Western Governors University (WGU) is a private online university based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The university uses an online competency-based learning model. The university was founded by 19 U.S. governors in 1997 after the idea was formulated at a 1995 meeting of the Western Governors Association to expand education offerings to the internet. WGU degree programs are accredited by institutional and professional accreditation bodies such as the NWCCU, ACBSP, CAEP, CAHIIM, and CCNE.