Vectren, WGU Form Partnership
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowEvansville-based Vectren Corp. (NYSE: VVC) has entered into a partnership with the state's online university. The deal with WGU Indiana includes a tuition discount for employees.
July 24, 2013
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — WGU Indiana has signed one of Indiana’s leading energy holding companies as its latest corporate partner. Evansville-based Vectren will join the state’s nonprofit, online university as a partner in WGU Indiana’s efforts to help hard-working adults attain their bachelor’s or master’s degrees.
“At Vectren we believe investing in our talented employees will drive better customer service and superior performance,” Vectren HR vice president Ellis Redd said. “Partnering with a university that provides affordable, flexible and accredited classes in an innovative education model will allow many of our employees to take the next steps in their education.”
As a benefit to this new partnership, Vectren employees will receive a five percent tuition discount at WGU Indiana. Vectren employees who live outside of Indiana are eligible for the same tuition discount through WGU Indiana’s parent institution, Western Governors University. Eligible programs for Vectren partner benefits are available to students enrolling in WGU Indiana’s College of Information Technology and College of Business. Tuition at WGU Indiana has remained at a flat rate of about $6,000 per year since the school’s inception in 2010.
“At a time when workforce development is critical to our state, it’s more important than ever for WGU Indiana to partner with employers who will encourage their employees to go further in their education—whether that’s completing an MBA or finishing up a bachelor’s degree that was put on hold,” WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Barber said. “Our partnership with Vectren is a perfect example of opportunities we like to extend to make our MBA, IT and Business degrees even more accessible. It’s a partnership that not only helps Vectren and its employees achieve their goals, but also, ultimately, benefits our state’s economy and workforce. Everyone wins.”
WGU Indiana uses an innovative approach to learning called competency-based education, which measures learning rather than seat time. Students earn their degrees by demonstrating mastery of subject matter. Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, competency-based education allows students to take advantage of prior learning and experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. WGU Indiana faculty members, called mentors, work one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction. While WGU Indiana’s degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their programs, often finishing sooner, saving both time and money.
To learn more about WGU Indiana, call 877-214-7014 or visit indiana.wgu.edu/vectren.
###
About WGU Indiana
WGU Indiana is the state’s nonprofit, online university established by the State of Indiana to expand access to higher education for Indiana residents. Using a competency-based model that allows students to proceed at their own pace and curriculum developed with input from leading employers, WGU Indiana offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. In 2012, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recognized WGU Indiana in its Reaching Higher, Achieving More agenda for its excellence in academic quality. The university was also recognized as one of Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2013.
About Vectren
Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) is an energy holding company headquartered in Evansville, Ind. Vectren's energy delivery subsidiaries provide gas and/or electricity to more than one million customers in adjoining service territories that cover nearly two-thirds of Indiana and west central Ohio. Vectren’s nonutility subsidiaries and affiliates currently offer energy-related products and services to customers throughout the U.S. These include infrastructure services, energy services and coal mining.
Source: WGU Indiana