Giving Compass' Take:

• Christensen Institute examines Western Governors University, a school that caters mostly to non-traditional colleges students (working adults in rural areas) with online classes. Is it disrupting higher education?

• The questions posed in this piece could help us identify other disruptors, not just in the higher ed space, but also programs across a broad spectrum of fields that help those who aren't being served through traditional means.

• Here's how an online community college in California is breaking ground as well.

Now in its third decade, Western Governors University (WGU) has students in every U.S. state and has over 100,000 enrolled students — a 230% increase since 2011. This growth is particularly notable given that overall higher education enrollment has declined by over a million students since 2011 — a decline concentrated in the adult learner population.

WGU is growing quickly, but is it disruptive? These questions for identifying disruption — as well as a new paper released today — help us analyze WGU’s disruptive potential.

1. Does it target people whose only alternative is to buy nothing at all (nonconsumers) or who are overserved by existing offerings in the market?

Yes. In the mid-1990s, governors of 19 states across the western United States founded WGU as a way to bring accessible college education to rural populations, especially working adults. Today, WGU students aren’t typical college attendees: the average WGU student is 37 years old, 74% are working full time, and 40% are first-generation college attendees.

2. Is the offering not as good as existing offerings as judged by historical measures of performance?

Yes. Traditional colleges compete on academic prestige. WGU’s programs are entirely online and the school doesn’t offer the traditional campus facilities and experiences. The school eschews the research focus of more prestigious universities, and President Pulsipher notes that WGU is not an attractive destination for faculty who wish to be a "sage on a stage." Instead, WGU’s faculty model optimizes for flexibility, and the supports needed by working adults.

Read the full article about innovation questions around Western Governors University by Alana Dunagan at Christensen Institute.