Transforming higher education for all.
Higher education is increasingly falling short of its promised benefits. We're ready to change that.
Most students choose the path of higher education to improve their career prospects. And higher education promises that upward mobility. But often individuals, companies, and goverments are investing time and money into postsecondary education that isn't returning economic opportunity. And even worse, this education often fails the people who need it most—first-generation college students, minorities, low-income students, and others.
Here at WGU, we want your organization to invest in something that will work. We are focused on changing institutions, systems, and infrastructures of higher education to help employers and individuals thrive. New technologies, strategies, and business models are changing the workforce every day, and WGU wants to ensure your employees have every opportunity to get the skills and knowledge they need to keep up.
Leading change.
WGU is dedicated to leading change in higher education so more students have the opportunities they deserve. Our partnerships, donations, and projects are all focused on moving higher education forward, preparing the workforce of the future.
Skill development.
WGU is dedicated to creating courses and programs that teach critical skills. By creating educational pathways that translate to improved skills, WGU helps students be better prepared for their future. Skill development that translates directly to work application benefits employers and employees alike.
Learners.
By focusing on learner types and learner records, WGU can help students get the best placement into programs and courses that are best for their needs. We innovate the higher education learning model by creating opportunities for all kinds of learners to thrive.
Digital divide.
Many students don't have access to ther internet, which is critical for higher education, online or traditional. We are working with partners to help provide individuals with the internet connection they need to be able to pursue higher education, get better jobs, and improve their lives. This innovation is critical for student success.
Stackable.
WGU is innovating stackable degree options, which gives students opportunities to customize their degree to their needs. Many currently working students know the specific skills they need to learn from their degree to progress in their career, and can create a program that will meet their needs.
Microcredentials.
WGU microcredentials allow students to begin boosting their résumé before they even graduate. Microcredentials enhance degree offerings by giving students additional résumé opportunities that prove additional competencies. Students will also have the opportunity to get microcredentials instead of full degree programs to help with specific skills.
Paying for college.
We work with partners to ensure we have many scholarship and grant options for students, helping them have the opportunity to afford college educaiton. The cost of higher education is prohibative for many individuals, so scholarships, grants, and federal aid are all vital to innovating the system, allowing more students to pursue education.
Proven innovation.
Here at WGU, we have taken many important steps in innovating the higher education model to make it work for more students. Discover our proven methods of higher education innovation that are currently working to help students thrive.
Competency-based education.
Competency-based education WGU's unique focus on actual learning, instead of seat time. We want students to be able to move forward in their schooling as soon as they can prove competency. We utilize assessments to allow students to demonstrate competency, so they can move forward as soon as they pass.
Education at scale.
Scaling education is critical for innovating the system. Schools that can't scale quickly or accept more students prevent more learners from having the opportunity to learn. At WGU, we are constantly working to improve our scaling options so any learner can be welcome at WGU, at any time.
People and connection.
People are at the heart of innovation in higher education. Connections, networking, and relationships are all key to creating a system that works for the future. Though WGU is an online university, we have utilized technology to help students and faculty make those vital connections that are crucial for the future.
Innovative faculty model.
Here at WGU, we utilize an individualized faculty model so every student has the support they need. Students are assigned a Program Mentor who is with them from the day they start, to the day they graduate. These Program Mentors ensure that WGU students have the guidance they need to find success.
Earning while learning.
WGU is designed to allow students to continue to earn while they learn. Students can continue to work full-time, keeping their income while they are pursuing higher education. They can also earn certificates or microcredentials while they are pursuing their degree, allowing them to boost their résumé while pursuing education.
Personal learning guide.
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Innovating together.
We can't innovate higher education alone. We need key partners who have the same goals that we do. These strategic relationships are vital in ensuring we are ready to move forward in projects and processes, allowing students the opportunities they need to succeed.
Technology partners.
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Investing in the future.
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Academic partnerships.
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Policy progress.
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Adopt policies and procedures.
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College of Business
We partner with experts in the field of business to ensure that students graduate with career-specific skills. Partners of our business college continually work with us to ensure we are able to cater to all kinds of learners and professions.
Teachers College
Understanding diversity in the classroom is essential to student success. We work with experts to create programs that are designed to prepare teachers and educators for diversity in the classroom.
College of Health
Working with patients directly involves understanding diverse backgrounds—and diverse nurses and healthcare leaders help enhance patient care. We utilize courses to help students be prepared and understanding of diversity in patient needs.
IT College
Technology is constantly changing, and programs need to change with it. Understanding how diversity impacts technology is critical for success. Partners in this college work to create environments that are welcoming and inclusive.
About WGU.
Learn more about what makes WGU such a unique institution to partner with in your efforts to expand education and align your workforce to career needs.
University leadership.
Scott Pulsipher, President, Western Governors University.
Scott Pulsipher has served as president of nonprofit Western Governors University (WGU), the nation’s first and largest competency-based university, since April 2016, leading all academic, operational, and organizational functions.
Pulsipher blends a personal drive for making a difference in the lives of individuals and families through education and a passion for technology-powered innovation. At WGU, he is driving continuous innovation to improve student outcomes by focusing on rapidly advancing curriculum quality, new faculty models, data-driven learning, and a different cost model. In 2020, EdTech Digest named him one of the Top 100 Influencers in EdTech.
Before coming to WGU, Pulsipher had more than 20 years of leadership experience in technology-based, customer-focused businesses, including Amazon, Sterling Commerce (now part of IBM), and two successful startups that traverse retail, supply chain, banking, payments, and manufacturing sectors. Pulsipher holds a bachelor’s degree in Management from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Harvard University.
WGU Governance.
WGU is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of educators, industry leaders, and state governors. In addition, WGU continues to draw support (although no ongoing state funding) from the Governors of the Member States that were instrumental in the founding of WGU.
Board of Trustees
Dr. Charles Sorenson, Chairman
President and CEO Emeritus
Intermountain Healthcare
John W. Bluford III
President
Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute
Cole Clark
Executive Director, Higher Education Client Relations
Deloitte Services, LP
Joseph B. Fuller
Professor of Management Practice and Co-Director of the Managing the Future of Work Project
Harvard University
The Honorable Jim Geringer
Director, Policy & Public Sector, ESRI
Governor of Wyoming (1995 – 2003)
The Honorable Eric Holcomb
Governor
State of Indiana
Tammy Johns
CEO
Strategy & Talent
Lenny Mendonca
Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor
Governor of California
Talia Milgrom-Elcott
Co-Founder and Executive Director
100Kin10
The Honorable Jared Polis
Governor
State of Colorado
Scott D. Pulsipher
President
Western Governors University
David Simmons
President
Simmons Media Group
Dr. Samuel H. Smith
President Emeritus
Washington State University
Jane Swift
President and Executive Director, LearnLaunch
Former Governor of Massachusetts
Jessie Woolley-Wilson
CEO and President
Dreambox Learning
Governors of Member States
Jim Geringer, Chairman
Governor, Wyoming 1995–2003
Michael O. Leavitt, Chairman Emeritus
Governor, Utah 1993–2003
Alaska
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Arizona
Governor Doug Ducey
California
Governor Gavin Newsom
Colorado
Governor Jared Polis
Guam
Governor Lourdes Aflague Leon Guerrero
Hawaii
Governor David Ige
Idaho
Governor Brad Little
Indiana
Governor Eric Holcomb
Montana
Governor Steve Bullock
Nebraska
Governor Pete Ricketts
Nevada
Governor Steve Sisolak
New Mexico
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
North Dakota
Governor Doug Burgum
Oklahoma
Governor Kevin Stitt
Oregon
Governor Kate Brown
South Dakota
Governor Kristi Noem
Texas
Governor Greg Abbott
Utah
Governor Gary Herbert
Washington
Governor Jay Inslee
Wyoming
Governor Mark Gordon
Our partners.
We work with hundreds of organizations as we work to innovate higher education. Some of our partners include:
Student stories.
Discover how innovative higher education has helped thousands of students pursue higher education and succeed in their careers and lives.
Frequently Asked Questions.
How is WGU different from other universities?
For more than 20 years, WGU has focused on unlocking opportunities and removing barriers to quality, access, and outcomes across the education-to-opportunity lifecycle. WGU is known for its flexible learning architecture, learning support systems, and job-relevant curriculum, all of which provide a better experience for working learners. Because our programs are designed around the realities experienced by a “21st century learner,” in which work, family obligations, and life events are in constant motion, employees together with their employers see higher levels of satisfaction and better outcomes in their learning and development goals.
Do WGU employer partnerships focus on a certain employee population?
WGU’s offerings create pathways to opportunities for all employees—from frontline employees to senior leaders. Our college-readiness programs prepare employees academically, socially, and emotionally to enter or re-enter postsecondary learning. Our advanced graduate programs are geared to seasoned leaders.
Our approach is built on the concept of stackability—the ability of credentials to build on each other as part of a career-long learning loop. Stackable credentials allow a learner’s education to accumulate incremental value along the learning journey, improving access to both upskilling and reskilling opportunities.
What is the process for developing a partnership?
At WGU, we design programs that are scalable, industry relevant, and flexible with little out-of-pocket cost to employees that allow them to focus on their immediate job responsibilities while also pursuing their program.
Our approach involves an initial assessment of your organization’s learning and workforce development objectives coupled with the identification of needed career development pathways and the associated WGU programs supporting these pathways.
We have an experienced team of advisors dedicated to helping your employees find the right program for their professional goals as well as program specialists providing implementation, internal communication, and reporting and monitoring support to your organization’s learning and development division.
What organizations have we worked with, and in what industries are our graduates employed?
As digital transformation continues to accelerate the pace of change across virtually all industries, investing in the learning and development of employees is becoming a universal business imperative. An organization’s future growth potential, customer experience, service quality, and ability to innovate and thrive are now more than ever inseparably tied to the pace by which executives close the skills gap among their workforce though upskilling and reskilling.
For this reason, WGU works with organizations that span the private and nonprofit spectrum—from large retailers to large school districts, from multi-state healthcare systems to large community college systems, from local government to key financial institutions.
Here are a few of the organizations we work with:
Retail (Kroger, Best Buy); Health Care (HCA Healthcare, Sentara, University of Vermont Health Network, Providence Health & Service); Airlines (Alaska Airlines, JetBlue); State & Local Government (City of Dayton, City of Memphis, Las Vegas, State of Texas); Finance & Insurance (Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Farmers Insurance, First Merchants Bank); Community Colleges & Systems (California Community College System, Ivy Tech Community College, Kentucky Community & Technical College System ); School Districts (Cincinnati Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools)