[OPLINTECH] Ohio Community College Parntership

[Ed via OPLINTECH]

I was made aware of a new partnership today between Ohio Community 
Colleges and an accredited online university, western governors 
university. What impact will this have on Ohio Public Libraries public 
internet computer usage and wifi accommodations? Do you think we will 
see more internet usage by patrons for online classes using public 
internet computers or more Internet usage by patrons with their own 
devices using wifi taking online classes ?

-Ed Liddle,

Marysville Public Library

www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/ohio_partnership_10-14-16#


    Ohio Community Colleges Announce Partnership with Western Governors
    University


    News Brief - 10/14/16

*Agreement extends online, competency-based learning opportunities to 
all community college graduates, offers a tuition discount to community 
college graduates and employees, and establishes a 3+1 transfer program 
in Nursing*

The Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC) today announced a new 
partnership with Western Governors University (WGU) that allows Ohio 
community college graduates to seamlessly transfer their coursework to 
WGU while also receiving discounted tuition to the accredited, online 
university.

“The needs of adult college students are different than those attending 
straight out of high school. Ohio’s community colleges understand that 
because we have adult students in our classroom every day. Those 
students need the option of having different and flexible pathways if we 
want more of them to finish their bachelor’s degree,” said Jack Hershey, 
President of the OACC. “By partnering with an online, competency-based 
university, Ohio community colleges are once again responding to a call 
from Governor John Kasich and doing our part to help increase the number 
of Ohioans who will obtain a bachelor’s degree and advance in the 
workforce.”

The idea to expand online, competency-based education options for 
Ohioans, particularly adult students and workers, as well as the idea to 
establish more transfer pathways in the state that allow students to 
complete their first three years of education at a community college, 
were both part of a higher education reform package offered earlier this 
year by Governor John Kasich. Today’s agreement moves the ball forward 
on both of the Governor’s proposals.

Under the terms of this agreement, WGU will:

  * Offer Ohio community colleges’ graduates and staff a five percent 5%
    tuition discount.
  * Graduates and staff of OACC colleges will also be eligible to apply
    for scholarships offered through the WGU Institutional Partner Fund.
    Scholarships are valued up to $2,000.00.
  * Prepare seamless associate degree to bachelor degree articulation
    agreements for all related degree programs in education, business,
    Information Technology and health professions.
  * Create a 3+1 transfer option for OACC colleges’ nursing graduates
    who possess an Ohio RN license and are employed as a nurse.
  * OACC college nursing graduates who are eligible for the 3+1 program
    may also enroll in the MS, Nursing bridge programs, in nursing
    education or nursing leadership and management. The BS, Nursing
    degree is awarded to the 3+2 student as they progress toward the MS,
    Nursing degree.
  * WGU will work with OACC colleges to develop a reverse transfer
    program. The reverse transfer program will permit OACC college
    students, who may transfer to WGU without an associate’s degree, to
    obtain an associate’s degree from their OACC college, while enrolled
    in a WGU bachelor’s degree. Upon completion of the associate’s
    degree, these students will be eligible for the 5% tuition discount.

“Even before signing this partnership, we have already seen 500 
graduates from Ohio community colleges go on to earn their bachelor’s 
degree from Western Governors University, but that is a number that we 
now expect to see grow significantly,” said Hershey. “A similar 
partnership in the State of Washington saw that state’s numbers of 
graduates grow to over 5,000 within five years. We believe that similar 
growth is possible in Ohio, because WGU is proving itself to be an 
institution that is very accommodating to the needs of transfer students. ”

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