Sloan-C ALN 2009 A Radical Model Presentation (Final)

A Radical Model for Post-Secondary Education
Over a Decade of Progress at Western Governors University
Janet Schnitz, Ed.D.
Associate Provost
Assessment
Thomas Zane, Ph.D.
Director of Assessment Quality and Validity

A Radical Model For Post-secondary Education
Vision for a new way of learning –
Online
Address changes in student population
Non-profit
Affordable

The Mission
The principal mission of Western Governors University is to improve quality and expand access to post-secondary educational opportunities by providing a means for individuals to learn independent of time or place and to earn competency-based degrees and other credentials that are credible to both academic institutions and employers.

The Students

The Structure
Governance
Board of Trustees
National Advisory Board
Program Councils
Organization by function
Business, not academic structure
Competency not “seat time” basis for graduation
6 month terms
No courses
No grades

The “Curriculum”

Domains

Courses of Study
Learning Resources & Opportunities
Assessments

Domains

Assessments

The Faculty
Disaggregated model
Council Members
Program Coordinators
Program Managers
Course Mentors
Student Mentors
Adjunct Contractors

The Process
Mentor Assignment
Enroll in Course of Study
Accelerate past/through learning opportunities
Assessments
Diagnostic Pretests
Objective Assessments
Performance Assessments
Other Culminating Assessments

What’s Next?
Continue to evolve the model
More experimentation
Move to integrate new technologies

Questions?
For more information, visit our website at: http://www.wgu.edu
Feel free to ask other questions via e-mail at:
Dr. Schnitz – jazbell@wgu.edu
Dr. Zane – tzane@wgu.edu
For enrollment information call: 866.225.5948