demonstrate mastery of the material. Passing courses means proving
competencies that are defined by academic and industry experts to
reflect the latest needs of the marketplace. What matters is what a
student has learned, not how they learned it. Competency-based
education measures learning rather than time spent in class, so
professionals with knowledge and skills from work and previous college
experience can often move through their programs more quickly. And
because WGU charges tuition at a flat rate per term regardless of how
many courses are completed, saving time also means saving money.
Another factor cited by the selection committee for recognizing WGU
was its review of dozens of comments from current students and alumni,
which the committee found to be overwhelmingly positive. WGU is a
student-centric university, with student success as its No. 1 goal.
The data back that up: The 2013 National Survey of Student Engagement
found WGU's students ranked the university higher than the national
average on a number of key satisfaction indicators, including:
-- Quality of interactions with faculty: 9% higher
-- Academic support: 9% higher
-- Challenging coursework: 14% higher
-- Acquisition of job-related knowledge and skills: 9% higher
-- Would attend the same institution again: 28% higher
-- Rating of entire educational experience: 19% higher
WGU regularly surveys its students and graduates to gauge satisfaction
and drive continued improvement. In a survey conducted last year, 97%
of WGU students expressed satisfaction with their experience, with 58%
saying they were "very satisfied."
WGU offers more than 50 accredited bachelor's and master's degree
programs in the high-demand fields of business, information
technology, K-12 education, and healthcare, including nursing. For
more information on the Best Value School Award and WGU's recognition,
visit www.bestvaluecolleges.org. For more information on Western
Governors University, visit www.wgu.edu.
About Western Governors University
Recognized by President Obama as an innovative university that "awards
credits based on learning, not seat time," Western Governors
University is the only university in the U.S. offering accredited,
competency-based bachelor's and master's degree programs at scale.
Named one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies for 2013," WGU
has been featured on NPR's "All Things Considered,"NBC Nightly News
with Brian Williams, CNN's "Schools of Thought," and in The New York
Times.
WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and
Universities. WGU's Teachers College is the first exclusively online
provider of teacher education to receive accreditation for its teacher
licensure programs from NCATE, the National Council for Accreditation
of Teacher Education. The WGU bachelor's and master's nursing degree
programs are accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing
Education (CCNE*), and its B.S. in Health Informatics is accredited by
CAHIIM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and
Information Management Education).
Western Governors University has partnered with five states to
establish state-based universities aimed at adding affordable capacity
to state higher education systems. WGU Indiana, WGU Missouri, WGU
Tennessee, WGU Texas, and WGU Washington are key elements in their
states' strategies for increasing the percentage of adults with
bachelor's or master's degrees. These state-endorsed universities
offer degree programs that are accredited through WGU.
The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading
corporations and foundations, including AT&T, Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation,
Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More
information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.
*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are
accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One
Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington DC 20036, 202-877-6791).
Follow WGU: http://www.facebook.com/wgu.edu
http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university
http://twitter.com/wguhttp://www.youtube.com/WesternGovernorsUniv
http://google.com/+wguhttp://news.wgu.edu/news/news.xml
Contact for media inquiries: Joan Mitchell - VP of Public Relations
801-428-5463 jmitchell@wgu.edu
Contact for enrollment information: 866-225-5948 www.wgu.edu
SOURCE Western Governors University
-0- 04/02/2014
/Web Site: http://www.wgu.edu
CO: Western Governors University
ST: Utah
IN: EDU HED
SU: AWD SVY
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