Record-breaking class of 2013 Graduates from WGU Washington Today at Benaroya

Seattle, Wash. May 18, 2013 – WGU Washington’s second annual commencement ceremony is today, Saturday, May 18^th, at Benaroya Hall.  More than 500 WGU Washington students will receive degrees this year from the state’s only accredited, online university, almost double last year’s class of 270. Graduates from around the state will gather to celebrate as Rep. Cyrus Habib delivers the keynote speech. Habib, who represents Washington’s 48^th district, lost his eyesight at the age of eight and is Washington State’s first blind lawmaker in more than 50 years and the first Iranian-American elected to state office in the United States.Habib, an accomplished pianist, will also perform Gershwin’s Summertime on the venue’s grand piano.

“Cyrus represents everything that WGU Washington stands for” said WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten. “Undaunted in achieving his dreams, Cyrus’ joyous, uplifting and inspiring message will resonate with every student celebrating his or her fantastic achievement today.”

The commencement ceremony begins at 3 p.m with the following program:

• Welcome and Opening Remarks: Chancellor Jean Floten
• Commencement Address: Rep. Cyrus Habib, 48^th Legislative District
• Graduate Speakers:
  1. Connie Summers, Bothell
  2. Cathy Johnson, Newport (Spokane area)
  3. Julius Giron, Auburn
• Conferral of Degrees
• Rep. Cyrus Habib to perform Gershwin’s Summertime on grand piano
• Closing Remarks: WGU President, Dr. Robert Mendenhall

For more information contact Jake Riddell at 206-512-0025,jake.riddell@wgu.edu, or Lee Keller at 206-799-3805,Lee@thekellergroup.com. Also, footage and sound from the ceremony and graduates will be available on Dropbox.

 

More About WGU Washington

WGU Washington was established by the Washington State Legislature on April 22, 2011. WGU Washington is state-endorsed and offers degree programs that are accredited through Western Governors University.

 

WGU Washington offers 50 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Business, Information Technology, Teacher Education, and Health Professions, including Nursing. The university’s online, competency-based learning model is designed to meet the needs of working adults by providing an affordable, flexible option for earning an accredited, respected college degree. It’s non-profit and receives no money from the state.

 

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and nationally accredited through the Distance Education and Training Commission (DETC). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

 

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank.

 

Bothell resident to speak at WGU Washington’s second annual commencement Saturday at Benaroya Hall

MAY 16, 2013 · 10:55 AM

Bothell resident Connie Summers will receive her Bachelor of Science Business and Human Resources Management degree on Saturday and will make remarks as one of three commencement speakers for the Western Governor's University (WGU) Washington at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle. Summers works in Boeing’s human resources department and recently overcame the loss of her daughter.

“We are so proud of Connie and all our students,” said WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten, who will give the welcome and opening remarks.

Summers will be joined by more than 500 other WGU graduates at WGU Washington’s second annual commencement ceremony. This year’s class of graduating students is almost double last year’s class of 270.

Graduates from around the state will gather to celebrate their degrees as Rep. Cyrus Habib delivers the keynote speech. Habib, who represents Washington’s 48th district, lost his eyesight at the age of eight and is Washington State’s first blind lawmaker in more than 50 years. He is also the first Iranian-American elected to state office in the United States.

Habib, an accomplished pianist, will also perform Gershwin’s Summertime on the venue’s grand piano.

The commencement ceremony begins at 3 p.m.

WGU Washington’s innovative model of higher education is producing graduates with the skills to meet the advanced demands of today’s market. A recent Harris Interactive study shows that 100 percent of employers would not hesitate to hire another WGU graduate, 98 percent agree that WGU grads meet or exceed their expectations, and 98 percent consider WGU graduates equal to or better prepared than graduates of other universities.

http://www.bothell-reporter.com/community/207740941.html

Auburn man to speak at WGU Washington commencement

MAY 16, 2013 · 12:47 PM

Auburn's Julius Giron will be one of three speakers at the Western Governors University Washington's second annual commencement ceremony at Benaroya Hall on Saturday.

The ceremony begins at 3 p.m.

Giron will join more than 500 graduates, nearly doubling WGU Washington's inaugural graduating class. Giron will receive his bachelor of science degree in business management. He owns Northwest Languages, an interpreting and translation firm that specializes in helping native Spanish and Korean speakers understand medical communications.

"We are so proud of Julius and all our students," said WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten, who will give the welcome and opening remarks.

Rep. Cyrus Habib (D-Kirkland, District 48) will deliver the keynote speech. Habib lost his eyesight at the age of 8 and is the state's first blind lawmaker in more than 50 years. He is also the first Iranian-American elected to state office in the United States.

Habib, an accomplished pianist, also will perform Gershwin's "Summertime" on the venue's grand piano.

"We are so proud of Julius and all our students," said WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten, who will give the welcome and opening remarks.

WGU Washington was established by the Legislature in 2011. WGU Washington is state-endorsed and offers degree programs that are accredited through Western Governors University.

To learn more, visit washington.wgu.edu.

Gov. Inslee Signs SSB 5195 into law, extending State Need Grant to WGU Washington students

PRESS RELEASE

May 15, 2013, 8:13 p.m. EDT

OLYMPIA, Wash., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Governor Jay Inslee signed SSB 5195 into law today allowing WGU Washington students with financial need access to the State Need Grant Program. Previously, the state-endorsed, online university was unable to participate due to technicalities in the original language of the law, enacted long before online education was so pervasive.

"This bill will give our students the same financial help that's available to other low-income Washingtonians who attend public universities, colleges, and commercial and trade schools in the state," said WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten. "Our students are mostly mid-career adults, trying to make ends meet while they work, raise families, and go to school. To some students, the State Need Grant will give them the help they need to pay the rent and feed their families, and not have to choose between the two. Our students are very grateful to the Washington Legislature and Governor Inslee. The bill will play an important role in educating future generations of Washingtonians who seek the flexibility online learning provides."

Current students and people considering returning to school from all over the state will benefit from this new law. That includes Tricia Elsner of Federal Way. She's a single mother of triplets, each with varying degrees of behavioral challenges; two of the 17-year-old boys have autism. Another is Jay Castro of Seattle. He's dealing with several, chronic health issues while working two jobs and going to school fulltime. For Tricia, Jay, and so many others, State Need Grant assistance would ease significant financial strain and help them on their path toward achieving their dreams of a college education.

WGU Washington's innovative model of higher education is producing graduates with the skills to meet the advanced demands of today's market. A recent Harris Interactive study shows that nearly 100 percent of employers who have hired a WGU graduate would not hesitate to hire another, 98 percent agree that WGU grads meet or exceed their expectations, and 98 percent consider WGU graduates equal to or better prepared than graduates of other universities.

Saturday, May 18, a record number of students - 543 - will graduate from WGU Washington in its second annual commencement ceremony at 3:00 pm at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. WGU Washington was created by the Washington State Legislature in 2011 and currently has 4,425 enrolled students from all over the state.

If you'd like more information about the bill's passage, or would like to speak with a student from your area or WGU Washington Chancellor Floten, please contact Jake Riddell at 206-512-0025, jake.riddell@wgu.edu, or Lee Keller at 206-799-3805, Lee@thekellergroup.com.

About WGU Washington

WGU Washington was established by the Washington State Legislature on April 22, 2011. WGU Washington is state-endorsed and offers degree programs that are accredited through Western Governors University.

WGU Washington offers more than 50 bachelor's and master's degree programs in Business, Information Technology, Teacher Education, and Health Professions, including Nursing. The university's online, competency-based learning model is designed to meet the needs of working adults by providing an affordable, flexible option for earning an accredited, respected college degree. It's non-profit and receives no money from the state.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*).

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, the Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank.

*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.eduhttp://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-universityhttp://twitter.com/wguhttp://www.youtube.com/WesternGovernorsUnivhttp://news.wgu.edu/news/news.xml

Contact for media inquiries: Jake Riddell - Public Relations Manager (206) 512-0025 jake.riddell@wgu.edu

Contact for enrollment information: 877.214.7004washington.wgu.edu

SOURCE WGU Washington

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WGU: Online University Financial Aid

Good Morning Northwest: Interview with Jean Floten (WGU)

GeekWire Radio: How data, technology and analytics are reshaping education-WGU

March 9, 2013 at 4:33 am by Todd Bishop

Our topic this week on the GeekWire radio show: The future of education, and how technology is changing the experience of learning in the classroom and at home.

Joining me as guest host is Frank Catalano, the GeekWire columnist who works as aneducation technology consultant. He’s just back from a trip to SXSWedu in Austin, where he covered Bill Gates’ talk to the conference. Our opening news roundup covers some of the highlights from that talk, including the use of computerized “learning analytics” to understand a student’s progress and personalize their lessons, with an instructor as a guide.

Jean Floten, WGU Washington chancellor, joins us in the studio to talk about online learning. (Erynn Rose Photo.)

Our guest is Jean Floten, the chancellor of WGU Washington, the nonprofit online university that is part of the larger Western Governors University, recently named one of the most innovative companies of 2013 by Fast Company. Floten joins us starting in the second segment, explaining how WGU Washington applies many of these same principles, including learning analytics and personal mentoring, to its online courses, which are targeted in large part to mid-career adults.

“I just love this moment in time in higher education,” Floten says, describing this era as a renaissance for learning.

But is online learning for everyone? A recent New York Times opinion piece, the Trouble with Online College, highlighted the larger dropout rate for online courses for community college students, in particular.

Floten, who led Bellevue College before joining WGU Washington, has a unique perspective on the topic — informed in part by the analytics that WGU uses to track student progress.

“We have learned a lot about who is successful, and online learning is not for everyone,” she says. “For instance, we want to make sure a student has already had some college. We want to make sure that they’ve had experience with online learning. They need to be an incredibly self-motivated and independent achiever. Even though it is mentor-supported, you really need students that are disciplined enough to get through a curriculum."

Kirkland publisher ranks WGU as top online school

A Web publishing company that rates online colleges and universities says Western Governors University is the nation's top-performing online school.

By Katherine Long

Seattle Times higher education reporter

Its ad campaign pops up on TV and online, and its enrollment in Washington has quadrupled in 18 months.

Now, Western Governors University (WGU) has gotten a top ranking from a Kirkland publishing company, which calls it the best online school in the nation.

The No. 1 ranking comes from SR Education Group, an online publishing company started by a former Microsoft executive, which uses a combination of measures — including reputation among former students, affordability, and graduation and retention rates — to create the ranking of online higher-education institutions.

Geared mainly toward working adults, the school was founded in 1997 by the governors of 19 Western states, including Washington.

A private, nonprofit school, it's based in Utah but has a Washington tie. In 2011, the Legislature created a partnership between Washington and WGU, allowing it to be included in agreements for the transfer of college credits among Washington institutions. It does not receive any state money.

The state recognition led WGU to form WGU-Washington and hire Jean Floten, former president of Bellevue College, to be its chancellor.

Since June 2011, WGU's Washington enrollment has grown from 979 students to 4,012 today. Washington students make up about 10 percent of WGU's national enrollment of 38,479.

SR Education Group CEO Sung Rhee, a former Microsoft executive, said the schools that ranked highly on the company's list are geared to nontraditional students — students who are already in the workforce and looking to enhance their careers.

The rankings are based on about 4,000 online reviews from former students, and each one was read and approved by SR Education to make sure no one is trying to game the system, he said. The ranking also takes into account retention and graduation rates, which are culled from a federal college-data collection system.

Floten said she thinks WGU is earning a strong reputation because it provides one-on-one mentoring, the price is low — tuition is $5,780 a year — and it offers programs that are relevant to the workplace.

"It really is an amazing option for working adults," Floten said. "One of the features I love about it is it really does meet their schedule and their needs."

Although WGU did well overall on its rankings, the online reviews from students on the SR website are mixed. Some students said the program was "quite rigorous" and "a perfect fit," while other reviewers called it a "degree mill" or complained that curriculum and support were lacking. There are 101 student reviews posted for WGU, and 75 percent recommended the school.

SR Education Group has been providing the online guide since 2004. It only recently began ranking online schools for quality. No other schools with a Washington connection made the top-10 list.

Rhee said the website is free, funded by advertising, and the rankings are "completely done by us, without input from anybody."

Katherine Long: 206-464-2219 or klong@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @katherinelong.