Bill HaslamState officials hope that a new online-only university will boost the number of Tennesseans completing college degrees.
Gov. Bill Haslam last month announced an effort to create a Tennessee branch of Western Governors University, an online college that advances students based on their mastery of coursework — not just credit hours.
And a new agreement between WGU Tennessee and Chattanooga State Community College should make it easier and cheaper for Chattanooga State students and staff to finish bachelor’s degrees or go on to master’s degrees. The agreement means Chattanooga State graduates and staff members will get a 5 percent discount on WGU’s annual tuition of $6,000.
“Online education is at the forefront now and we are emerging into a new market,” said Fannie Hewlett, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Chattanooga State.
Because students move through the WGU curriculum as they conquer certain concepts, they complete degrees at their own pace. The most motivated students are able to complete a degree program in a much shorter period than the traditional four-year school. And that “competency-based” model has been absent in much of higher education, said Chattanooga State President James Catanzaro.