Amarillo College partnering with WGU Texas to make degrees accessible

A signing ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 30 on the second floor of the College Union Building on AC’s Washington Street Campus.

The agreement will be signed by Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, president of Amarillo College, and Dr. Steven Johnson, WGU Texas chancellor.

WGU Texas is a nonprofit, online university designed to expand access to higher education for Texas residents.

Established by the state of Texas through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Texas offers more than 60 accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs in high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.

“WGU Texas is thrilled to expand its presence in the Panhandle by providing more AC students a seamless pathway to completing their bachelor’s and master’s degrees and preparing them to enter some of the state’s most in-demand careers,” WGU Texas Chancellor Steven Johnson said.

“Community colleges enroll almost half of all students in the state — over 700,000 students. This partnership creates an opportunity to link those students to alternative, viable pathways to earning a degree.”

Since WGU Texas launched in Texas in 2011, more than 11,500 graduates have earned their undergraduate or graduate degrees, helping to address the state’s critical workforce needs in high-demand fields.