Lone Star, San Jacinto join forces with WGU
The Lone Star College System has added another partnership with a four-year institution to its ranks in a ongoing effort to make it easier for students continuing on in their education.
On Monday, LSC signed a partnership with Western Governors University, also known as WGU Texas. The nonprofit online institution will now offer LSC graduates, faculty and staff a selection of its more than 60 accredited bachelor’s and master’s degrees in information technology, business, health professions and teaching in a streamlined transfer agreement.
Steve Head, the LSC chancellor, said this is an arrangement that complements what the system is already doing.
“We want to work closely with WGU Texas so that students are really clear about what classes they should take if they want to go there. That saves money and time,” said Head, who is also a member of WGU Texas’ advisory board.
After receiving an associate degree from LSC, students wishing to transfer can now receive special benefits from WGU Texas, such as a 5 percent discount on tuition, partner scholarships and a comprehensive transfer policy.
The WGU Texas education is unique in that not only are classes online but the institution provides competency-based education — meaning that a student can earn credit based on their learning outcomes from prior experiences.
“We like that concept, and we’re seeing how it might work for us,” Head said.
For WGU Texas, the formal agreement goes back to the institution’s fundamental belief that there should be seamless pathways for students.
WGU Texas Chancellor Steven Johnson said he hopes to forge a similar agreement with all community colleges in Texas.
“It’s driven by the need to make sure that students have pathways that are the least sticky so you don’t have credit loss or wasted time,” Johnson said, reiterating that the goals are to keep costs down, reduce student debt and help students balance their responsibilities.
In this way, WGU Texas also upgraded its partnership with San Jacinto College in Pasadena to continue the pathway for community college students to further their education. Earlier this year, the two institutions entered into an agreement for students interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College chancellor, said in a statement that this agreement helps students reach their goals.
“With this partnership, both institutions are committed to providing our students with educational pathways to earning a fouryear degree, expand their education and increase their earning potential,” Hellyer said.
Currently, WGU Texas enrolls more than 12,500 students with more than 1,300 of those students transferring in from Lone Star College or San Jacinto College. Johnson said that WGU Texas has a growth rate of about 18 percent year over year.