After Seven Years, WGU Indiana Touts Growth, Offers Workforce Solutions
INDIANAPOLIS, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WGU Indiana, the state's online, nonprofit university, celebrates its seventh anniversary this week, having helped more than 4,700 Hoosiers achieve their dream of completing a college degree. Another 5,000 students are currently enrolled.
"The past seven years of WGU Indiana's history prove that a college education can be affordable, convenient and accessible to Hoosier adults," said WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Barber.
WGU Indiana works closely with business and academic leaders to develop course offerings and degrees that address current and future workforce needs for a rapidly changing economy. According to Lumina Foundation, more than 750,000 Hoosiers have attended college, but have no degree.
"Advanced education is a key factor in meeting Indiana's pressing need for an expanded, qualified workforce," Barber said. "We're eliminating unnecessary barriers for Hoosier adults who want to further their education and we are committed to offering innovative solutions to the workforce development challenges our state faces."
For many WGU Indiana graduates, degree completion has opened up new professional opportunities. Dawn Hanson, a registered nurse from Greenfield, was among the university's first seven graduates in 2010. As a WGU Indiana student, she worked tirelessly on her coursework while she was employed at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Soon after earning her bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN), she noticed a job posting for a corporation nurse position in her local school district. A BSN was one of the stated job requirements. She applied for the position, interviewed and accepted an offer of employment.
"Had I not earned my BSN, I would not have been an eligible candidate," Hanson said. "I have just completed my fifth year at Greenfield-Central as the corporation nurse. I love my job. I love working in my own community."
WGU Indiana has responded to Indiana's focus on STEM-based education and tech sector employment growth over the past seven years by developing new degrees; from a B.S. in health information management to bachelor's and master's degrees in cybersecurity and information assurance and data analytics. The university's online software development degree was recently named the best in the nation by College Choice.
For information about WGU Indiana's degree programs and scholarships, visit indiana.wgu.edu.
About WGU Indiana
WGU Indiana offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate online degree programs in business, education, information technology and healthcare, including nursing. The non-profit university's competency-based model allows students to accelerate through coursework at their own pace. In 2012, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recognized WGU Indiana for its contributions to the Commission's "Reaching Higher, Achieving More" agenda for excellence in academic quality. The university was also recognized as one of Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2013. In 2014, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) ranked WGU's secondary teacher preparation program first for quality, among 2,400 schools. According to a 2014 Gallup study, WGU graduates are more likely than graduates from other U.S. universities to have the jobs they want, feel engaged at work and have an emotional attachment to their alma mater.
Media Contact:
Lisa Abbott
[email protected]
317-532-7891
SOURCE WGU Indiana
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