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IS WGU A DIPLOMA MILL? ANOTHER LETTER FROM SOMEONE AT WGU

Yet another WGU Testimonial.

Since I first posted on WGU I get these comments. Many are anonymous. Others, like this one, are signed with an email address but .. when I ask for confirmation I dis not get one.

The emails always follow the same theme … Lets call the author “William”. This week’s author is “Mitch” Since I have not yet read Mitch’s comment, judge for your self if he is another “Willam.”

“William” is about 40, either dropped out of college or never went. He has on the job experience or is self taught and needs or believe he needs a degree to improve his ability get a job.

“William” says he likes WGU’s on line courses and thinks they are very good, He says how happy he is that WGU has courses that do not require him working with an actual expert in the field and says how helpful the WGU mentors are in assisting with Williams choosing on line, pass fail courses that will get him to his degree, ……?

William never addresses core issues with WGU … why does it hire mentors with no expertise in the fields being taught?, does WGU even have faculty experts, does the WGU tuition actually cost less than community college courses, does a WGU degree even help people get jobs?

All this brings me to two nasty questions,

SHOULD THE US SIMPLY HAVE AN EXAM SYSTEM TO GIVE DEGREE CREDIT FOR WORK EXPERIENCE?

or

IS WGU ANYTHING MORE THAN A DIPLOMA MILL?

 

Judge for yourself, is “Mitch” a student, a PR flack for WGU, or a victim of a system that values degrees above competence?

Mitch writes in response to a previous post:

‘I know I’m responding to a very old post but as a WGU student I’d like to respond with my experience and insight.

For me WGU has been a huge boon. I’ve worked in finance and economic business analysis for more than a decade. I work at the top of my game, am very good at what I do. Like a previous commenter my peers & subordinates all have MBAs. I have a GED. This disparity severely limits my upward mobility, as well as my career portability (I can’t get an interview at a different company unless I’ve personally worked with someone on the hiring team because without a diploma on my resume I wont get passed from HR to the hiring manager).

As a student who has attended both traditional brick and mortar schools and WGU I must disagree with your assertion that there are many ways to leverage outside experience to expedite progress at a traditional school. Most universities will not accept CLEP examinations for any upper division material and have a cap on the maximum number of CLEP credits they will accept, and furthermore require that at least a specific percentage of work be completed at that school. This means that those looking for clep study guides need to consider how to balance this with their life situation as it is.

For me the biggest frustration with traditional schools, and the biggest liberating factor for me at WGU was the elimination of time dependence of courses. What I mean by that is courses being bound to a traditional quarter or semester time block. If on day 1 I know 90% of the material for a course, I can’t stomach sitting through 12 weeks of review, rehash, and busywork just to get to the exam. At WGU if I can prove I know the material through passing the preliminary examination well above the minimum score on the final I am able to immediately move forward to the final. Likewise if I can complete the required projects for the course in a way that meets the course standards that course is complete and I am free to move on to the next course immediately. This has prevented me from becoming frustrated and disenfranchised with the education process, throwing my hands up and walking away furious.

This has allowed me to earn 52 competency units in the last 4 weeks by demonstrating knowledge I already had. Did I learn anything new? No I did not. Was I held to the same standard as a student finishing a similar course at a traditional school? Yes I believe I was.

For ten years I’ve worked 50+ hours per week, several years as a manager supervising a team of direct reports, in the field my degree will supposedly qualify me for an entry level position in. I don’t have 20+ hours per week and $48,000 for the next four years to end up exactly where I am now plus a piece of paper.

As of right now I’m on track to finish my BS in Business Management in 12 weeks, at a total cost of $3,035 including tuition, books, and fees. Does the average student graduate that quickly? No, they don’t. Student takes as long as is needed to finish the coursework to the satisfaction of the evaluators, whose standards are dictated by a board of experience professionals working in the field of study.

WGU requires a self-disciplined, self-motivated learner, capable learner. If you need your hand held, this is not the school for you.

I heartily recommend WGU for any professionals working in their field who need degrees to further their careers.

To read previous related posts, use the tag “WGU” below.


0 Comments Add Yours ↓

  1. Jim Justice #
    1

    I just finished with the MBA program through WGU. Every single student mentor I worked with had a Ph.D. either in the field being taught or a related field. I’m not sure where you get the idea that WGU hires mentors with no expertise in their fields, it’s simply not true.

  2. Jim Justice #
    2

    Edit: I meant to say course mentor not student mentor. Course mentors are the teachers, student mentors just help with general problems.

  3. theaveeditor #
    3

    If what you say is true, then it is news. Would you like to write a longer piece about your experience?

  4. Tammy G #
    4

    I am a WGU MAcc student and I received my BS there also. It is a good place to learn. All the teachers I had were PhD’d and had field experience. I am not sure if you are sour grapes or feel you didn’t get your monies worth at the brick and mortar school you went to that you feel the need to diss a different type of learning opportunity.

    Different isn’t wrong it is just different. If the same result is obtained it doesn’t really matter which road you took to get to the final destination does it? I learned a lot, and came out with more knowledge then when I went in. It is not for everyone, you have to be disciplined to do the work. It is self driven, if you have no drive then this program isn’t for you.
    Addressing the price issue, yes it is cheaper for me than finding a babysitter driving to the campus, gas, wear and tear on my car. It lets me work at my own pace and I have access to resources all the time.

    OH and my email isn’t fake feel free to reach out if you dare.