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WGU Public Policy

Breaking down barriers and creating pathways to opportunity

WGU Public Policy advocates for the transformational changes needed to build an education system that works for everyone.

Our team is responsible for creating the WGU State Policy Playbook. With policy recommendations and real-life examples from fellow states, the Policy Playbook serves as a guide to help state leaders better understand and serve their working learners.

The second edition of the State Policy Playbook was published in 2022 with an emphasis on breaking down barriers to higher education and building on-ramps to work. It outlines specific, actionable policies that states can enact to transform higher education into a system that offers quality, customized learning experiences of all.

Our Director of Public Policy, Rosie Connor, explains it best. Take a look:

Policy Playbook

The WGU 2023 State Policy Playbook highlights specific barriers that impact working adult learners, with a focus on adults in low-income, low-resiliency jobs, who are referred to as rising and stranded talent. This playbook offers recommendations for policymakers and provides examples of existing policies that help working adult learners succeed.

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Policy Briefs

The WGU 2023 State Policy Playbook highlights specific barriers that impact working adult learners, with a focus on adults in low-income, low-resiliency jobs, who are referred to as rising and stranded talent. This playbook offers recommendations for policymakers and provides examples of existing policies that help working adult learners succeed.

Policy Briefs
February 15, 2023

National Nursing Shortage

Even before COVID-19, statisticians predicted that there would not be enough trained nurses to meet demand. This has been exacerbated by the pandemic, causing a nursing shortage close to 13…
Policy Briefs
January 15, 2023

Affordability and Value in Higher Education

The traditional financial model of higher education is broken. College affordability is one of the most significant issues affecting higher education, and the Covid-19 pandemic magnified its impact. The high…

VP

Chris Bonnell

Vice President of External Relations

About Chris

Chris Bonnell serves as the Vice President of External Relations for Western Governors University. Chris has decades of experience in higher education external relations with a focus on state and local legislative affairs. Chris is an established public policy leader in the fields of competency-based education and psychology, with a focus on issues of mental health and providing solutions/services. He is also passionate about philanthropic leadership and work that ensures the needs of the community are met in a thoughtful, solution-based manner. Chris holds a law degree from Hamline University School of Law and is a graduate of Concordia College. In his personal life, Chris is passionate about hockey and a board member of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation, an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s ice hockey player.

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Director

Rosie Marie Connor, Ph.D.

Director of Public Policy

About Rosie

Rosie M. Connor, Ph.D., serves as the Director of Public Policy for WGU. After earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, she began work in the nonprofit sector in Southern California. Her professional career has been dedicated to furthering the efforts of nonprofits in education and healthcare. She earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy from the University of Utah. Her research interests and volunteer involvement include local, national, and global causes affecting underserved and marginalized communities.

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Policy Advisors

Janie Harris

Public Policy Advisor

About Janie

Janie Harris joined Public Policy in November 2022. Prior to WGU, she served as the director of advancement at Snow College where she directed alumni relations and fundraising efforts for the Snow College Foundation. Janie earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration through Utah State University and Master of Public Administration degree, with an emphasis in higher education administration, from Southern Utah University.

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Margaret Hsiao

Public Policy Advisor

About Margaret

Margaret Hsiao joined Public Policy in March 2022. She has been at WGU for 14 years and previously worked in program development. Margaret earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Utah and is pursuing a doctorate in technical communication and rhetoric at Utah State University.

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Emily Peterson

Public Policy Advisor

About Emily

Emily Peterson joined Public Policy in March 2022. She worked for almost 12 years at Snow College, where she was the grants officer and supervised the publication of the Snow College Magazine. She also worked for the Utah Legislature in the Office of the Legislative Auditor General. Emily has a J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and communication degrees from the University of Utah.

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Community Relations Liaisons

Amanda Hildebrandt

Senior Community Relations Liaison

About Amanda

Amanda Hildebrandt joined WGU as the senior community relations liaison in 2022. She brings a wealth of experience, both professionally and personally, as she works closely with like-minded organizations to create pathways to opportunity and strengthen communities through education, particularly among underserved and marginalized populations. She has worked in higher education for more than 10 years. Her roles have primarily consisted of access and outreach, which are two major challenges that she experienced during her own educational journey. Amanda has a B.A. in speech communications from Metropolitan State University. 

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Adam Torres

Senior Community Relations Liaison

About Adam

Adam Torres has over 15 years of experience in community engagement and advocacy. With WGU, he engages community organizations with a mission of advancing equity and access for all learners. At the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development, Adam partnered with numerous entities to manage citywide communications to launch comprehensive emergency services during the COVID-19 crisis. During his downtime, Adam enjoys running, playing video games, and (unsuccessfully) trying to beat his son in the board game Trouble.

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