Workforce Continuing Education

Within the framework of the College philosophy, mission, and goals, the Continuing Education Training Network works with experts within the community to develop nontraditional educational responses to identified needs. The Continuing Education Training Network assists departments and divisions by serving as an outreach mechanism for channeling interested students into appropriate credit programs within the college. Other-than-credit courses and activities are offered on campus and throughout the community with dates and times arranged for the convenience of the students.

Occupational and technical short courses are offered for business, industry, government, and professional groups. Seminars and workshops are developed to complement and supplement in-house training and staff development programs.

Certification programs are offered for managers, secretaries, law enforcement officers, private security guards, emergency medical technicians, real estate agents, insurance agents, executive housekeepers, and health care personnel.

Community service programs include: conversational languages, personal development and life skills courses, Summer courses for children, and planetarium programs for the general public.

Avocational programs include classes in GED and English as a Second Language training for persons lacking high school diplomas or language skills.
 

The Continuing Education Training Network plays an important role in helping local employers with their training needs. The division has delivered contracted instruction to local employers, professional associations, and other governmental agencies in our four-county service area since 1969. This service has been provided on and off campus in varying depth and breadth using a variety of methodologies, always geared to the particular needs of the organization requesting the service. This tradition will continue but with more emphasis on the application of new skills to the workplace and follow-up study, where applicable, to determine employee efficiency and productivity. The goal will be to demonstrate a return on investment for our clients.

The Continuing Education Training Network’s customized training service will also endeavor to:

• Expand its business and governmental partnerships.
• Support small business growth and entrepreneurship.
• Work with economic development agencies to attract new businesses.
• Provide entry-level training or retraining for new enterprises.
• Seek special funding to upgrade workplace skills of the local labor force.

The Continuing Education Training Network reflects the college’s expanded commitment to support local employers through workforce education and training. A new delivery system now allows the division to be a more efficient, customer-oriented enterprise committed to quality instruction.

The new structure is comprised of five centers, two academies, one institute, and the only planetarium in south Texas. It includes:

Service, Trade, and Industry Center

The Service, Trade, and Industry Center offers occupational and technical short courses for business, industry, government, and professional groups in food service, dietetic food service supervising, real estate inspection, floral design/management, HAZMAT and safety.

Language & General Education-Skills Center

The Language & General Education Skills Center provides such community service programs as GED training, English as a Second Language training, child care training, foreign language courses, College for Kids, and the Intensive English Institute.

Center for Educator Preparation

The Teacher Certification Program at San Antonio College provides a fast track, teacher preparation program for individuals seeking a career as a teacher in the state of Texas. This program is approved by the State Board for Educator Certification and prepares individuals for a successful career as an educator. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree prior to seeking admission into the program.

San Antonio College offers certification in the field of Math 4th-8th grade, Math 8th-12th grade, Science 4th-8th grade, Science 8th-12th grade, Math/Science 4th-8th grade, Generalist EC-4th grade, and Bi-lingual Generalist. Classes are held in the evening and an occasional Saturday. All internships are paid positions. Individuals may qualify to start teaching immediately or may begin teaching within 1 year and complete teacher certification within 2 years.

For complete information on eligibility requirements and program information or to download an application for admission, visit our website at www.alamo.edu/sac/ce/cepp or call 210-486-0405.

Professional Studies, Licensure, and Certification Center

The Center for Professional Development offers management, leadership, supervision, and other professional certification and licensure programs in real estate sales, payroll, insurance, purchasing, banking, training, customer service, and human resource development.

Continuing Nursing Education Center

The Continuing Nursing Education Center offers professional updates for registered nurses on pharmacology, pathophysiology, skills refresher, and intravenous therapy; certification programs for dialysis and ECG monitor professionals; type I nursing contact hours; nursing re-entry preparation courses; and medical practice management training.

EMS Academy

The EMS Academy offers professional certification programs in EMT/paramedic, pharmacy technician, industrial safety, hazardous materials, and CPR. The academy also offers courses in medical technology and other allied health occupations.

Law Enforcement Training Academy

The Law Enforcement Training Academy offers professional certification for basic peace officer, jailer/corrections/ probation officer, and private security officer. The academy also offers law enforcement in-service courses.

Medical Office & Administrative Support-Skills Center

The Medical Administration Support Institute offers a full complement of computer courses in Microsoft applications, Web Design courses, Computer Graphic courses, and accounting software for the beginning and intermediate computer user. The institute also offers several programs in Medical Front Office Assistant and Medical coding, and Pharmacy Technician trainings. Computer-aided drafting and online computer instruction in a multitude of subjects are also offered through the Institute.

Scobee Planetarium

The Francis “Dick” Scobee Planetarium contains the modern star projector and is used to offer educational programs not only to college students but also to area school students from kindergarten - high school. Programs are also offered weekly to the general public. Located adjacent to the planetarium is the college observatory, which houses a 14-inch telescope.
 

These units (described above), working in a coordinated fashion, are in direct response to the unique and diverse needs of the community. They provide programs ranging from professional certification and occupational licensure to a wide range of workforce development programs for the employed, underemployed, and unemployed adults in the community. Our expanded delivery system also provides for customized training to local employers and includes special service to the many constituencies in search of basic skills, enrichment, and personal development programs. Our network is comprised of the following units and instructional programs:

Workforce Education Certificate Programs

Workforce education programs provide students the opportunity to develop marketable skills proficiency or to meet a self-defined educational objective. Program courses result in the student receiving an institutional, state, or agency certificate. The programs listed below represent a formal sequence of courses that have been approved by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).

EMT Paramedic Program

This 10-course program covers the knowledge and skills necessary to reach competence in the assessment and management of ill or injured patients in non-traditional populations, the assessment of patients with medical emergencies, emergency scene management, and the assessment and management of patients with cardiac emergencies. The program concludes with a capstone course designed to provide instruction on teaching and evaluating comprehensive, assessment-based patient care management as well as ambulance and hospital clinical experience. Successful completion entitles students to take the state certification exam for EMT-paramedic status. Students are eligible to receive college credit toward the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Emergency Medical Services upon successful completion of this program and upon meeting the college admissions requirements.

Pharmacy Technician Program

Offerings in the Pharmacy Technician Program are designed to prepare students for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Examination. The exam certifies the competency of those individuals who demonstrate the knowledge required to practice as a pharmacy technician. Courses cover the broad knowledge of pharmacy practice, skills, and techniques required to order, stock, package, and prepare medications. These are non-college credit courses.

Peace Officer Certification

The Peace Officer Program prepares the student to take the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) Examination for basic peace officer certification. Courses cover the broad knowledge and skills required to serve as a licensed peace officer in Texas. Students will participate in weapons training and the professional police-driving lab to receive full peace officer certification upon successful completion of this program.

Substance Abuse/Drug & Alcohol Abuse Counseling Program

The Substance Abuse/Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling Program is designed for individuals wishing to obtain a certificate. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has approved this program, which prepares individuals to become “counselor interns.” Enrollment in this program is at the discretion of the program coordinator. The prerequisite includes an Associate’s Degree or higher in a related field.

NOTE: DSHS and the Licensed Professional Examiners Board of Examiners will allow 45 continuing education hours for licensure renewal from any of the 48 contact-hour courses listed above.

Professional Certification & Licensure Training

The Continuing Education Training Network offers training sanctioned by appropriate state and national associations and state licensure boards. Some areas of training are:

Alcohol Breath Test Certification
Certified Professional Secretary
Correctional Officer
CPR
Dietetic Food Service Supervisor
EMT Basic through Paramedic
Environmental Technology
Executive Housekeeping
Floral Design/Management
Food Protection
General Education Skills
Insurance Licensure
Law Enforcement Licensing
Medical Front Office/Coding
Nurse Aide
Occupational Health & Safety
Professional Nurse Education
Purchasing Management
Real Estate Sales/Inspection

Enrichment Programs

The Continuing Education Training Network provides enrichment to special populations. Adults may take advantage of a limited number of social-, cultural-, physical-, and leisure-related activities. Special programs are also offered on weekends and during the Summer for children ages 7 to14 to enhance their regular classroom curriculum.

International Programs

The Continuing Education Training Network endeavors to facilitate international initiatives on behalf of the institution. In recent years, the division provided customized conversational English courses to students from technical universities in the eastern part of Mexico. Additionally, the division provides ESL training to students participating in vocational programs sponsored by the Central Intercultural Educational Development (CIED) Program. These participants come from Haiti, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. The division is currently affiliated with the International Consortium for Education and Economic Development representing post-secondary institutions from Canada, United States, and Mexico. 

Developmental Education

The Developmental Education Program exists to identify academically under-prepared students, to prescribe appropriate developmental course work, to offer alternative delivery methods, and to assure adequate support services for students in the program.

Placement in the program is accomplished through a formal assessment of each student’s academic abilities. Interpretation of test results and subsequent methods of study are determined by a counselor or faculty advisor.

Courses with a course number beginning with the number zero are developmental level courses and as such do not fulfill any requirements for degrees offered at San Antonio College. They are not considered in honors list calculations and are not transferable to a senior college. Other developmental options are offered through the Basic Skills Enrichment Program (Student Services section) and academic departments.

One important program objective is to assist students in the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary for successful completion of college work. The director of Academic Development coordinates the program on and off campus and conducts ongoing assessment of the program.

Edge Program

The purpose of the EDGE Program is to function as a bridge between the first two years of high school and the freshman year of college for students interested in science, mathematics, engineering, or technology. The program is designed to involve 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students in collaborative learning activities within a learning community environment over an eight-week Summer session at SAC and enhance their ability to achieve academic and personal success in their chosen field. Students who successfully complete the coursework will earn five hours of college credit applicable towards an Associate Degree from SAC.

English as a Second Language Program (ESL)

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program at San Antonio College provides college credit for its classes so that international students meet F-1 requirements and so that residents of the United States may apply for financial assistance.

The purpose of the ESL Program is to assist students to:

1. Maximize their benefits from educational opportunities available as competent speakers of English.
2. Acquire communication skills to enable them to function in United States society.

Specifically, the ESL Program provides students the opportunity to:

• Attain sufficient English competence for success in academic credit programs.
• Achieve English competence for success in technological or job training programs.
• Acquire functional English literacy.

The ESL Program prepares students to transfer to college-level classes; therefore, it is recommended that students complete the ESL Program before taking the College’s placement test. Advancement to college-level courses is determined by students demonstrating:

1. (in their ESL classes) Adequate preparation for success in college-level courses.
2. Achievement through further testing.

Classes are offered in the day and evening. Beginning level classes that are held in the day and all evening classes are co-listed with the Continuing Education Training Network Division; therefore, residents of the United States who wish to take these classes may do so as non-credit students.

The ESL Program consists of four levels. Placement in the appropriate level of the program includes both oral and written testing. All five courses in a single level should be taken concurrently. Each of the levels of the program emphasizes the basic elements of communication: listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary.

In addition, a student development course designated for non-native speakers is suggested at level four or completion of the ESL Program. It provides important information about San Antonio College.

Courses at the College that begin with zero, including all ESL classes, are developmental level courses, and, as such, they do not fulfill any requirements for any degrees offered at the College. Nor are the grades for the courses considered in honors-list calculations.

Additionally, the courses may not necessarily be transferable to a senior college. Transferability depends upon the requirements of the specific institution.

The office for the ESL Program is located in room A583 of the Moody Learning Center, and its phone number is 210-486-0965. 

Learning Communities

Learning In Communities (LINC)
Teaching Academy Learning Communities (TALC)

What Is a Learning Community

The idea of a Learning Community is to enroll the same group of students into at least two classes that have some type of connection or link to each other. Having the same students in two of your classes allows you to make friends, form study groups, and learn in a more relaxed atmosphere.

The college expresses its commitment to helping students face and overcome the multiple challenges that college education can present by offering opportunities for them to partner with supportive networks of college faculty and peers. This is accomplished through the college’s two learning communities programs; Learning in Communities (LINC) and Teaching Academy Learning Communities (TALC).

Learning In Communities (LINC)

The Learning In Communities (LINC) program is open to all majors. It is comprised of paired classes with a common theme or assignment that promotes collaborative learning, participation in study groups and course connections.

Teaching Academy Learning Communities (TALC)

The Teaching Academy Learning Communities (TALC) program offers learning communities that are specifically geared toward students with an Education major or those who are thinking about a career in teaching. TALC also offers a variety of resources to education majors, including degree plan counseling, transfer and scholarship resources, and Palm Pilot, laptop, and textbook lending.

How Can You Benefit from Learning Communities?

Students benefit from participating in learning communities for several reasons. First, it increases students’ feelings of connection to the school and their courses since they are with the same group of peers in at least two of their classes. Second, the overlap in information and/or assignments that results from having paired classes helps students better understand material. Finally, research has shown that students who participate in the Learning in Communities program have increased grade point averages and class completion rates.

For More Information, Contact:

Sophie Caldera-Castaneda
McCreless Hall (MCCH) Room 233
Phone number: 210-486-0220

Open Entry/Open Exit

Open-entry/open-exit (OE/OE) courses are offered through the Administrative Computer Technology (ACT) Department. The OE/OE Learning Center provides 40 computer workstations in a classroom/laboratory located in room 207 of the Nail Technical Center. OE/OE classes are offered in an unstructured setting where the student works independently adhering to regular weekly attendance and following predetermined and definite due dates for assignments and tests. The OE/OE classroom/laboratory is available approximately 55 to 65 hours each week. There are 23 different software applications courses available through the OE/OE environment. An instructor is available to assist students at all times the facility is available. Students are required to attend class the first week for orientation and admissions processing. Penalties are assessed for late work and for tests not taken by scheduled due dates. Depending upon the course(s), a specific number of hours each week must be completed in the classroom/laboratory. Classes offered in an eight-week session require one to three hours per week attendance depending upon the specific course requirements. Classes offered in a 16-week session require three to four hours per week attendance depending upon the specific course requirements. A student may attend extra time and may complete the course and final examination ahead of schedule. The teacher of record is in the classroom/laboratory during designated times and is available for assistance and/or conferences during office hours. Instructors of selected Internet courses use the OE/OE Learning Center as the testing site for the Internet courses.

For further information, contact the ACT Department personnel at 210-486-0531 or see the special section Open-Entry/Open-Exit Learning in the current San Antonio College Class Schedule.

The Raul S. Murguia Presidential Honors Program

The Raul S. Murguia Presidential Honors Program at San Antonio College is a scholarship program for highly motivated students with strong academic potential. The two-year program provides selected students an opportunity to develop a solid academic foundation for upper division and graduate success in a wide range of majors. The benefits of the program include: a broad liberal education, highly experienced and dedicated teachers, small and challenging classes, academically talented peers, and a scholarship covering the cost of tuition, fees, and books.

General Stipulations

The following stipulations are required:

• Eight hours of a natural science requiring laboratory work.
• Three hours of MATH 1314 College Algebra or higher level.
• And an additional course in either math, science, computer science, or logic.

NOTE: San Antonio College recommends its presidential honors students take 12 hours of college-level foreign language.

Honors Curriculum

The Raul S. Murguia Presidential Honors Program curriculum consists of a combination of honors courses, regular courses, and honors contract courses to total some 66 hours toward an Associate Degree from San Antonio College.

Honors courses offered in science are not required by the program but are recommended for honors students majoring in science, medicine, or engineering and may be used to satisfy the contract requirement.

Students are selected for the program in the fall or the spring of the freshman year. Students not selected for the program may enroll in sophomore honors courses with permission from the instructor if space allows.

Students in the program must maintain a 3.0 semester GPA, successfully complete 12 hours each Fall and Spring, and may not drop honors courses.

The current honors curriculum includes:

• ENGL 1301 Freshman Composition I.
• ENGL 1302 Freshman Composition II.
• ENGL 2328 American Literature: Realism to Present.
• GOVT 2302 American Government: Problems and Policies.
• HIST 1302 History of the United States, Part II.
• HIST 2311 Western Civilization to the 17th Century.
• HIST 2312 Western Civilization Since the 17th Century.
• PHIL 1301 Introduction to Philosophy.
• SDEV 0170 Orientation to College.
• SPCH 1315 Public Speaking.

For additional information call 210-486-0660, or visit the Web site at: http://www.alamo.edu/sac/honors/main/basefr.htm.

Service-Learning Program

San Antonio College, through its Service-Learning Program, offers students the opportunity to serve the community in a wide variety of settings in the areas of environment, education, public safety, government, and social agencies.

Service-learning is a teaching method which utilizes service to the community as a form of hands-on learning for students. Service is usually curriculum-based and must be completed at a non-profit, government, or state-funded agency. Faculty members use service and reflective activities as a way to instruct students in a more meaningful way. The Service-Learning Office has contacts and relationships with more than 200 non-profit service-learning (volunteer) sites. For more information on service-learning, contact the Office of Student Life at 210-486-0125, or visit the Web site at http://www.alamo.edu/sac/stulife/.

Service Member’s Opportunity College Program

San Antonio College offers the Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts, the Associate of Science Degree in Pre-Professional Studies, and the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice, Computer Information Systems, and Management to active duty military personnel through the college’s affiliation with the Servicemember’s Opportunity College Associate Degree (SOCAD) Program. SOCAD provides the opportunity for service members to attain their educational goals while fulfilling their military commitments. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, located on the first floor of the Moody Learning Center, at 210-486-0112.

Tech Prep Program

San Antonio College is engaged in major technical and professional career preparation by providing continuity of learning and quality educational opportunities for all students. The Tech Prep/Associate Degree Program is a significant component of this concept providing educational and career preparation in technical fields to high school students who will be the workforce of the future.

The concept of the Tech Prep Program involves a sequence of knowledge and skills acquisition, beginning in elementary school, linked with a guided, integrated high school plan of academic and technical subjects which connects the student to the community college and the university. Articulation provides the avenue for high schools and community colleges to share a jointly developed, competency-based, industry-validated curriculum without duplication or repetition. The program’s curriculum in high school and colleges represents a rigorous body of knowledge and skills which will prepare a better-educated worker with advanced skills and the ability to apply these skills as the world of technology changes.

San Antonio College has developed with area independent school districts, and presented for approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Tech Prep Associate Degrees in: Child Development, Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, Criminal Justice, Dental Assisting, Electronics, Medical Assisting, and Administrative Assistant.

For additional information, contact the Tech Prep Office at 210-587-4436 or 800-869-0982.