Given that Western Governors University students take all their classes online, perhaps they should have graduated by e-mail.

Instead, the 48 WGU graduates were invited to receive their diplomas at the Utah Governor's Mansion.

"I'm so glad you came," Gov. Olene Walker told the 23 graduates who actually attended Saturday's graduation ceremony held outside on the mansion grounds. "You were somewhat pioneers to graduate from Western Governors University, and you should be very proud. Graduation from the university wasn't easy."

"You determined when you studied," Walker added. "For those of us who have trouble sleeping, this is a great solution."

Western Governors University was founded by former Gov. Mike Leavitt in 1996 as an affordable alternative to college. It was slow-going at first, and only a few students took advantage of the "virtual university." This year marks the largest graduating class, which included students from as far away as Argentina, Canada and Alaska, bringing the total number of graduates to 113.

"You thought your pioneering days were over, but they have just begun," said WGU president Robert Mendenhall. "The greatness of our university is judged by your success in life."

Clara Lovett, president of Northern Arizona University and a member of the WGU Board of Trustees, said WGU is making history.

"It is among the first to make full use of the possibilities of technology," she said. "That doesn't mean less interactions. But it means it frees you from constraints of time and place."

It is a pioneer in education, Lovett added, because it doesn't define how many hours a student sits in class. "WGU defines success based on the ability to master competence."

For Shelly Iosefa, a West Bountiful schoolteacher, it allowed her to continue teaching while she achieved a master's of arts in learning and technology.

"It all fit into place being able to work full time and be a mom," she said. "Sometimes I was up at 2 in the morning doing assignments."

Siri Pinnock, a teacher in Rexburg, Idaho, said WGU was her only option for a master of arts in learning and technology. "I could not do a master's program the brick and mortar way," she said.

Others echoed similar sentiments.

"I'm a mother of six," said Judy Wallace who received a bachelor's of arts in interdisciplinary studies. "Without WGU I wouldn't have been able to reach my goals and fullfil my dream of becoming a teacher."

WGU allowed students to set their own pace when it came to graduating.

It took Gregory Marshall, who earned a bachelor's of science in information technology management, longer than most.

"I was a student since WGU began," he said. "The school when it started was small and rough but has grown into a respectable organization. I've tried many years ago to go back to school, but I never had time because of my family, my career, my dog. WGU allowed me to do it on my own time and on my own schedule."

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E-mail: donna@desnews.com