Graduates from 43 States to Participate in WGU Regional Commencement in Austin on Saturday
Saturday, August 18, 2018 - Frank Erwin Center
Master's Ceremony 9:30 a.m. CDT
Bachelor's Ceremony 1:45 p.m. CDT
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1,000 graduates from 43 states, the District of Columbia, military installations overseas, and Canada will participate in Western Governors University's 67th commencement in Austin, Texas, on Saturday. Latrivia Guinn, a graduate from Richmond, Texas, will share her story of weathering Hurricane Harvey and the other "life hurricanes" on her journey to earning her degree and starting her new role as Program Director at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.
Commencement for master's degree recipients will begin at 9:30 a.m. CDT, with the bachelor's ceremony following at 1:45 p.m. CDT. Both ceremonies will be held at the Frank Erwin Center, but for those graduates, faculty, and staff who are unable attend the ceremony in person, the entire program will be streamed live at www.wgu.edu/wgu/commencement_austin2018
Decorated U.S. Army Black Hawk Pilot Elizabeth McCormick will give the commencement address and will be joined by graduate speakers Matthew Brimer, B.S. IT, Security from Moore, Oklahoma; Taylor Crow, B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies from Tomball, Texas; Joshua O'Nishea, M.S. Educational Leadership from Haughton, Louisiana; and Latrivia Guinn, M.S. Nursing – Education from Richmond, Texas.
During Saturday's ceremonies, WGU will recognize 10,851 undergraduate and 8,219 graduate degree recipients, who have completed their degrees since January 1, 2018, including 1,518 graduates of WGU Texas. Their areas of study include business, K-12 education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. The average time to graduation for those earning a bachelor's degree was 2 years, 4 months, while the average time to degree for graduate programs was 1 year, 8 months. The average age for those graduating is 39 years old.
Designed to meet the needs of working adults, WGU pioneered competency-based education, which measures learning rather than time spent in class. This model allows students to study and learn on their own schedules with individualized, one-to-one faculty support. They complete courses as soon as they demonstrate that they have mastered the subject matter, enabling them to move quickly through material they already know and spend more time on what they still need to learn. As a result, many WGU students are able to accelerate their studies, saving both time and money.
About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 100,000 students nationwide and has 117,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 21 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today's rapidly evolving economy. 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. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.
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Contact for media inquiries:
Joan Mitchell – VP of Public Relations
801-428-5463
[email protected]
Contact for enrollment information:
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wgu.edu
SOURCE Western Governors University
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