IgnitED Newsletter January Edition
Sharing Innovative Approaches to Higher Education
Welcome to the January edition of IgnitED by WGU. This month, we learn more about Dr. Stacey Ludwig Johnson and her plans for the School of Education, how WGU Labs is working to solve higher education’s “wicked” problems, the impact of expanded access to education in Nebraska, and what the future of online higher education may look like.
If you know others who’d welcome insights on these topics, please invite them to subscribe. If you have feedback on this newsletter, feel free to contact us.
Changing Trajectories for Students: A Q&A with School of Education Senior Vice President Stacey Ludwig Johnson
In fall 2022, Dr. Stacey Ludwig Johnson was appointed as the new WGU senior vice president and executive dean of the School of Education. Learn more about Stacey’s strategic focus for the school.
WGU Labs Impact Report: Solving Higher Education’s Wicked Problems
WGU Labs released their 2022 impact report covering their work centered around removing barriers to access, redesigning the current learning experience, and strengthening the contemporary learn-to-work cycle. It also includes predictions for 2023.
Video: WGU and State of Nebraska Partner to Expand Access in Education
In August, Western Governors University signed a partnership with the state of Nebraska to expand education and workforce development options.
Podcast: The Future of Higher Education
Jennie Sanders, vice president of faculty experience and academic services, recently discussed how WGU was ahead of the pandemic curve and how it continues that trend in online education on the U.S. Distance Learning Association’s podcast Higher Ed Without Borders.
News We're Reading
University Business: Looking ahead to 2023: Here’s what’s in store for higher education
From a higher education perspective, colleges and universities will continue to set their sights on career readiness and student outcomes, both academically and emotionally.
Brookings: Going digital: How learning and employment records shape access to quality education and jobs
This report examines how digital credentials and learning and employment records (LERs) are shaping the ways people access education and career opportunities around the world.
Current Enrollment: 138,484
*Data as of Oct. 31, 2022
Graduates to Date: 300,628
*Data as of Nov. 18, 2022
WGU Student Story
Jayme Benabides
M.Ed. Learning and Technology (2020)
Pueblo, Colo.
Special education teacher Jayme Benabides saw a need to be met for at-risk kids in her impoverished community of Pueblo, Colorado. With a background in education technology, she created and runs a successful photography program for youth struggling with anxiety and depression. The program has been instrumental in helping provide support and an avenue to those facing mental health challenges.
Jayme's creativity has received rave reviews and comes at a time when more support is needed following the pandemic. The course has led the students to naturally engage in community service as they now focus on environmental preservation initiatives.
John is currently the chief technologist at Dev Technology Group, Inc., where he leads technical leaders in deploying effective, award-winning solutions to improve government service delivery and value. Prior to that, he served a 15-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service working for the Department of State on assignments domestically and abroad in a variety of critical roles. His diversity of experience, which also includes working at start-ups and in academia, provide him with a unique perspective that helps organizations stay competitive, innovative, and forward-looking. John is a two-time WGU graduate, with a B.S. in Information Technology and an M.S. in Management and Leadership. He is passionate about modern value delivery and organizational design, agile practice, and technology.
His career success comes from leveraging technology as a tool to advance an organization’s mission through its people. He advocates for, writes about, and builds diverse, multidisciplinary teams with a focus on curiosity, learning, and action to produce better results for our government and the people it serves.
