Ceremony in Anchorage, Alaska Governors Office : Anchorage Student To Receive Degree From Western Governors University (WGU),

(Salt Lake City, UT – June 13, 2001) Terry Hamm of Anchorage, Alaska will receive her Associate of Arts Degree from Western Governors University on Monday, June 18. Alaska Lt. Governor Fran Ulmer will make the diploma presentation at a ceremony in the Anchorage Governors office. Terry is the first Alaska student to receive a degree from Western Governors University (WGU), the only competency-based, online university in the country. Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles is one of four Western State Governors who sits on the WGU board of trustees.

Hamm enrolled in the program to ‘jump-start the process’ to finally finish a degree. Born and raised on a farm outside of Saskatchewan, Canada, Terry began her education at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Colombia. After 2 years of school, she and her husband moved to Bethel, Alaska – and eventually to Anchorage. In 1991 Terry went to work for the State of Alaska Division of Public Assistance, where she continues today as a Long Term Care Coordinator.

“When I enrolled in WGU, my husband was working full-time and attending the University of Alaska at Anchorage full-time,” stated Terry. “I felt there was enough stress in our life, so I chose WGU because it allowed me to study at home. Also, with the flexibility of independent study I was able to continue with most of my volunteer opportunities that mean a lot to me.”

Terry has decided to continue her online education, and plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in business at WGU. She says her life is too complicated with a job and volunteer work to pursue higher education on any schedule but her own.

WGUs unique design allows recognition for a students learning from life and work experience. Like Terry, each student is assigned a personal mentor, a professional in his or her field, who directs and guides students through their program. “WGU mentors are the high touch piece of our high tech university,” says WGU president Bob Mendenhall.

WGU has students enrolled from 44 states and 5 countries. The University offers 939 courses in its online catalog from 40 Education Providers from across the United States and Canada. The University has 30 employees and faculty members in its Salt Lake City, UT office, where WGU is based, and online in California, Colorado, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin. The University now offers 8 competency-based degree programs including associate of applied science degrees in IT/network administration and IT/CNE, associate of science degrees in business and IT, an associate of arts degree, bachelor of science degrees in business/IT management and computer information systems, and a master of arts degree in learning and technology. In addition, WGU now has 10 articulation agreements in place with institutions from around the country.

The University has 22 corporate and foundation partners with its newest partners including Convergys, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Marriott, Oracle, SCT, and Qwest. These partners join America Online, Apple, AT&T, Cisco Systems, Drake International, IBM, KPMG Consulting, Micron Technology, Microsoft, Novell, Sallie Mae, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Sun Microsystems, Swartz Foundation, Thomson Learning/Prometric, and 3Com in their support of the University and its mission.

More information about WGU

Contact

Amy C. Tejral

Director of University Affairs

Western Governors University

2040 East Murray Holladay Road

Suite 106

Salt Lake City, UT 84117

P: 801-274-3280

F: 801-274-3305

Email: atejral@wgu.edu