OCTOBER 7, 2020 — UTSA and the Alamo Colleges District are partnering for a new co-enrollment program, the Transfer Academy for Future Teachers, which will enroll its first students in fall 2021. This innovative program allows the Alamo Colleges’ students co-enrollment for two years at both institutions.
Qualified students will be selected by UTSA, which will guarantee admission to its College of Education and Human Development for students who successfully complete the program requirements. The program will begin accepting student applications next year. The program is the latest addition to the Alamo Transfer Academies co-enrollment programs that allow Alamo Colleges students to enroll simultaneously in selected programs at four-year universities, including UTSA and Texas A&M–College Station.
Despite of the pandemic, there continues to be a demand in Texas for more early childhood through 12th-grade teachers pursuing degrees in critical teaching shortage areas, such as bilingual education, English as a second language, special education, mathematics and science education.
TAFT offers students the opportunity to be co-enrolled at both institutions. Students admitted to TAFT are UTSA teacher candidates who will be enrolled in COEHD courses taught.
“We are always eager to offer our students new opportunities for continuing their education once they graduate from one of the colleges of the Alamo Colleges District,” said Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores. “Our second co-enrollment program with UTSA will offer our students a pathway to a bachelor’s degree in a field with excellent job growth and good incomes, benefiting not only the students but the state’s economy as well.”
“Recruiting potential teacher candidates and informing them about critical teacher shortage areas are key in attending to school districts’ personnel needs,” said Belinda Flores, COEHD’s associate dean of professional preparation and partnerships.
UTSA will review and select TAFT program applicants, but students will not forgo earning their community college credentials. These future UTSA teacher candidates will also be completing their associate of arts in teaching through the reverse transfer process.
“Our goal will be to address the teacher shortage by maximizing the success of our students pursuing an education career. This Transfer Academy for Future Teachers will allow the Alamo Colleges District and UTSA to create a seamless educational experience for our students and establish a supportive academic pathway for them that helps remove barriers.” said Lynn Barnes, UTSA’s senior vice provost for strategic enrollment.
The Alamo Transfer Academies also include a partnership between the Alamo Colleges District, Northwest Vista College and UTSA to offer students a seamless pathway to earn a four-year degree in engineering from UTSA’s College of Engineering. Northwest Vista engineering students are currently participating in the UTSA Transfer Academy for Tomorrow’s Engineers program, where students are co-enrolled at both institutions and take engineering courses taught by UTSA and Northwest Vista faculty. Upon completion of the program students will transfer to UTSA to obtain their bachelor’s degree in any of the six UTSA engineering programs.
Also included in the Alamo Transfer Academies is the Texas A&M–Chevron Engineering Academy at Northeast Lakeview College—a partnership between the district, Northeast Lakeview, Texas A&M’s College of Engineering and Chevron.