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 last 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:
- Maximize their benefits from educational opportunities available as competent speakers of English.
- 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:
- (in their ESL classes) Adequate preparation for success in college-level courses.
- 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
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. The Learning In Communities 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 their website.
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. |
