We on the Senate have recently learned that Western has recently entered into a partnership with the corporation Study Group. http://www.studygroup.com
This was done without any meaningful input from either the Faculty Senate or United Faculty of Western Washington. This initiative involves commitments to curriculum that we have questions and concerns about. In addition, it raises questions about enrollment and how WWU serves the state of Washington. The Faculty Senate will continue to investigate, and I will share information as I learn it.
Here are three documents describing Study Group and our new Global Pathways Program:
Western Global Pathway The Basics.1-2n8dxk4
Global Pathways Program.2-1lv0nuy
Pathways Information.3-21vyue7
And, here are two articles from Inside Higher Ed on pathways programs:
Privatized Pathways for Foreign Studentshttps-2ayl7m4
Perceptions of Pathway Programs[1]-1jkfnuy
Finally this is an article from The Atlantic: Though it focuses largely on online education, it offers some fascinating insights into the consequences of partnering with for-profit educational corporations, some of which is applicable to pathways programs:
How Companies Profit Off Education at Nonprofit Schools-1p361mb