Federal Audit Challenges Faculty Role at WGU - Paul Fain,. Inside HIgher Ed

Education Department’s inspector general labels Western Governors as a correspondence-course provider, seeks reimbursement of $713 million in aid and may broadly threaten competency-based education. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General has released the results of a much anticipated high-stakes audit of Western Governors University, with negative findings that could threaten the large online university and, more broadly, the growing field of competency-based education. Citing concerns about an inadequate faculty role -- which the competency-based university contests -- the inspector general called for the department to make WGU pay back at least $713 million in federal financial aid. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/09/21/education-depts-inspector-general-calls-western-governors-repay-713-million-federal