1898

St. Philip's College is Established

What first began as a weekend sewing class for six daughters of recently emancipated slaves became St. Philip’s College (SPC). Under the foundation established by Saint Artemisia Bowden’s leadership, the campus moved to the east side and eventually became a designated Junior College in 1928.

1925

San Antonio Junior College is Established

San Antonio College was established as University Junior College under the administration of the University of Texas at Austin, opening with 232 students and 45 faculty members. Just one year later, the college relocated to South Alamo Street.

1945

The District is Formed

In partnership between St. Philip’s College and San Antonio College, the San Antonio Union Junior College District is formed, with early initiatives including the renaming of San Antonio College (SAC), a name that’s become a recognized entity in our community.

2005

Northeast Lakeview College is Established

A $450 million bond is approved and provides funding for the construction of a fifth campus, Northeast Lakeview College, with doors opening officially in 2007, serving the San Antonio and Universal City communities.

2006

Hands-On Training and Certifications

In an effort to provide designated educational facilities for specialty training, the District opened the Westside Education and Training Center in 2006, the Greater Kerrville Center in 2008, the Workforce Center of Excellence in 2012, the Central Texas Technology Center in 2013, the Eastside Education and Training Center in 2016, and finally the Southside Education and Training Center in 2023.

These facilities serve as a connection between the San Antonio community and our five colleges.

2017

Planting Roots

The District breaks ground on a new three-story, 160,000-square-foot administration building, named ACCESS, which officially opened in 2018.

2018

Setting the Standard

The Alamo Colleges District makes history as the first community college system recognized for a Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award.

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is the nation’s highest presidential honor for performance excellence through innovation, improvement and visionary leadership.

2018

The 9th Chancellor is Selected

Dr. Mike Flores assumes the role of chancellor of the Alamo Colleges District after a unanimous vote by the Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees.

Following his new position, Dr. Flores introduces the District’s Moonshot, setting the stage for AlamoPROMISE’s launch in 2019, workforce expansion, advocacy centers at all five campuses, and high-wage, high-demand program offerings.

2019

Alamo Colleges District Launches AlamoPROMISE

AlamoPROMISE, designed for graduating high school seniors in Bexar County to attend one of the five Alamo Colleges tuition-free, partners with 25 local high schools.

2019

A Rising Star

Palo Alto College is named a Rising Star of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s top honor for high achievement among community colleges.

PAC was selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize and was one of only three first-time finalists for the 2019 award.