Western Governors University

...me. The sun is setting on my first term. I have finished 3 courses more than required for this term so I decided to take a few weeks off until the start of the next term in December. So, as I'm sitting here watching the Jets whoop upon the Redskins, what do I find myself doing? Working on the next class - the class I can't enroll in until the next term. I didn't pursue this masters for my job. The degree won't get promoted. It won't get me a pay raise. I'm doing it for me. So when I started reading some of these reviews I couldn't help but think of why some of these bad experiences have occurred. My biggest problem with WGU has been me. My admissions counselor wasn't Miss Personality, but she got the job done. My student mentor's weekly call is a welcomed study break every Monday evening. His calls are kind of like talking to Dad, "How's the week been? Got any big plans? This was your goal and you did this... is there anything I can do to help? Here's something you may want to think about. Talk to you next week." He holds me accountable for... me. What I said I would do. As we learned in the Army, the maximum effective range of an excuse .... is zero. Every course mentor has replied to my queries. In 5 months I've done 3 or 4 webinars. Each one the mentors wanted to answer any question I might have. Yes, TaskStream (grading) can be slower than I want, and yes, sometimes I wonder what the grader had been smoking that day, but its no different than waiting when I was at a brick and mortar school. I remember once I took a master's level management course at UT-K, from someone who had never managed more than a typing assistant. Yes, I've had a few assignments returned and one even made me a little irritated, but I fixed what they wanted and moved on. So I think my experience has been better than some because I understood the meaning of "competency based". Truth be told I haven't learned a whole lot of new material, and I'm 17 CU's into a 30 CU degree. That's probably because if I was smart enough to teach myself IT over the last 15 years, smart enough to pass the CISSP (WGU qualifier) and smart enough to pass most assignments the first time, then I was smart enough to understand that a competency based education was not going to spoon feed me. I had to adhere to the schedule I set up for study, and I had to execute. With age and experience comes perspective, so maybe the new kid who can tear apart a data packet gets frustrated with the grader when they can't articulate a security policy well enough to pass an assignment. I've had to write DR and BC plans; I've had to write policies; I've had to do most of the boring things that IT leaders have to do - because I've been one for so long. So, back to WGU. Technology is great. Mentors mentor. Some material is dated. Grading isn't as fast as I want, but reasonable. Lord willing and if the creek don't rise, I'll finish up the degree around my 9 month mark - and it has been a tremendous experience. Remember - competency. If you need someone to feed you knowledge, go somewhere else. Have a desire to learn, and can be disciplined enough to do masters level work? Then WGU is the school for you. Now, back to assignment I want to be over. :-)

I just started the MSISA program, I am very sorry opi chose WGU as this is the most frustrating so called education I have ever paid for. the evaluators are never consistent, nor clear or provide any valuable feedback. The course instructor never has time to discuss . I feel this so called university has no expertise and is not competent to teach this subject. Papers get rejected over and over for nonsense.. He'll their phone system does not even work , what a joke. Buyer beware I will be asking for my money back soon !

I had a Live Chat with one of WGU's advisers regarding the Information Security/Assurance program. I asked specifically who the faculty were for this program and their credentials. I was told that each course has "graders" who are responsible for evaluating each student's competencies. I asked who the graders were and what their credentials were. I was told that the information I requested was not available but that each grader has a minimum of a masters degree. I realize that "graders" come and go as do professors but I am amazed that WGU cannot provide a list of the people who are staffing this program and their credentials. The information I received was far too vague. I know WGU is regionally and nationally accredited but I am very concerned about the lack of substantive information about the people behind this program.