Tenita Philyaw-Rogers Joins NC Community College Advising Board

DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Community College Advising Board has appointed Tenita Philyaw-Rogers as a board member. Philyaw-Rogers is a Strategic Partnerships Manager with WGU North Carolina, an affiliate of the accredited online Western Governors University, and serves as the school’s principal liaison to community colleges across the state.

The North Carolina Community College Advising Board meets quarterly to discuss best practices for advising adult high school students, those seeking an associate degree, students earning a continuing education credential, and transfer students. The Board also articulates professional development topics and contributions to the North Carolina Community College System’s Advising Leadership Academy.

Philyaw-Rogers has more than 25 years of experience in higher education. Prior to joining WGU North Carolina, she served as Director of Transfer Articulation for the University of North Carolina System and Director of Transfer Services for North Carolina Central University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in American history from North Carolina State University and her Master of Arts degree in American history with a minor in education from North Carolina Central University.

“Tenita has been a tireless advocate for breaking down barriers to education for adult learners in North Carolina,” said Ben Coulter, Ed.D., Chancellor of WGU North Carolina. “She will provide the Advising Board with great insight regarding the challenges that adult learners face in obtaining a post-secondary credential or degree.”

Designed for working adults, nonprofit WGU offers an asynchronous, competency-based model that allows students to log in and access coursework at a time convenient for them, and to accelerate at their own pace. Tuition is around $4,000 per six-month term for most undergraduate degree programs, and students can take as many courses as they and their assigned mentors are comfortable with during the term.

WGU has more than 4,000 currently enrolled students in North Carolina and more than 5,700 graduates living in the state. For more information, visit nc.wgu.edu. For more information about the North Carolina Community College System, visit www.nccommunitycolleges.edu.

About WGU North Carolina

WGU North Carolina is an online competency-based university established to expand access to higher education for North Carolina residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. WGU has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at nc.wgu.edu.

 About the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS)

The North Carolina Community College System comprises “The Great 58” community colleges throughout the state. It is the third-largest community college system in the nation that serves more than 500,000 students a year. The mission of the North Carolina Community College System is to open the door to high-quality, accessible educational opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success, develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce, and improve the lives and well-being of individuals. Thomas A. Stith III is the president (10th). The system is governed by the State Board of Community Colleges. Students who attended NC community colleges from July 2009 to June 2019 accounted for 33% of all North Carolina wage earners, totaling 1.7M people and $60B wages earned in FY 2020.