Alamo Community Colleges Recognize 54 Mexican Technical College Instructors for Completion of Contract Training

In a “graduation” ceremony recently, 54 technical college instructors from the Mexican Tecnicos and Polytecnico higher education system were awarded certificates for completing an intensive 80-hour program of studies provided by The Alamo Colleges. The group represented some of Mexico’s finest instructors, most of them in engineering or technical fields, and 20% of whom have doctoral degrees. The contract for the training resulted from a meeting between ACC Chancellor Dr. Bruce Leslie and Mexican Undersecretary of Higher Education Dr. Rodolfo Tuiran last month, in which they discussed the potential for ACC to assist Mexico in improving their technical and vocational higher education system. The 80-hour program not only enhances ACC’s growing reputation as a global provider of workforce training, but will serve as a pilot for future contract training opportunities with Mexico and other countries.

“These international partnerships are valuable not only in terms of culture and education, but also provide an important new revenue source to help diversify our funding base, said Leslie. “In today’s global community, our international partnerships truly make educational and business sense,” he added.

Leslie’s and Vice Chancellor of Economic and Workforce Development Dr. Federico Zaragoza’s meeting with
higher education officials in Mexico achieved a number of other successes. In spring 2009, ACC will deliver a National Association for Workforce Professional Certification course for 40 workforce professionals from Mexican technical universities.

Over the long term, The Alamo Colleges’ will collaborate with the Asociacion Nacional de Universidades Tecnologicas and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to increase faculty and student internship exchange programs between Mexican technical universities and American community colleges. The Alamo Colleges will be the lead American community college in facilitating the exchange process, with the Mexican and U.S. governments funding an international partnership that would place The Alamo Colleges in a leadership role in Latin American international education.

Also, The Alamo Colleges and the Universidad Tecnologica de Tulancingo will continue promoting
distance learning opportunities and faculty and student exchanges. ACC will also collaborate with the State of Hidalgo and the Mexican Department of Higher Education to promote the second annual Global Conference on Economic and Workforce Development, to be held in fall 2009.

The Alamo Colleges consist of five colleges serving the Bexar County area: Palo Alto College, St. Philip’s College, San Antonio College, Northeast Lakeview  College and Northwest Vista College. Our high quality and low costs provide exceptional value to our students and alumni, who are major contributors to the economy and culture of our community. For more information, visit our website at www.accd.edu.