03-14-2013, 02:45 PM
(03-14-2013, 02:05 AM)Albert Hidel Wrote: Seems like "free" may not be entirely accurate, as there might be a charge for the exams even if not for the tuition. Still, a very good deal--if it's a legit program. Any education junkies want to sign up and let us know how this thing works in real life?
As a forewarning, I'm not an official representative of WEU, but I've been working as a contractor for them since December. I'd encourage anyone to contact WEU if they have questions, since that would be a more reliable source, but I'd like to share some of what I know about the school anyway. I have a background in education and educational technology, and they approached me to help them out, particularly with the learning management system.
WEU has been awarded degree-granting status in the state of California. The exams are not admitted [solely] through Excelsior. WEU formed a partnership with Excelsior, and students can optionally take these exams to earn college credit from an accredited institution. These would be roughly equivalent to CLEP tests in other colleges. WEU also has its own courses with its own faculty and its own exams, and these are completely free.
Since WEU just barely launched, it does not have national or regional accreditation status yet, but they are aggressively pursuing and working on fulfilling the requirements. I'm confident it's just a matter of time before this happens.
I agree, the accreditation status may be something of an impediment until it's resolved, but this isn't always true. In the U.S., for certain disciplines, yes, accreditation is a big deal. In other countries, especially developing countries, it's not. It's been overwhelming the feedback we've received from people in places like Thailand or Saudi Arabia or Malaysia, grateful for the opportunity to learn and finally have a chance to work on a degree. As far as they're concerned, a degree from an American university, regardless of its status, proves you're educated, and that you speak English. I think that alone can elevate someone to a higher status in a developing society.
I think it's an exciting organization with ultimately philanthropic goals, and an admirably dedicated team I've had the pleasure to work with these past few months. WEU is continually expanding its course selection and bringing new ones online, and adding new features to its system. I'm glad to have had a small part in it.
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