Western Governors University Forms 4 New Articulation Agreements with Higher Education Institutions
SALT LAKE CITY — Western Governors University (WGU) today announced that it has formed four additional articulation and transfer agreements with higher education institutions from across the country bringing its total to 8. These new institutions include Antioch University (OH), ISIM University (CO), Marylhurst University (OR), and Regis University (CO). WGU’s 4 existing articulation agreements are in place with Bellevue University (NE), Jones International University (CO), SUNY Empire State College (NY), and Thomas Edison State College (NJ).
These strategic alliances will allow students who graduate with a WGU competency-based associate’s degree to transfer into credit-based baccalaureate programs offered by the above institutions, and in the case of ISIM University, allow students who graduate with a WGU bachelor’s degree to transfer into a master’s degree. Students will work through WGU and directly with the above institutions to complete the articulation and transfer process. Most transfer students will enter these institutions with junior standing and the equivalent of at least 60 credit hours, which will enable them to further their educational goals.
WGU provost Douglas Johnstone, stated, “These agreements demonstrate the flexibility of a WGU competency-based degree and the adaptability of several quality institutions who are ready to accept such a degree for transfer. These institutions are providing a stepping stone for WGU graduates and have been very receptive to this crossover in higher education. WGU is pleased to see so many institutions embracing this idea and facilitating the articulation and transfer of WGU degree programs.”
“Articulation with students of WGU will promote study opportunities and degree completion for a wide and growing audience,” said Antioch University chancellor James W. Hall. “When higher education institutions work creatively together to increase opportunity it benefits students.” Hall noted that Antioch, through its BA degree completion program and other initiatives, has long been a proponent of innovations in higher education to expand access and opportunities to students.
Mary Adams, president of ISIM University added, “We are very excited to be partnering with WGU and to be able to offer their graduates a path for continuing their education in business and information technology through the master’s level. While the technological aspects of learning online garner a great deal of attention, it’s the problem-based teaching strategies and the practical, up-to-the minute expertise shared by instructor and collaborative peers that have the most impact on the learning experience at ISIM. It is that strategy, employed at ISIM since 1989, that makes our programs a natural fit with WGU’s competency-based model.”
“Our commitment to students is an ongoing assessment of their learning outcomes, combined with a focus on adult education, in a small college liberal arts setting,” stated Marylhurst University president Nancy Wilgenbusch. “Our Web-based courses are characterized by small class size and they offer a highly interactive experience within a lively learning community. Now, someone who is unable to attend classes in a traditional campus setting can complete a degree totally online. We think of this as offering a ladder to academic and professional achievement.”
William J. Husson, vice president and academic dean for the school for professional studies at Regis University added, “It is accurate to say that Western Governors University is the most innovative project in higher education in the United States today. We are proud to be a partner in its future.”
About Antioch University – (Yellow Springs, OH – www.antioch.edu
Antioch University is a national system of higher education with five campuses: Antioch College and Antioch University McGregor, both located in Yellow Springs, OH; Antioch New England, Keene, NH; Antioch University Seattle; and Antioch University Southern California, which has sites in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Antioch College was founded in 1852; its first president was Horace Mann. Today, the campuses of Antioch University offer academic programs that meet student purposes leading to degrees including the BA, MA, and the Ph.D. All programs emphasize a liberal arts core and high academic expectations supported by critical, disciplined, and rigorous study, and an integration of theory and practice.
About ISIM University – (Denver, CO – www.isim.edu
ISIM University is an award-winning, accredited online university founded in 1987. ISIM’s unique graduate programs focus specifically upon the areas in which technology and management meet. The current, rapidly changing and increasingly vital intersection of technology and business has created an unquenched demand for technology-savvy executives around the world, and ISIM’s student body reflects this global need with students enrolled from six continents. ISIM’s five graduate programs and certificate programs in business, project management, information management and information technology teach engineering and computer science professionals to become top business people with good communication skills. Likewise, they teach professionals with business or communication backgrounds to become savvy technologists.
About Marylhurst University – (Portland, OR – www.marylhurst.edu
Founded in 1893, Marylhurst is a liberal arts university and Oregon’s oldest Catholic university. US News & World Report’s 2001 college rankings ranked it “in the Western Region’s top tier and #1 with classes under 20 students.” It is fully accredited, welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds and is located within Portland Oregon’s metropolitan area.
About Regis University – (Denver, CO – www.regis.edu
Regis University provides value centered undergraduate and graduate education, and educates men and women of all ages to take leadership roles in a changing society. It is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Its School for Professional Studies serves 10,000 adult students in graduate degree programs, undergraduate degree programs, and teacher education programs. 2,500 students are enrolled in online courses.
About WGU
WGU offers the only online competency-based degrees in the country. At the University’s website, www.wgu.edu More information about WGU can be obtained at http://www.wgu.edu More information about Antioch University can be obtained at http://www.antioch.edu More information about ISIM University can be obtained at http://www.isim.edu More information about Marylhurst University can be obtained at http://www.marylhurst.edu More information about Regis University can be obtained at http://www.regis.edu 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
