what is a wgu course mentor

At WGU, every incoming student is assigned a Program Mentor, a faculty member who provides one-on-one guidance throughout their studies. Program Mentors help students create a course plan for each term, understand the university’s policies and procedures, and stay motivated and on track to complete their degrees.

Full Answer

How many program mentors are there at WGU?

1,522 Program Mentors support WGU's students. Your mentor's focus is you: your program, your goals, your path. The current number of Instructors at WGU is 900.

Why choose WGU for your education?

At WGU, you have an entire team of faculty members whose #1 job is empowering you toward success. WGU faculty members are leading experts in their fields. They are there to provide you with personalized instruction and support in your specific courses and with your overall degree program.

Who is the vice president of program development at WGU?

As the Vice President of Program Development at WGU, Dr. DeMark helps keep WGU at the forefront of competency-based education by directing the university’s academic portfolio strategy as well as program design and development, with a portfolio of more than 60 degrees, 600 courses, and 1,000 assessments.

How many evaluators does WGU have?

WGU currently employs 1,259 Evaluators—those faculty who review student work and determine if competency has been achieved. Students primarily interact with three types of faculty at WGU: Program Mentors, Instructors, and Evaluators.

How much do WGU Mentors make?

Average Western Governors University Mentor yearly pay in the United States is approximately $59,478, which is 51% above the national average.

How do I request a new program mentor WGU?

Getting a new mentor is typically a simple process. Call student services and express that you would like a new mentor. Be open with them, but try to do so while being positive if at all possible. You may need to speak with their manager about your request.

Is a WGU teaching degree respected?

It is regionally accredited by a recognized accrediting body. The school also appears in various legit college ranking sites and receives donations from well-known foundations. Look no further if you are looking to earn an online degree from WGU.

Is WGU a real degree?

WGU is an online school with career-aligned bachelor's and master's degrees in—IT, teaching, business, and healthcare—designed to help working professionals fit an online university education into their busy lives. Find the degree that's the perfect fit for you.

What does a program mentor do?

A mentor may share with a mentee (or protege) information about his or her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling. A mentor may help with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources.

How much do WGU professors make?

How much does a Faculty make at Western Governors University in the United States? Average Western Governors University Faculty yearly pay in the United States is approximately $62,771, which is 14% above the national average.

Why is WGU so cheap?

However, the fact is that WGU can keep the costs very low because of lower overhead — it doesn't maintain classrooms and other facilities. Since the school is paying less, its students do so, too.

Is WGU a diploma mill?

Anyway, yes WGU does have its faults. But it isn't a degree mill, nor are they shadier than any of the other large open-access colleges with aggressive recruiting practices. If they were, they would lose their accreditation pretty quickly.

Is WGU a Mormon school?

Is WGU a Mormon school? There is no religious or institutional affiliation associated with WGU. While headquartered in Utah which is well-known for a strong religious culture, WGU is an online university available in every state.

Do WGU graduates get hired?

WGU Grads are Employed at Top Companies.

What happens if you fail a class at WGU?

If you exhaust all your attempts, you may retake the entire course but all previous course work will be reset. Contact a Student Advisor if you need to request a course retake.

Is WGU a hard school?

Western Governors University is a challenging school and not for those who are not self motivated. All the work involved in completing a program is done at home around the student? s schedule. A weekly call with a personal mentor is required but is not enough to keep on motivated.

Is WGU accredited for teaching?

To ensure that our graduates are ready to help students learn, our Teachers College is accredited at the initial-licensure level by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).

Is WGU worth the money?

The average time it takes to graduate from WGU is about two years and three months for a bachelor's degree, which would cost roughly $15,000. Within four years of graduation, the average WGU graduate sees a boost in annual salary of nearly $20,000, according to WGU data.

How long is student teaching at WGU?

Plan for a full-time job. Student teaching (also referred to as demonstration teaching) is a full-time job. Your placement will last 12-16 weeks depending on your specific program requirements. This experience will occur during the normal school calendar.

Is a degree from WGU respected Reddit?

It's regionally accredited (the accreditation that matters), so no worries there. The big pros are that the degree program is hella cheap, flexible, and it can be completed quickly if you know your stuff.

What is the job of a WGU faculty member?

At WGU, you have an entire team of faculty members whose #1 job is empowering you toward success. WGU faculty members are leading experts in their fields. They are there to provide you with personalized instruction and support in your specific courses and with your overall degree program. You interact with these faculty members regularly to help you stay on track, get answers to questions, and find success.

Who is the Vice President of Program Development at WGU?

As the Vice President of Program Development at WGU, Dr. DeMark helps keep WGU at the forefront of competency-based education by directing the university’s academic portfolio strategy as well as program design and development, with a portfolio of more than 60 degrees, 600 courses, and 1,000 assessments.

How many faculty members are there at WGU?

WGU has 4,345 faculty members living and working in all 50 states—a diverse, experienced group of experts giving our university a national perspective.

What are the three types of faculty at WGU?

Students primarily interact with three types of faculty at WGU: Program Mentors, Course Instructors, and Evaluators. Mentors and instructors interface with students by phone or by web to provide tailored instruction and support in their areas of experience, while Evaluators provide feedback and perspective on student assessments. This "division of labor" enables each type of faculty member to deliver top-notch, student-focused support.

What is a faculty member who specializes in curriculum development?

Faculty members who specialize in curriculum development are experts in the science of learning. These college-aligned faculty members are deeply informed about the competencies required by academic standard-setting organizations and the industries they serve. They ensure the curriculum and instructional materials are evidence-based and academically rigorous—as well as engaging and focused on student success.

What is the importance of separation of faculty roles in WGU?

This separation of faculty roles is key to WGU's ability to provide on-demand, one-on-one faculty support without sacrificing our commitment to continuous improvement in our programs.

What is a program mentor?

Upon enrollment, each student is assigned a Program Mentor, an expert in the field who: Creates a personalized term plan that fits a student's life and goals. Provides program instruction and guidance from enrollment to graduation. Provides information on programs, policies, and procedures.

What is a WGU course mentor?

Their functions vary a bit, but ultimately, they both support students as they work toward completing their graduation plan. Each student has a student mentor who encourages and supports students throughout their program. They have office hours and meet with students on a regular basis. They help them stay on track, locate university resources, and guide them in general. Course mentors are content area specialists. They work in teams to support students working on the specific content or assessment in their area of professional expertise.

What is a WGU mentor?

I was a mentor at WGU for almost five years prior to moving to my current position in evaluation. There are two different “breeds” of mentor- student mentor and course mentor. Their functions vary a bit, but ultimately, they both support students as they work toward completing their graduation plan. Each student has a student mentor who encourages and supports students throughout their program. They have office hours and meet with students on a regular basis. They help them stay on track, locate university resources, and guide them in general. Course mentors are content area specialists. They

How many students are in a WGU program mentor?

A Program Mentor’s caseload is typically 90–100 students and a course mentor’s caseload is higher.

How much does WGU cost?

As a WGU student you pay a flat fee for access to your courses ($2890 per 6 months for undergrad programs.)

How many students are in a mentorship program?

A Program Mentor’s caseload is typically 90–100 students and a course mentor’s caseload is higher.

How do mentors work?

If you are curious about the mentor’s day-to-day responsibilities…you work online, via phone and computer (web conferences, student community resources, etc…) from a remote office to support students in your field of specialty.

How to become a mentor?

If you are curious about how to become a mentor…apply via the employment link on the university’s weblink. You’ll need to upload your CV in addition to completing the online application. Be very careful to edit your application and CV so that it represents your best professional effort. Errors in following directions could result in your application not being considered. Once hired, mentors are trained in a very methodical way.

WGU is now designated as an NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity

I remember asking about this on r/wgu more than a year ago and looks like it finally happened. Here is the link to the CAE Institution Map if anyone is curious: https://www.caecommunity.org/cae-map. Cheers to all you cybersecurity majors.

Done in 2.5 years and got my Georgia Tech Admission Letter Today

I would like to say thank you to this community and the computer science sub. So much useful information for each class has been compiled by this community. If it wasn't for WGU I would not be in the position where I can attend a top-tier cs program.

Nervous to pay my tuition because then it's real

I mean I'm excited to get my masters and all but having assignments, tests, quizzes, projects again is really not something I'm looking forward to that much. Also getting graded etc...

UPDATE: WGU denied my extension request to complete my capstone. Really disappointed. Can I escalate this?

After all the sacrifice required to complete 88 of 92 credits, and amassing 3 excellence awards, in my first term, last week I posted asking r/WGU if I had enough time to finish my capstone in the remaining time I had left.

What is a course mentor position?

A course mentor position with WGU allows one to work from home, offers good benefits, and pays a decent though unexceptional salary. Program managers are generally range from good to excellent.

Does it matter how hard you work at WGU?

It doesn't matter how hard you work, it will never be adequate enough for a promotion or sufficient raise. Like Amazon, WGU's employees are set up to compete with one another and great employees are leaving (resigning or fired) because of it. The president pretends to care. I sincerely hope he doesn't have a clue what it's like to work under the micromanagement of a WGU manager where you--a professional with a Masters or Ph.D--have to explain every move and decision and metric. If you are high performing, it still doesn't matter because you will not be promoted unless your manager can find a reason to do so by using a Leadership Principle or two as rationale. Like Amazon, the culture is already starting to stink and I wonder when the first WGU faculty member will attempt suicide based on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and when WGU will fire the first faculty member for underperforming due to cancer. It's only a matter of time before WGU employment mirrors Amazon, where the company would rather hire an ambulance to staff the parking lot rather than fix the air conditioning. Beware! Career opportunities? Good luck! Only if you are a management favorite.

jam937 New Member

Anyone know what WGU typically pays for a Student Mentor in IT and/or Course Mentor?

jam937 New Member

Nope not a million. I did get an answer though. It seems $55k to $65k is the range for a course mentor. I believe student mentor is a little less. They both require masters degrees and both are considered faculty.

instant000 Member

Isn't the typical workload of a student mentor 100 students? And they're required to contact them all once per week? As well as follow-up if the student is having issues?

jam937 New Member

From my research ... A student mentor has 80-100 students and must contact them every two weeks preferably by phone. So 50 calls a week maybe. Usually calls are on a recurring schedule but could be mornings, evenings or weekends. As long as you are accessible by phone and have Internet access I imagine you could be anywhere in the world.

Koolcypher Member

From my research ... A student mentor has 80-100 students and must contact them every two weeks preferably by phone. So 50 calls a week maybe. Usually calls are on a recurring schedule but could be mornings, evenings or weekends. As long as you are accessible by phone and have Internet access I imagine you could be anywhere in the world.

rebel100 New Member

From discussions with my own WGU Student Mentor and the job postings available online I think you will be hard pressed to find employment as a Course Mentor with less than a Doctorate in the subject. WGU seems to feel this is a way to deflect any criticism of their model.

jam937 New Member

They do want PhD's for course mentors. One area where they allow masters is IT as it's very hard to find them.

What is WGU everyday?

Everyday WGU is working to remain student obsessed and always put them first in all we do. Every day we work to provide the best possible outcomes for our students.

What is the motto of WGU?

Student obsession. This is the motto/vision of WGU. It's great... you're pushed with 'student obsession' and many really do want -

What is the draw of WGU?

The draw for students to this university is price and the flexibility and ability to work ahead in classes and move in courses if they finish their term early--- WGU IS REMOVING these flexible, attractive policies for working adult students. WGU's canned explanation: "It increases good student -

What is a program mentor?

Program Mentor: You have a degree in the field the student is pursuing. Your job is to call your 100 students weekly to ensure they can adult. Yes. You're helping adults take responsibility and complete their degree. You help them set goals, then you follow up weekly/biweekly to see where they are for those goals in the class, then you set new goals... until they graduate. You have successfully baby-sat your adult! yay! You are tracked and scored based on how well the students do, and if they drop etc. you are considered responsible.

What is a trained monkey?

Trained monkey type of work. You mentor students, most of which are at the university to abuse Financial Aid by pretending to work on classes yet taking out maximum amounts in aid to spend frivilously. Responsible to make sure students dont withdraw, they complete classes. they graduate.

Is there any encouragement from management?

There is little to no encouragement or support from management AT ALL, only a heavier student load plus being told that you are not "making your numbers" in spite of you taking care of all of your students (again 120+ who all need weekly required phone calls). There is no regard to staff workload and they are always demanding more and more without considering how support of EMPLOYEES effects STUDENT support.

Is upper management distant?

Upper management is very distant to truly understanding the work of their employees.