Western Governors University (WGU) announced the appointment of Burlington resident Asia Michael to the WGU Northeast Alumni Advisory Council. As a nonprofit, accredited online, competency-based university, WGU established the Council to grow and strengthen the university’s connections with key stakeholders in the region. Comprised of leaders and influencers from a variety of sectors in the northeast, they also will provide counsel on the most effective ways WGU can meet its core mission to expand access to career-relevant post-secondary educational opportunities that are respected by employers, by other academic institutions, and by policymakers from Maine to Virginia.
Asia Michael earned a bachelor of arts from Rutgers University, a master’s degree from Walden University and graduated from the Endorsement Preparation Program, Educational Leadership at Westerns Governors University. She currently provides administrative, supervisory and strategic oversight for the Southampton Township Board of Education, which includes approximately 700 students and 140 staff members with a district budget of $15 million. Utilizing a systems approach to drive district improvement, Michael builds leadership and staff professional capacity, identifies talent needs of the district, and creates and implements strategies to recruit and retain high performing teachers. She also expands leadership capacity to strategically leverage and align employees’ talents to support unique student learning needs.
Said WGU Regional Vice President Rebecca L. Watts, Ph.D. “We know Asia will provide great insight into the education sector, as we work to advance our mission of changing lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity.”
Michael said, “WGU was the perfect answer to my busy schedule. Balancing a full-time career and family life made it difficult for me to return to school for an advanced degree. WGU provided an affordable opportunity to complete my degree with the flexibility of working from home at my own pace. WGU was the best educational choice I made for my graduate studies, andit’s a personal goal of mine to encourage others to embark on their higher education degrees, which will help them grow personally and professionally.”
WGU Northeast Alumni Advisory Council was established in 2020 to provide counsel to Regional Vice President Rebecca Watts on geo-specific needs and trends and to help shape the direction and fulfillment of the university’s mission. With impressive, diverse backgrounds, each Advisory Council member brings experience and expertise that will bolster the university’s ability to serve students and ensure WGU succeeds in its principal mission: To expand access to affordable higher education through online, competency-based degree programs that address key workforce needs.
WGU offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the in-demand career fields of business, K–12 teacher education, information technology and health professions.For more information about WGU, visit www.wgu.edu.
About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 135,000 students nationwide and has more than 310,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 24years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.
