Oct 4th, 2013
Jackson State Community College and Western Governors University Tennessee, http://tennessee.wgu.edu/, signed an articulation agreement that allows Jackson State graduates and staff to receive application fee waivers and discounted tuition to WGU Tennessee.
'This partnership provides great opportunity to our students and graduates,' said Dr. Bruce Blanding, president of Jackson State. 'WGU Tennessee and Jackson State share a goal of helping all Tennesseans achieve their education goals at an affordable price.'
The agreement between the two institutions also allows for credits from Jackson State to seamlessly transfer to WGU Tennessee.
'Today's agreement is the beginning of a great relationship between Jackson State and WGU Tennessee,' said Dr. Kimberly K. Estep, chancellor of WGU Tennessee. 'WGU Tennessee provides a smooth transition for community college graduates who want to complete a bachelor's degree. With this agreement, it will be easier and more affordable for Jackson State graduates to meet their educational goals and advance their careers. We are also pleased to extend the application fee waiver and 5 percent discount to Jackson State staff members, too.'
Launched by Gov. Bill Haslam earlier this year, WGU Tennessee is an online, accredited, nonprofit university aimed at expanding access to higher education for Tennesseans. Established to meet the needs of working adults who need to further their education to advance their careers, WGU Tennessee offers accredited bachelors and masters degree programs in business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Tennessee was created through a partnership between the state of Tennessee and nationally recognized Western Governors University.
WGU Tennessee uses an innovative learning model called competency-based education. Rather than earning degrees based on credit hours or time spent in class, students are required to demonstrate competency in degree subject matter. They advance by writing papers, completing assignments, and passing exams that demonstrate their knowledge of required subject matter. This allows students to move quickly through areas where they have prior work or academic experience and focus on the areas they still need to learn. Learning is individualized and guided by the one-on-one support of a faculty mentor. Degree programs are rigorous and challenging, but designed to allow students to schedule their studies to accommodate work and family obligations. Tuition is affordable, approximately $6,000 per year for most degree programs, regardless of how many courses a student completes.
WGU Tennessee has been established by the state of Tennessee as an online, competency-based university to expand access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership with Western Governors University, WGU Tennessee is open to all qualified Tennessee residents. The university offers 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.
Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).*
In addition to WGU Tennessee, there are four other WGU state-based, state-endorsed universities: WGU Indiana, established in June 2010, WGU Washington, established in April 2011, WGU Texas.