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| Accreditation |
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Regionally and Nationally Accredited
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Western Governors University is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges
and Universities, one of the major accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of
Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Northwest Commission is also
responsible for the accreditation of other major institutions such as the University of
Washington, University of Oregon, Gonzaga University, University of Utah, University of
Idaho, and BYU, to name just a few. Although regional accreditation is considered the highest
form of accreditation, WGU is also nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training
Council (DETC).
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A Unique Story in the Annals of Higher Education Accreditation
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WGU has the distinction of being the only university to receive regional accreditation from
four regional accrediting commissions. In part because of its founding by the governors of
19 western states, which encompass a wide geographic region, WGU was simultaneously reviewed
by a special committee — the Inter-Regional Accrediting Committee — comprised of
representatives from four regional accrediting commissions. In February 2003, the committee
awarded WGU accreditation in all four regions, an extraordinary recognition that had never
before nor since occurred. The Northwest Commission is now considered WGU's "home" accrediting
body because the university's headquarters are located in Utah, which falls under the review
of the Northwest Commission. WGU still continues to be an institution with a broad focus and a
mission to expand access to higher education. For instance, WGU now serves students in all
50 states and several foreign countries and employs faculty mentors in over 30 states.
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NCATE Accreditation
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In October 2006, the WGU Teachers College became the first and only online provider of teacher
education to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The
NCATE accrediting team extensively reviewed the entire WGU Teachers College curriculum to ensure "that candidates
have the knowledge and skills to be effective in helping all students learn." NCATE is the premier specialized accrediting
body for teacher preparation and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It accredits colleges of education that
produce over two-thirds of the nation's new teacher graduates annually. Read more about the NCATE Accreditation.
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
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| Click a question, see the answer below. |
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Click on a question above. See the answer here.
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"Competency-based…"
"I like the idea of a competency-based program. In some areas I already had expertise and skills so I could take an independent study class and build the portfolio and take the exams. In other areas I needed more instruction."
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| —Gretchen Burr, WGU graduate, high school teacher |
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"I am an expert…"
"Western Governors has raised the bar for online courses. Instead of graduating from their courses and saying, "I have passed all of the requirements," they want their students to say, "I graduated from WGU and I am an expert in the field of..."
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| —Jeffrey Cravy, WGU graduate student |
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"Competency-based…"
"Google has pioneered the idea of access to information. The reason Google thinks WGU is such a good idea is because WGU has pioneered the concept of competency-based education whenever you want it."
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| —Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google Inc. |
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more testimonials > |
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