Calendar of Events

New Provost Appointed

WGU recently named Sal Monaco, Ph.D. as its new provost and vice president of academic affairs. Sal joins WGU following a distinguished career developing and delivering high quality educational programs in business, technology, health care administration, and education. He spent 10 years at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), serving until 2006 as vice provost and dean of the Graduate School of Management and Technology, delivering online degrees to more than 12,000 students enrolled in 20 degree and 40 certificate programs. He holds a B.S.E. from Manhattan College, an M.S.E. from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. from the Lally School of Management and Technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His appointment began January 21, 2008.

Assessments vs. Competency

Being a WGU student is not as easy as some would think. It requires high motivation, self-monitoring, and the ability to adjust the way a student views education. Prior to enrolling with WGU, many students have only interacted with traditional education techniques and styles. Sitting in a classroom, listening to lectures, taking notes, and completing homework assignments were routine. This is not the case at WGU. Our students learn through a competency-based system. Unfortunately, traditional mindsets can still cause a WGU student's focus to be misdirected. WGU students prove their capability through assessments, performance tasks and objective exams. These items are meant to gage a student's competency. Many students, however, find themselves behaving as if they simply are preparing for a large exam. They are focused only on passing assessments. This is not WGU's goal. Again, assessments and exams are ways to determine your competency, not competency itself.

Has your approach to learning been interrupted by old study habits? In order to be successful, students should focus on mastering their current area of study. In addition, they should learn how they learn best, and develop time management and study strategies that will help them to succeed. Once students are competent and knowledgeable in a subject, they will be well prepared to demonstrate it, regardless of the type of assessment that comes their way.

Remember, the WGU promise is to help students achieve their dreams for a degree and career success by providing a personal, flexible, and affordable education based on real world competencies. Keep your focus on "real world competency" and you're sure to do well.

The Alumni Speak: Succeeding as a Student at WGU

We asked our alumni about their experience with WGU and how they succeeded. Alumnus Randy Potts shared some of his secrets with us.

How did you manage your WGU degree? I managed completion of my degree as a full-time employee and student by focusing on the various competency domains and attempting to match-up my stronger areas of knowledge during times of the year where I would be traveling or carrying a heavier than normal workload. During the slower times of my professional career, I would concentrate on the areas that I had not been exposed to as much. By dividing my time in this manner, I was able to balance my energies more effectively.

Do you have any tips for staying on track/completing the program? Understanding yourself, how you learn, and how you are motivated are keys to succeeding. When I receive recognition for my success, my motivation to work even harder increases. I would work on my performance-based assessments early in my term because I understood that those would take longer to grade. Mentally I am unable to move on to the next topic until I complete the previous one. I also wanted to use the feedback that I received to help me with the next assessment. As soon as I received the grade report from Taskstream, I immediately began the next performance assessment – riding the wave of my motivational high. After completing my performance tasks, I would focus my energies on the objective exams. Many times I would use the performance assessments I completed as an initial review of the competencies I needed to demonstrate on the exam.

How well did this strategy work for you? I was able to successfully complete my undergraduate and graduate work in less than two years. I will point out though that there were many times I was working at two and three o’clock in the morning. The greatest benefit to me is the advantage of WGU’s program to facilitate my personal methods and needs.

How was your degree received in the professional world? My degrees have been received both with extreme enthusiasm and mixed reviews, depending upon the audience. I have found that national or global corporations were extremely receptive to the program. They were amazed that I was able to complete the program without the need for direct physical contact typically associated with a traditional classroom. There were some that required additional time for me to explain the competency model to them, and the self-motivation a successful graduate must demonstrate in that model. Oddly enough and only in my observations, I found that those that were more skeptical of the WGU model also happened to be micro-managers in the worse sense. I evaluated how often I experienced a skeptic verses an enthusiast, and the enthusiasts out number the skeptics nearly three to one.

Is there anything else you would tell WGU students? Now I know statistics and quantitative analysis has truly paid-off. I also have found success in other educational institutions’ receptiveness of WGU’s credentials – to date every institution I have made formal application to has accepted my degrees, including an Ivy League school.

Randy Potts is located in Herriman, Utah, and graduated from WGU in September 2006 with a BS in Information Security, and in June 2007 with an MBA in IT Management Emphasis.

Career Services

Reserve Your FREE Job Choices Magazine Today!

• Find out what companies are hiring.
• Learn about the different opportunities available for entry level and experienced.
• Browse employment/internship/executive management program opportunities by location and occupation.
• Gather resourceful tips from career articles (How to Market Yourself, Exploring the Job Market, Resume Preparation).

WGU Career Services in partnership with the National Association of Colleges and Employers are providing free career resource magazines to WGU students and alumni. There are three magazine editions to select from: Diversity, Job Choices for Business & Liberal Arts Students and Job Choice for Science, Engineering & Technology Students.

Diversity Edition	Business & Liberal Arts Students	Science, Engineering, & Technology Students
Order Information To reserve your copy, please send an e-mail to careers@wgu.edu with: 1. Your name 2. Magazine selection 3. Mailing address Limited copies are available, so order by Friday, February 15, 2008.

Education Opportunities Increase with Special Scholarship Offerings

Western Governors University continues to work to offer scholarship opportunities for students, especially in high-need areas. The newest offerings from the WGU Teachers College include rural teaching scholarships, made available through a grant from the Department of Labor. The $7,500 scholarships are being offered to qualified individuals who reside in rural areas who want to become licensed teachers in math or science, or existing teachers who live in rural areas and want to earn a master’s degree in math or science education. The scholarships may be expanded to other degree areas.

Locally, in Utah, WGU is working with Kennecott Land and the Jordan School District to offer the Kennecott Land Sustainable Community Scholarships, valued at $5,000. These scholarships are available to local teachers who want to earn a master’s degree.

In addition, Western Governors University offered $ 5,000 Scholarships for Effective ELL Educators to help current teachers earn an online master’s degree as well as a recognized endorsement in English language learning (ELL) or English as a second language (ESL).

Future of Nursing Scholarships, valued at $ 5,000, are being offered to working nurses to become educators, managers, and leaders in various healthcare settings. The scholarships are available for M.S. in Nursing–Education and M.S. in Nursing–Leadership and Management degree programs.

The university also has begun offering $1,500 Spouses to Graduates scholarships for military spouses who want to earn a degree in any discipline at WGU.