A l a m o C o l l e g e s

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2 A l a m o C o l l e g e s R e s h A P I n g f u t u r e s. People recognize the Alamo by its distinctive architectural shape. But it is best remembered for the way it reshaped history as a mission, as a battle site, as a symbol of freedom. As its namesake, Alamo Colleges have had their own inspirational impact on society. From our origin as a community college district in 1945 through decades of change and expansion, we have fought to make higher education accessible and affordable for all. Today, five colleges fulfill this promise with a vast array of courses and 2-year degrees. A recent $450 million capital improvement project has allowed us to create some of the best facilities for teaching and learning in the country. Our credits transfer to four-year universities for those pursuing advanced degrees. And our workforce development programs help individuals build new careers and meet the needs of business. In short, it is our mission to reshape futures.

3 N O R T H E A S T L A K E V I E W C o l l e g e ReshAPIng education. The newest of the Alamo Colleges, Northeast Lakeview College began offering classes in outreach centers in 1996 and became a fully operational college in It was set up to serve the varied residential areas of northeast Bexar County, Randolph AFB, and the expanding business community. Local response was immediate and positive, and growth has been swift, with enrollment now averaging 4,200 per semester. For several years, the college offered classes in converted retail space as it drew up plans and began building its new 245-acre campus off Kitty Hawk Road. Here, both academic and workforce training classes are expected to expand the student population further, thanks to an impressive array of partnerships with local corporations and with 4-year universities around the state.

4 N O R T H W e s T V I S TA C o l l e g e ReshAPIng education. In the fall of 1995, Northwest Vista College began offering classes in local school district classrooms and at partner corporation sites with an enrollment of only 12 students. Today, the college serves 12,000+ students in an imposing campus adjacent to SeaWorld of Texas and in several off-site locations. Classes are offered in traditional daytime classroom settings as well as in evening, Internet, hybrid and weekend courses. The college emphasizes a foundation of collaborative learning and critical thinking skills, yet with clear life goals in mind as reflected by partnerships with businesses and higher education institutions. Students here can earn Associate and AAS degrees, Certificates, Marketable Skill Achievement awards, and continuing education credits.

5 Pa lo A lt o C o l l e g e ReshAPIng education. Palo Alto College was the culmination of a struggle by community leaders to bring a college to the under-served Southside of Bexar County. From its founding in 1983 to its first classes in 1985 to the completion of its mission-style campus in 1987, this college filled a real need in community growth, outreach, and business expansion. It achieved full accreditation in 1989 and was named the fastest growing college in Texas in Today, the 126-acre campus provides workforce training facilities for Toyota and other business partners, a state-of-the-art library accessible by all community residents, a world-class natatorium, and a growing variety of classes and degree plans to a student population of over 8,000. And since 2000, it has hosted classes for the Texas A&M system.

6 S A N A N T O N I O C o l l e g e ReshAPIng education. San Antonio College is the largest single-campus community college in Texas and one of the largest in the entire country. It enrolls over 22,000 students in credit courses each semester. It trains another 16,000 per year in workforce and specialized courses. Originally established as a junior college in 1925, SAC later outgrew junior designation and was fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in In the 1960s, it expanded its mission to include vocational, technical and adult education. Today it serves a huge and diverse community by providing high quality general education, liberal arts and sciences, professional continuing education courses, first responder training, American Sign Language, and other programs unique to the south Texas region.

7 S t. P H I l I P s C o l l e g e ReshAPIng education. St. Philip s College is among the oldest and most diverse community colleges in the nation. It is also one of the fastest growing in Texas, with a semester enrollment of over 10,000 credit students and 6,000 continuing education students. A Historically Black College and Hispanic Serving Institution, the school was founded in 1898 by St. Philip s Episcopal Church of the West Texas Diocese. Over its first half century, it evolved from parochial day school to industrial school to a fully accredited twoyear college offering a diverse curriculum. Today, St. Philip s College is a multi-campus institution, meeting San Antonio s growing educational needs with general college academics as well as culinary arts, nursing, and several other distinguished specialty programs.

8 A C A d e m I C A d VA N C e m e N T R e s h A P I n g s c h O L A s T I C s u C C e ss. The first two years of college should provide a solid foundation of learning for future endeavors. Completion of coursework may or may not culminate in an Associate or AAS degree, but it certainly should prepare the student to continue study toward a bachelor s or higher degree, if desired. At Alamo Colleges, we honor this traditional educational path and we encourage our students toward ongoing success. So to ensure the value of our courses, including their transferability to other institutions, we maintain an enviable level of academic rigor in our liberal arts and science programs. This provides all students with quality basic courses at classwork levels fully appropriate to the curriculum yet at tuition much lower than that charged by four-year colleges.

9 W o R K f o R C e D e v e l o p m e N T ReshAPIng CAReers. At Alamo Colleges, we believe that education should work for everyone: the traditional student, the working adult looking to change or enhance a career, the community as a whole, and the businesses that provide opportunities and bring growth to the economy. We also consider it part of our mission to help create and expand high-skill, high-wage jobs in our area. To this end, we created the Economic & Workforce Development program to interface with local businesses, organizations, and government agencies. Over the years, we have established a wide array of training and educational support for various industry and professional clusters. And the relationships we ve set up have helped us attain one of the highest job placement records to be found in any college system.

10 A L A m o C o l l e g e s f o U N D AT I O N ReshAPIng future generations. Ideally, an organization that supports all parts of the community should receive support from all parts of that community. The Alamo Colleges Foundation was created to make this interaction work. We pursue grants and encourage charitable gifts and investments. We then use these to empower our communities for success. Generally, we do this by increasing access to higher education, maximizing student support, developing the regional workforce, and building our capacity to serve. Specifically, since being established in 1985, we have awarded more than 5,000 scholarships totaling more than $10 million. We have also spent more than another $2 million to strengthen programs and services provided by Alamo Colleges. 201 W. Sheridan San Antonio, TX (210) alamo.edu

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