WGU to Recognize More than 6,700 Graduates at Semi-Annual Commencement
Online university has awarded nearly 43,000 degrees since its founding in 1997
ORLANDO, Feb. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Online, nonprofit Western Governors University (WGU) will honor more than 6,700 graduates at its 28th semi-annual commencement. And although they earned their degrees online and come from across the United States, 570 bachelor's and master's degree graduates from 42 states will come together to celebrate their momentous achievement, along with nearly 3,500 family members, friends, faculty and staff. The commencement ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 7 at the Disney Coronado Resort in Orlando at 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time.
WGU hosts in-person commencement ceremonies twice yearly. Students, faculty and staff who are unable to physically attend the ceremony have the ability to participate through a live stream on the WGU website.
Delivering the commencement address will be Horst Schulze, Chairman and CEO of Capella Hotel Group and former President and COO of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Four graduate speakers will share their WGU stories at the ceremony: Dale Boolton, B.S. Business, from West Chester, Ohio; Lissete Rico, M.A. English Language Learning (English as a Second Language), from Lehigh Acres, Florida; Bryon Denton, M.S. Nursing—Education, from Danville, Illinois; and Cindy Krupinski, B.S. IT Management, from Livonia, Michigan.
During Saturday's ceremonies, WGU will confer 4,071 undergraduate and 2,657 graduate degrees in four disciplines: business, K–12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Of the group to be honored on Saturday, 2,632 are first-generation college graduates, embodying WGU's commitment to providing accessible and affordable education to the underserved population. Designed to meet the needs of busy working adults, WGU's competency-based model makes it possible for students to set their own study schedules and move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. While WGU's online degree programs are rigorous and challenging, adult learners are still able to earn their degrees without sacrificing work, family, and financial obligations. As a result, many students are able to accelerate their studies, finishing faster and saving money—the average time to complete a bachelor's degree is 29 months.
For more information about WGU's 28th semi-annual commencement or to watch the event live, go to http://www.wgu.edu/wgu/commencement_winter2015.
About Western Governors University
Now with more than 53,000 students nationwide, WGU was established in 1997 by a bipartisan group of U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education. The nation's first competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House as what works in post-secondary education. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. WGU has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations, including AT&T, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.
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Contact for media inquiries:
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SOURCE Western Governors University
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