Wayland Baptist University Transitions Alaska Campuses to Online Only
The Wayland Baptist University campus on Old Muldoon Road in East Anchorage welcomes barely a classroom’s worth of in-person students these days.
Photo Credit: Scott Rhode | Alaska Business
Texas-based Wayland Baptist University (WBU) is emptying its Alaska classrooms and transitioning to online instruction only. The school’s campus in Anchorage will be sold, its leased location in Wasilla vacated, and classrooms at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Fort Wainwright, and Eielson Air Force Base returned to military service.
Stepping into Global Footprint
“In recent years, we’ve seen a growing preference for online learning, especially among military students,” says David Bishop, WBU Vice President of External Campuses. “Many now choose WBUonline for its convenience and continuity, even during deployment. This transition positions us to better serve students while being excellent stewards of university resources.”
WBU set up its Alaska branch in 1985 to serve US military personnel.
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“For nearly four decades, we’ve been proud to serve Alaska, especially our military heroes and their families,” says WBU President Donna Hedgepath. “Though the method of delivery is shifting, our mission remains unchanged: to prepare students for lives of leadership and service through a Christian worldview. This change allows us to broaden that impact even further.”
Current enrollment in Anchorage is eighty-two students, mostly taking online courses. Bishop says just twenty-four students took a face-to-face class in the current term. Undergraduate tuition is the same either way: $451 per credit hour. Graduate tuition is higher for online, though: $538 per credit hour versus $483 in person.
Students currently taking in-person classes will move to WBUonline at the end of the semester. WBU remains dedicated to supporting military and civilian learners through flexible scheduling, personalized advising, and robust tuition assistance.
Instruction via WBUonline has given the school a global footprint. WBU also operates five campuses in Texas as well as branches in Arizona and Hawai’i. Degree programs include bachelor of arts in business administration, community leadership, tabletop game design, and worship studies; MBAs in cybersecurity, digital marketing, and business analytics; and doctorates in management and strategic leadership.
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