Chancellor Mike Flores speaks to students during “Conversations for the Future” Jan. 30 at the Victory Center. Flores visited all Alamo Colleges to gather students’ opinions and feedback pertaining to their college experience. Mitchell Gawlik
Feedback will be addressed in February and March meetings.
By Sergio Medina
smedina104@student.alamo.edu
Cheaper cafeteria food, better communication between advisers and students, lower out-of-district tuition and helping students find more scholarships were some of the suggestions about 200 students of this college gave to Alamo Colleges administrators.
The event Jan. 30 in the Victory Center, called Conversations for the Future, was the fifth and last of the district’s student feedback sessions.
The purpose of the conversations was to understand district successes and needed improvements and where participants wish to see the district in five years, Flores said in an interview during small group sessions Jan. 30.
“One of the things that I think is important, as chancellor of the Alamo Colleges District, is to be able to engage faculty, staff, students and the community,” Flores said.
In total, more than a thousand faculty, staff and community members participated in 16 sessions since October.
“We’ve had them at each of the colleges; we’ve had them for the community and district staff, and then we’ve had a series of five college conversations just for the students,” he said.
“That will go to the strategic planning retreat that we’ll have at the end of March,” he added. “But most importantly, we’ll have a group of faculty, staff and community folks help us at the end of February in getting the major themes from all of this feedback.”
Carlos Escobar, human resources and organizational development analyst, said there is not a time or location confirmed for the Feb. 22 meeting.
The retreat is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. March 25 at Pearl. The chancellor said the location is convenient.
Kristi Wyatt, associate vice chancellor of communication and engagement, said a venue has yet to be selected at Pearl. District is looking at quotes, she added.
Pearl was favored because of its central location, Wyatt said.
Escobar said students who attended the conversations, who had to sign up for the sessions, will be emailed invitations to attend the retreat.
Computer programming sophomore Okhai Omotuebe said the biggest issue for him is high international tuition.
In previous Ranger reporting, Omotuebe said the high cost — currently $466 per credit hour — makes it difficult to buy textbooks.
John Puga, radio-television-broadcasting sophomore, said the feedback sessions are important.
Communication design sophomore Clarence Beal expresses experiences with financial aid to Carlos Escobar, analyst of human resources and organizational development, during “Conversations for the Future” Jan. 30 at the Victory Center. About 200 students were in attendance for the event. Mitchell Gawlik
“We often only see the world through our eyes, but when you see how someone else experiences a similar situation, you get a better understanding of what’s going on,” Puga said.
Flores said once feedback and findings are compiled, they will be available on the chancellor’s webpage, https://www.alamo.edu/about-us/leadership/chancellor/.
For more information about the meetings, call Wyatt at 210-485-0035 or email kwyatt12@alamo.edu.
“We want everybody to be able to see, to honor their voice, to see where their feedback is, and to also follow as we move forward,” Flores said.
