Western Governors University Forms Articulation Agreements With Three Community College Consortiums

SALT LAKE CITY – July 12, 2001 – Western Governors University (WGU) today announced that it has formed articulation and transfer agreements with three community college consortiums – the Community Colleges of the State of Nebraska, The League for Innovation in the Community College, and Maricopa County Community College District. WGU already has articulation agreements in place with Antioch University (OH), Bellevue University (NE), ISIM University (CO), Jones International University (CO), Marylhurst University (OR), Regis University (CO), SUNY Empire State College (NY), and Thomas Edison State College (NJ).

“These pioneering agreements will provide real service to community college graduates, and WGU looks forward to concluding many similar agreements in the future,” stated WGU provost, Chip Johnstone. “Many four-year colleges and universities express interest in enrolling community college graduates in their upper division programs. But too often the reality is quite different–especially in high demand programs, where classrooms fill with students already enrolled in the four-year institution before the community college grad can even knock on the door. Enrolling at WGU avoids that problem–our systems and services are entirely online, and we can scale to meet any demand. Articulation with WGU involves a commitment we will keep.”

Students who have earned an associate’s degree at Nebraska’s community colleges will be able to transfer into competency-based, bachelor’s degrees at WGU. Nebraska community colleges are geographically located

so that this option will be available to all Nebraskans.

The agreement with the League for Innovation encourages member institutions of the League Alliance to conclude WGU agreements for their students and also provides specific benefits for faculty and staff interested in completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees through WGU’s online, competency-based programs. The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international association dedicated to catalyzing the potential of the community college movement. The League Alliance includes more than 700 community and technical colleges from around the world.

Students who have earned an associate’s degree from one of the Maricopa Community Colleges will be recognized as having satisfied the lower-division degree competencies associated with WGU bachelor’s degree programs and will be admitted as upper-division students at WGU. The Maricopa County Community College District ranks as the nation’s largest system of its kind and as the largest single provider of higher education in Arizona – a major resource for those seeking post-secondary education and job training. Today, the District consists of ten nationally accredited colleges, two skill center locations and multiple satellite education centers.

About WGU

WGU offers the only online competency-based degrees in the country. At the University’s website, www.wgu.edu , students can find descriptions of competency-based degree programs, an online catalog of quality distance-learning courses, an online library, bookstore, and access to a personal WGU mentor, who will guide a student through his or her customized degree program. Students can use prior work, college and life experience coupled with learning new skills to develop and demonstrate the competencies necessary to earn a WGU degree that is relevant to education and career goals. WGU provides accessibility, flexibility, and the opportunity for all students to achieve their educational goals. WGU was founded and is supported by 19 states and governors as well as 22 leading corporations and foundations. Current WGU degree offerings include an associate of arts degree, associate of applied science degrees in IT/network administration and IT/CNE, associate of science degrees in business and IT, bachelor of science degrees in business/IT management and computer information systems, and a master of arts degree in learning and technology. More information about WGU can be obtained at www.wgu.edu

More information about the League for Innovation can be obtained at

More information about Maricopa County Community College District can be obtained at www.maricopa.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