ABOUT WGU
University governance.
Nonprofit, independent, and guided by a mission.
Our mission is to change lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity.
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’s 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
The National Advisory Board.
Another crucial source of support is our National Advisory Board, made up of representatives from prestigious corporations and foundations. Members provide ongoing support and advice to the university.
WGU’s National Advisory Board is a diverse group of industry leaders. Its members help WGU foster a global, visionary perspective in the strategic planning process, ultimately enhancing our ability to fulfill our mission.
Guiding councils.
Academic programs are developed and guided by WGU administrators working through several councils, which comprise academicians and industry experts in the various fields of knowledge.
Academic Leadership
Scott D. Pulsipher
President
MBA, Harvard University
Marni Baker-Stein
Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Alan Smith
Vice President, Academic Business Process
M.S., Penn State University; MBA, University of Texas at Austin
Sarah DeMark
Vice President, Program Development
Ph.D., Arizona State University
Stacey Ludwig Johnson
Vice President, Academic Operations, Teachers College
Ph.D., University of Colorado, Denver
Mitsu Frazier
Vice President, Academic Operations, College of Business
MBA, Western Governors University
John Balderree
Vice President, Academic Operations, College of Information Technology
Master of Accounting and Financial Management, DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management; MBA, American InterContinental University
Scott Jones
Vice President, Academic Operations, College of Health Professions
MBA, University of Phoenix
Mark David Milliron
Executive Dean and Senior Vice President, Teachers College
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
J. Aaron Popham
Associate Vice President, Teachers College
Ph.D., Brigham Young University
Sean Atkins
Executive Dean and Senior Vice President, College of Business
MBA, University of Southern California
Ashutosh Tiwary
Executive Dean and Senior Vice President, College of Information Technology
ABD Ph.D., University of Washington
Elke Leeds
Dean and Academic Vice President, College of Information Technology
Ph.D., Walden University
Jan Jones-Schenk
Senior Vice President, College of Health Professions
DHSc., A.T. Still University
Janelle Sokolowich
Associate Vice President, College of Health Professions
Ph.D., Capella University
Lucas Kavlie
Vice President, Accreditation & Compliance
Ed.D., University of North Texas
Debbie Fowler
Senior Vice President, Student Success
J.D., University of San Diego
Assessment Council
Randy Bennett
Norman O. Frederiksen Chair in Assessment Innovation
ETS
Ph.D., Columbia University
C. Victor Bunderson
Professor, Instructional Psychology & Technology
Brigham Young University
Ph.D., Princeton University
Peter Ewell
Vice President
National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)
Ph.D., Yale University
Ric Luecht
Professor of Education Research Methodology
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Lawrence Rudner
Vice President, R&D
Graduate Management Admission Council
Ph.D., The Catholic University of America
Donna L. Sundre
Professor of Psychology
Executive Director, Center for Assessment and Research Studies
James Madison University
Ed.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Health Professions Program Council
Wheeler Coleman
CEO and Executive Partner
Executive Consultants United, LLC
Andrew Croshaw
CEO
Leavitt Partners, Salt Lake City, UT
Dr. Michelle L. Edwards, DNP, FACHE, FAANP
Chief Experience Officer
Providence, Renton, WA
Dr. Paul Handel
Board of Directors
Medecision, Inc.
Dr. Brent James
Medical Quality Guru
Quality Science, Salt Lake City, UT
Governor Mike Leavitt
Founder of Leavitt Partners
Former HHS Secretary and Governor of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Dr. Rhonda Medows
President Population Health Management, CEO Ayin Health Solutions
Providence, Seattle, WA
David Nash, MD, MBA
Founding Dean Emeritus
Jefferson College of Population Health, Philadelphia, PA
Delphene (Dell) B. Oliver, MSN, MBA
Chief Nursing Officer
Mountainside Hospital, Hackensack Meridian Health, Monclair, NJ
Dale Prestipino, BSEE
Executive VP, CIO
Price Waterhouse Coopers, Philadelphia, PA
Marcus Osborne
Senior Vice President
Walmart, AR
Carol Ann D. Wilhelm, MPH, RHIA
Consultant and Adjunct Instructor
Loma Linda University, Cypress College, Loma Linda, CA
Nursing Advisory Council
Kathy Apple, RN, MS, CAE
Former CEO, NCSBN (retired)
David Benton, RGN, PhD, FFNF, FRCN, FAAN
Chief Executive Officer
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
Brenda Cleary, PhD, RN, FAAN
Former Director
Center to Champion Nursing
Former NC Congressional Candidate
Mark Douglas, JD, FNP, RN
Head National Medicaid Innovation
Executive Director Population Health Strategy
Linda Knodel, MSN, RN, FAAN
AONE Past President
Chief Nurse Executive, Senior Vice President, National Patient Care Services
Kaiser Permanente
Richard C. MacIntyre, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor
Samuel Merritt University
Margaret McClure, PhD, RN, FAAN
Former Chief Nursing Officer
NYU Medical Center
Co-author of the original Magnet Hospital study under the auspices of the American Academy of Nursing
Amaechi George Ozor, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
WGU dual Alumnus from Prelicensure BSN and MSN Leadership and Management
Jane Swanson, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Director
Geri and Richard Brawerman Nursing Institute, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles
Sylvain Trepanier, DNP, RN, CENP
Regional Chief Clinical Executive
Providence St. Joseph Health
General Education Council
Milton Chen
Senior Fellow
The George Lucas Educational Foundation
Ph.D., Stanford University
Christine Johnson
Chancellor/CEO
Community Colleges of Spokane
Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder
Matt Newcomb
Associate Professor & Composition Coordinator, English Department
SUNY New Paltz
Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
Amelia Ross-Hammond
Professor of Music, Director, Service-Learning and Civic Engagement
Norfolk State University
Ph.D., University of Denver
Business Program Council
Frances A. Hume, SPHR GPHR
President
Hume ‘n Resources Consulting
MBA, University of Utah
Ernest E. Wessman
General Manager
Rescue Alert
MBA, University of Utah
Jim Stice
Professor
Brigham Young University
Ph.D., University of Washington
David H. Harrison
Harrison Management Consultants
MBA, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
Information Technology Program Council
Martin Carmichael
Managing Director, Business Information Security Officer
MUFG Americas
Chakib Chraibi
Chief Data Scientist, National Technical Information Service, U.S. Dept. of Commerce
Ph.D., Binghamton University
Mischel Kwon
Founder and CEO
MKACyber
M.S., Marymount University
Kumud Majumder
Sr. Vice President (Global SME Manager - Corporate Technology Officer)
CitiGroup, NYNJ
Ph.D., Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
David W. Ricker
Associate Director of Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence
Dartmouth College
M.A., John Carroll University
Education Program Council
Jennifer Carinci
Program Director, STEM Education Research
American Association for the Advancement of Science
John Conyers
President
Conyers & Associates
Lynn Gangone
President & CEO
AACTE
Cassandra Herring
President & CEO
Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity
Richard Lesh
Emeritus Rudy Distinguished Professor of Learning & Cognitive Sciences
Indiana University
Gary Natriello
Ruth L. Gottesman Prof. in Educ. Research
Columbia University
Wil Del Pilar
Vice President for Higher Education
The Education Trust
George Ann Rice
Planning Team Member
Troops to Education
Darlene Robles
Professor of Clinical Education
University of Southern California Rossier School of Education
Phil Rogers
Executive Director & CEO
NASDTEC
Michelle Weise
SVP, Workforce Strategies
Strada Education Network
P-12 Advisory Council
Lyle Ailshie
Former Education Chief
Tennessee Department of Education
Michael Dunn
Superintendent
NEW ESD 101
Jim Gay
Co-Director
OLAC Project
Jeanette Jenkins
Secondary Mentoring
Davis School District
John Pruette
Executive Director
DPI
Chris Templeton
Superintendent
Willard School District
Additional information.
Student success and performance data: Read about WGU student satisfaction, student success on national exams, and employer satisfaction in hiring WGU graduates.
FAQs: WGU's governance and structure
Is WGU a nonprofit or for-profit university?
WGU is a nonprofit online university that was founded by 19 U.S. governors. However, it is a private university, not a state university. WGU developed out of a vision for the future of higher education that emerged among the governors of the Western Governors Association (hence our name), but WGU operates independently with its own governance structure.
What is the role of a Program Council?
Each Program Council at WGU is composed of WGU faculty and outside experts in the field of study. The councils are responsible for guiding the development of degree programs. Each council helps define the skills and knowledge that a competent graduate should possess, helps determine the best ways to assess the competence, and monitors and reviews the relevance of each program over time.
What principles or themes guide the way WGU operates?
WGU was founded by 19 U.S. governors on two primary foundations:
The first a goal of expanding access to high-quality higher education through affordability, the use of technology, and flexible learning models. Particularly, WGU strives to serve historically underserved populations, including ethnic and racial minorities, first-generation college students, those with modest incomes, and those who live in rural or other geographic locations that do not allow them to attend traditional, campus-based colleges.
The second foundation is a goal of producing highly competent graduates for the benefit of themselves, their families, their industries, and their local and national economies.
How does WGU define success toward fulfilling its mission?
WGU defines mission fulfillment by focusing on four core themes. These core themes, their objectives, and their measures of success reinforce WGU’s commitment to its mission. The metrics assigned to each objective allow faculty and staff to evaluate their progress toward mission fulfillment.
- Core Theme 1: Develop people and leaders that enable WGU to accelerate its pace of innovation and meet scaling demands for rapidly improving student success, an ever-growing student body, and increasing sector influence and peer enablement.
- Core Theme 2: Advance the quality and relevancy of our academic credentials using a competency-based approach to enable students and graduates with the skills and competencies directly linked to professional readiness and success in the nation’s workforce for education, IT, business, and health.
- Core Theme 3: Accelerate advancements in student progress and attainment by driving the advancement of next-generation learning models that leverage technology, innovative faculty models, individualized learning, integrative program paths, self-service, social engagement, etc.
- Core Theme 4: Expand access to high-quality, affordable post-secondary programs, particularly among the underserved student populations, through greater awareness, credibility, efficiency, enabling partnerships and financial prudence.
Four colleges, one purpose.
WGU offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, IT, K–12 teacher education, and health professions, including nursing. Our programs align with the most in-demand careers in today’s job market, and we continually update our existing programs—and create new ones—to meet the most current needs of employers, the economy, and our students.
