So Long Western International University

Pardon me if I have missed a previous announcement on the forum, but the new owners of Apollo are saying bye bye to Western International University:

New Apollo Education Group owners closing Western International University

Visitors to the West site are also greeted with a big ol closure announcement:

http://west.edu

 

Good point. I always looked at Western being the experimentation school, e.g. learning formats such as their "Learn, Practice, Apply" format and a low-cost alternative, e.g. a 120 credit bachelor's degree for $30k or under $14k for graduate degrees.

Perhaps the new owners can refresh the Phoenix brand by incorporating some of the West model such as cost savings and a revved up learning platform.

 

There was significant overlap, but Western had some programs that Phoenix doesn't (a Human Dynamics M.A., and a straight M.P.A. program vs. Phoenix's M.B.A. with a concentration in Public Administration).

If I were a Western student, I'd much rather transfer everything to Phoenix and graduate with a degree from a school that's going to be around for a long while, as opposed to a degree from a school that no longer exists.

Does anyone know if that option will be offered? I mean a lateral transfer; all credits accepted, same tuition, fees, etc.

 

The good thing was that WIU was cheaper. When I attended, the bad part was that the course formats were carbon copies of UoP courses. They were the worst online courses I have ever taken for credit.

 

Went through an extremely strenuous application and interview process with WIU only to be offered a job that wasn't going to be very profitable at all given the time needed to accomplish all objectives. Guess the joke was on me for not asking about pay from the beginning!

 

I called over to Western International yesterday and asked "Where will the records be moved to?" and the answer was "We will be using a transcript service, not another university/college". I never attended Western International, this is simply out of curiosity.

A few questions:

Why wouldn't they simply (i'm sure its not that simply) absorb Western Into UoP? My guess is that it would be cost effective from an administrative standpoint and would keep the remaining student base under the same umbrella (as small as it is, something is better than nothing).

I've noticed in prior post about colleges closing that records typically get moved over to a functioning college (Bradford College to Merrimack University, for example). Why would Western opt to use a transcript service vs another institution? Especially considering that they have an existing functioning (hold the chuckles) related University, UoP. My guess is that the accrediting agencies / state regulators have a protocol for closing colleges that includes relocation of records to another member institution.

Am i missing something here? Western Intl is/was RA, correct?

 

They were an RA school.

I personally think it is a business decision concerning the transcripts.

I graduated from Colorado Technical University and a few weeks later called for transcripts and I was forwarded to a company called Parchment, and I think it was easier than calling the Registar Office.

 

I've never had to call the registrar's office for any school I've attended. If a school didn't have a contract with a transcript service, then they accepted requests by fax or email.

I believe WIU is using the same company they used before shutting down. Or, they might have switched companies, but the process is the same. Before they switched to a transcript service, I would request transcripts by email.

 

I think it depends on the school.

Having a degree from Western International University is unlikely to evoke a reaction from a typical employer. Most people never heard of it. It has a fairly generic name.

UoP? We've all heard of it. Many hate it. Some have formed a severe bias against its graduates.

Who cares if the school closed? You'll still be able to verify attendance. In fact, depending on the state policy, sometimes it works out better for a person to have a degree from a closed school.

We have an employee who graduated from a small school that closed in New York years ago. The records are held at Columbia. As I look at the written verification that Columbia sent verifying that he graduated from the school he claims, I could see how it would look an awful lot like he graduated from Columbia itself.

I'm not saying a person should use a closed school to falsify their past. But I think if your employer was biased against your alma mater, receiving your transcript on a better school's paper might not be a terrible thing. I would certainly prefer it over having a UoP diploma and not even the socks to show for it.

 

"We have an employee who graduated from a small school that closed in New York years ago. The records are held at Columbia. As I look at the written verification that Columbia sent verifying that he graduated from the school he claims, I could see how it would look an awful lot like he graduated from Columbia itself."

This is part of my point.

For example, if Excelsior were to close (not that it is, this is how rumors get started!) I would hope that records would be moved over to SUNY Albany. It would be beneficial to me if part of the answer to the question about EC would be "Here are my EC transcripts that are maintained at SUNY Albany"

Thanks for chiming in!