Western Governors University Questions and Answers / Threads related to WGU

LinuxRacr

I just applied today. I still have to track down some official transcripts, and then get the comparison done.

Jagged

Okay, so now that EWB2 is out of my way on my end, when do I get to hear that the requirements are done? And then how early can I talk my mentor into doing my AAV? It is currently scheduled for Friday the 10th.

I want to get the IT Fund. and Database pre-assessments done. I have plenty of time next week, but all I can do is stare at the COS right now. Come on, why are we just sitting around

earweed

Go to MCMCSE.com and get some idea on your WFV1 stuff. Also check out w3schools.com. Contact your mentor about getting your books out to you early.

erpadmin

I had contacted my mentor to deal with me for AAV. I was not waiting until our scheduled talk to get AAV started. He'll most likely keep his scheduled appointment, in addition to scheduling your appointment that same day, but it's pretty standard for new students to ask the mentor for AAV asap so that the momentum can begin to build.

For example. I finished EWB same day on August 1 (Sunday). I don't speak to my mentor normally until Friday. I then contacted mentor Monday to get AAV up. He finds some time and he calls me during the afternoon. We then talk for about 45 minutes on the classes I want, he sets up AAV and then will still keep my appointment for Friday.

My sincerest apologies for not being clearer.

Jagged

earweed wrote: »

Go to MCMCSE.com and get some idea on your WFV1 stuff. Also check out w3schools.com. Contact your mentor about getting your books out to you early.

Thanks. I had seen mention of MCMCSE here but this is the first time I checked it out. Took the full CIW set of questions and the only thing I need to brush up on is ISDN and the OSI model . Don't think I need the books, just the pre-assessment to get the voucher rolling.

Jagged

erpadmin wrote: »

I had contacted my mentor to deal with me for AAV. I was not waiting until our scheduled talk to get AAV started. He'll most likely keep his scheduled appointment, but it's pretty standard for new students to ask the mentor for AAV asap so that the momentum can begin to build.

So are you saying they are used to getting impatient students but are strict on saying no to pushing up the AAV?

earweed

They usually push it up.

erpadmin

Jagged wrote: »

So are you saying they are used to getting impatient students but are strict on saying no to pushing up the AAV?

I definitely edited the above post. My sincerest apologies. It's definitely clearer now.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/446268-post791.html

Jagged

erpadmin wrote: »

I definitely edited the above post. My sincerest apologies. It's definitely clearer now.

Thanks, that's much clearer. Hopefully by tomorrow the EWB Mentors will give the all clear and I can set up with my Mentor on Friday. That's our set day, but since the initial call was today, the next one is set for the 10th.

erpadmin

Jagged wrote: »

Thanks, that's much clearer. Hopefully by tomorrow the EWB Mentors will give the all clear and I can set up with my Mentor on Friday. That's our set day, but since the initial call was today, the next one is set for the 10th.

OOOOOOO....hope you read this before you contact the EWB mentors, but they'll remind you anyway. As it's probably still fresh in your mind, you have course mentors, and then you have your mentor that you're going to be dealing with throughout your WGU career. When we say "mentor" we mean the latter, not the former. We will use "course mentors" when there is a need to discuss them. Personally, I only contacted my course mentor for Sec+ once, and that was just to ask her if I needed to go through the COS. When she told me no, I just went to town on my own.

Anyway, the point is you need to contact your mentor that you have your calls with ASAP, not the EWB mentors. He/she is the one that sets up AAV.

veritas_libertas

This is an interesting review of Distance Education from the Council of Higher Education Accreditation:

Assuring Quality in Distance Learning, "A Preliminary Review"

http://www.chea.org/pdf/HED_Apr1998.pdf

Western Governors University: Western Governors University (WGU) is probably the best-known of the new virtual universities, and is fairly unique in its structure and programs. In February 1996, the Western Governors Association endorsed and approved a document that stated the vision for an institution that would:

• Broaden access to higher education by fostering the use of advanced technology for the delivery of educational services, and
• Provide mechanisms for the formal recognition or certification of learning achieved, regardless of the source (Western Governors Association, 1996).

WGU began pilot offerings in January 1998. In a presentation to the Inter-Regional Accreditation Committee on December 2, 1997, representatives of the fledgling institution stated that it was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization in January of 1997 and is pursuing degree-granting authority as a Utah education institution. In addition to offering competency-based associate’s degrees, the institution will accommodate credit hour programs and courses for transfer. Sixteen additional programs are being contemplated.
The institution is pursuing authority to operate as a postsecondary institution in 16 states and Guam, and has requested experimental site status from the U.S. Department of Education for Federal
Title IV purposes.

WGU has engaged a variety of organizations to provide services. IBM is developing the Smart Catalogue/Advisor, which is the main access point for institutions and students to participate in WGU courses and services. The University of New Mexico will provide online library access to WGU students, Washington State University will handle registration and billing, and Follett Express will supply online bookstore services. Courses at WGU will be offered through a variety of higher education institutions and corporate and commercial sources through the World Wide Web and based on asynchronous communication. WGU will not employ teaching faculty and will not develop its own courseware. All
academic content for the WGU credential will be furnished by other providers through a solicitation
process.

uhtrinity

Previous mentors had signed me up for learning resources prior to the term and AAV acceptance. I'm sure it is pretty common.

Unforg1ven

So I applied for the scholarship, went through with the interview and also got the results of my transcript evaluation.

Seems like they didn't take many of my credits. I saw this little tidbit :

"Career or professional degrees (i.e. Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Industrial Technology, Associate of Business Administration, or Associate of Occupational Studies) will not be accepted to satisfy requirements."

That's most likely the kicker.... Also to point out for Operating Systems (ABV1), they did not take my 70-620 vista client cert. That is one I thought would be an equivalent for a W7 OS class right?

Guess I'll have to think about WGU before shelling out the cash to retake courses....

erpadmin

Unforg1ven wrote: »

So I applied for the scholarship, went through with the interview and also got the results of my transcript evaluation.

Seems like they didn't take many of my credits. I saw this little tidbit :



That's most likely the kicker.... Also to point out for Operating Systems (ABV1), they did not take my 70-620 vista client cert. That is one I thought would be an equivalent for a W7 OS class right?

Guess I'll have to think about WGU before shelling out the cash to retake courses....

Did they transfer in 15 CUs though (AT LEAST)?

The AAS was not surprising....many folks earlier have expressed that the AAS would not satisfy Gen Ed requirements (it's even on WGU's main page somewhere). Also, prior to March 2010, the 70-620 would have satisfied the requirements. After March 2010, it went to the 70-680. So you would have to take the 680. The good news is that you won't have to pay for vouchers...it's part of the tuition.

How many CUs did they accept, just out of curiousity?


The good news is that the 70-620 does count as a MCTS (a certification), so it's definitely 1 out of the 2 for the scholarship!

earweed

erpadmin wrote: »

The good news is that the 70-620 does count as a MCTS (a certification), so it's definitely 1 out of the 2 for the scholarship!

You have to have 2 certs transfer in so it wont count for the scholarship.

Unforg1ven

earweed wrote: »

You have to have 2 certs transfer in so it wont count for the scholarship.

Interesting point, but WGU's site says "Submit proof of having earned at least two current IT certifications". So I don't know what to think.

Also I was looking through the "Undergraduate Transfer Evaluation Guidelines" pdf and found this :

Requirement to Transfer :

Microsoft 70-620, Microsoft 70-270, Microsoft 70-680 or certification in MCSE, MCSA, MCDST, MCA, MCITP Consumer Support, MCITP Enterprise Support, MCITP Enterprise Administrator, MCITP Server Administrator, CompTIA Server+, or CompTIA Linux +.

I guess this all would have been a lot easier if i didn't have a degree or certs to begin with ...lol

erpadmin

Unforg1ven wrote: »

Interesting point, but WGU's site says "Submit proof of having earned at least two current IT certifications". So I don't know what to think.

Also I was looking through the "Undergraduate Transfer Evaluation Guidelines" pdf and found this :



I guess this all would have been a lot easier if i didn't have a degree or certs to begin with ...lol

Based on what you found, it's something you may want to appeal. The 620 may have been replaced, but it still counts toward the MCITP: EA. You might be able to fly through. I would bring that up with your enrollment counselor.

levensailor

I have the following certs:
CCNA
MCSA
MCITP: SA
MCTS: Windows 7
MCP: Windows XP
Network +

I'm thinking either the network admin or the security one since I'll get to re-up the ccna by adding security and thats really the hardest one that I've already knocked out

earweed

Do you have any credits to transfer in as that may qualify you for an IT scholarship.
Either one would be good for you. What kind of work do you do now and what do you want to be doing 5 years down the road? That should help you determine what path to take.

levensailor

I have about 90 credit hours and I am filling out the scholarship now.. I will probably do the security since I have been thinking about moving to the DC area within 5 years and that would be a good field..

erpadmin

levensailor wrote: »

I have about 90 credit hours and I am filling out the scholarship now.. I will probably do the security since I have been thinking about moving to the DC area within 5 years and that would be a good field..

Click on the thread in my signature for the scholarship, then. $600 a term for 5 terms (though for you...probably a year, if that) is not a bad deal!

Good luck on your journey. You'll find yourself in good company.

Unforg1ven

So I talked to my counselor about the certification transferring and they adjusted it just now.

In Total WGU took 23 CU's for the BS-IT: Network Admin Emphasis. Hopefully I am granted the I.T. scholorship

erpadmin

Unforg1ven wrote: »

So I talked to my counselor about the certification transferring and they adjusted it just now.

In Total WGU took 23 CU's for the BS-IT: Network Admin Emphasis. Hopefully I am granted the I.T. scholorship

Now that's alllll right.

Between your work experience, desire to go back to school, the CUs and your certs, you should have no problem getting the $600 a term. Once you get into the groove, you'll find how easy it is to knock classes out.

levensailor

CU = credit units?

erpadmin

levensailor wrote: »

CU = credit units?

Competency Units....basically the same thing. They have to call it that, because you're not spending (typically) 3-4 months on the same class.

To put that into perspective, I knocked out 12 CUs in less than one month for my first term. Twenty-six days to be exact. You may want to check out the Students Experiences thread as well. You'll probably want coffee to go through all those pages, but it's worth it.

petedude

erpadmin wrote: »

. . . You may want to check out the Students Experiences thread as well. You'll probably want coffee to go through all those pages, but it's worth it.

Start at the end of the thread and work back. That might make it a little easier, as the most recent discussions are usually the most useful.

veritas_libertas

levensailor wrote: »

I have the following certs:
CCNA
MCSA
MCITP: SA
MCTS: Windows 7
MCP: Windows XP
Network +

I'm thinking either the network admin or the security one since I'll get to re-up the ccna by adding security and thats really the hardest one that I've already knocked out

Depends, do you want to move into Cisco or Microsoft?

levensailor

definitely cisco. If I weren't going back to school I would pursue the ccnp now..

erpadmin

levensailor wrote: »

definitely cisco. If I weren't going back to school I would pursue the ccnp now..

Security it is, then.

veritas_libertas

erpadmin wrote: »

Security it is, then.

Exactly! Find what you like! There is really no reason to take classes for something you will not want to do anyway. I don't mind working with Cisco switches/routers, but I would much rather spend my time with servers. That being said, I will probably get at least the CCENT eventually.