Alamo Colleges District Board Approves Creation of School for Online Learning

The Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees approved the creation of the School for Online Learning on Tuesday, October 28, advancing the district's commitment to expanding access to flexible, high-quality education for students across the region.

The new school will unify over 160 online programs under a single, coordinated framework designed to ensure consistency, connection, and quality across the five Alamo Colleges. It's a move that builds on years of steady growth in online education across the district and responds to the needs of working adults, student parents, and others seeking a more flexible path to a college degree or credential.

"With the School for Online Learning, we're creating a more cohesive experience for our students, one that reflects the same quality and support they would expect from any classroom across our colleges," said Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor. 

The School for Online Learning is part of a broader vision to expand the Alamo Colleges' ecosystem through industry aligned academic and workforce schools designed to serve the region's growing workforce needs. 

Alongside the School for Online Learning, plans are already underway for the School of Emerging Technologies and the School of Nursing, both of which will strengthen partnerships with local industries to prepare students for high-demand, high-opportunity careers. These schools are supported in part by the Alamo Colleges' recently approved $987 million bond, which will fund new academic and workforce facilities across the five colleges.

In 2018, the Alamo Colleges District served just over 7,000 online students. This fall, 18,320 students are enrolled entirely online. The majority of fall 2024 online learners were adult learners balancing work, family, and school. Almost 5,000 were student-parents, and almost half were considered economically disadvantaged. The average age of a fully online learner in fall 2024 was 27.

The School for Online Learning will build on the district's nationally recognized leadership in online education. Since the launch of AlamoONLINE, new instructional design efforts, expanded micro-credential programs, and opportunities for students to earn credit for prior learning have been developed. 

This fall, the district became the first higher education institution in the nation to receive the Quality Matters™ Endorsement for Course Design Quality Assurance, recognizing the district's high standards in course design and student engagement.

The initiative positions the Alamo Colleges District to compete more effectively with large national online universities that have recently entered the local market. By building on its reputation for quality and affordability, the district aims to ensure local students have access to online program options they can trust close to home and delivered by one of our five Alamo Colleges.

The district's long-term goal is to serve 25,000 fully online learners by fall 2029. For more information about AlamoONLINE, visit alamo.edu/online