When Bellingham resident Jeannine Lyon decided she wanted to go back to school, she knew she wanted to get her MBA with an emphasis in health care, but she wanted an option that would keep her in Whatcom County and let her continue working full-time at St. Joseph hospital.
After searching through all the "incredible programs," she found Western Governors University-Washington, the bachelor and masters' degree-granting online college established by the Legislature last spring.
"The best thing is it's right there, it's online, it's at your fingertips and is truly available," said the 46-year-old. "I'm a lifelong learner ... but my family is so important to me, I wouldn't give them up. If I had to choose, I wouldn't have gone back to school."
During the last legislative session, state lawmakers created a partnership with Western Governors University to establish a Washington "branch" of the online school. The idea for the national university came about in 1995 during a meeting of the Western Governors' Association, which covers 19 states and three territories.
WGU-Washington is a private school receiving no state financial support. But the university operates as a nonprofit organization, is accredited regionally by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally by several groups, and has been "endorsed" by the Legislature as a legitimate option for Washington adults looking to further their education.
The school is targeted at adults with some education, but who maybe didn't finish their bachelor's degree, or are looking to earn another degree in order to switch jobs or advance in their career.
WGU-Washington has bachelor's and master's degree programs in teaching, business, nursing and information technology.
Tuition is based on six-month periods instead of credits, meaning students who finish courses quickly can pay less in tuition. MBA and nursing programs are $3,250 per six months. The teacher, IT and business bachelor's programs cost $2,890 per six months.
One of the aspects of the school that makes it different from others is that programs are competency-based, meaning students move through classes on their own time, testing out of areas they already have mastered. The average time is takes to earn a degree is 30 months, according to Chancellor Jean Floten.
For Bellingham resident and WGU-Washington student Stefan Cockrell, the competency-based format means he doesn't have to sit through instruction in areas he already knows. And it gives him incentive to move through the classes quickly, saving tuition.
"For example, the math class I had to take ... I wasn't 100 percent sure about all the material, but once I got into the class, I was able to recall all the material and complete the course in two weeks," said the St. Joseph hospital emergency room nurse, adding that he also was able to test out of the next course. "Why should you have to sit and participate in a classroom for a lengthy period of time if you already know the material and know you're going to pass it?"
All instruction and testing is done online, with students moving through materials at their own pace. Students don't receive lectures from teachers; instead, they read texts on their own and watch webinars. But faculty are available for each course to answer questions and prompt discussions in online "communities."
Each student also is assigned a mentor, who sticks with him or her during their entire schooling. Mentors check in with new students weekly, helping them to set goals for how much coursework to get through and how to maintain those goals.
"I'm able to concentrate on the course material a little more intensely," Cockrell said. "I'm learning more and absorbing more material than I did at the two-year RN program at Whatcom."
But the school isn't necessarily for everyone. Students need to be able to stay motivated to get through the classes, and people who need continual human interaction to learn may have a hard time.
Lyon said she loves the curriculum and the fact she can move at her own pace, but she misses the face-to-face discussions.
"I find it hard to have meaningful discussions online," she said. "By the time you get the meaning across, you miss the tone of voice and opportunities to take the discussion down different path. ... I appreciate in-person conversation a lot more than the community chat rooms."
As of September, 1,247 students were enrolled in the online university across the state, with the largest concentration of students in Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties. In Whatcom County, more than 30 people were enrolled as of September, with more students regularly contacting the school for more information, Floten said.
Students can enroll monthly, as there are no academic quarters or terms.
"The opportunity has come to our county, and our state really," said Cockrell, who tends to do his class work while his 7-year-old triplets are in school. "I don't think I would have been able to go back to school if it wasn't for this particular curriculum."
