Chancellor Bruce Leslie reiterates the importance of student success during the Alamo Colleges Board of trustees monthly board meeting Tuesday in Killen. Photo by Brandon A. Edwards
Trustee and board chair credit low student-adviser ratio, “7 Habits” and 4DX.
By Wally Perez
gperez239@student.alamo.edu
The board of trustees talked about student success achievements for 2016 in a press conference before their monthly board meeting Tuesday in Killen.
Board Chair Yvonne Katz said 12,003 degrees and certificates were awarded for the 2015-16 academic year, exceeding the wildly important goal (WIG) of awarding 10,500 degrees and certificates by 2016.
This is a 224 percent increase since 2006.
“With our chancellor and the charges our board has given him over the years, look at what we’ve achieved,” Katz said.
Katz said the increases are helping the Alamo Colleges achieve equity among traditionally underserved students and furthering the mission to empower the district’s diverse communities for success.
“This is what happens when everyone is focused,” Katz said.
“These student success achievements are the fruits of the board’s Alamo Way policies, especially the Baldrige model, the Four Disciplines of Execution and ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
Katz said by dramatically increasing its college completion and transfer rates, the Alamo Colleges is contributing to the economic success of the students, state and nation.
District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate said in addition to the success rates, the Alamo Colleges have received awards over the last few years such as the Texas Award for Performance Excellence, the Baldrige Award, the and the Bellweather Award.
District 8 trustee Clint Kingsbery emphasized the focus on students, saying “We have a number of awards and accolades coming to the Alamo Colleges, but at the end of the day we’re here for the students and student success.”
Kingsbery said three-year graduation rates have increased from 6 percent to 16 percent, while the four-year rates have increased from 9 percent to 20 percent.
Kingsbery said the Alamo Colleges is also on par with its four-year counterparts.
“Our rigor is as good here, if not better than some of the four-year institutions around us,” he said.
Kingsbery, who is working toward a master’s degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said he has heard from fellow students that the coursework at the Alamo Colleges is harder than the work at UTSA.
