Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
This year marks a grand milestone for South Texas College – more than 100,000 certificate, associate and bachelor’s degrees have been awarded since its inception in 1993.
From its first graduating class of three in 1994 to its most recent graduating class of 5,693, STC, although the youngest community college system in Texas, has seen exponential growth, making it the fastest growing community college in the state.
Anahid Petrosian, Ph.D., STC vice president and provost for Academic Affairs and Economic Development, who started as adjunct faculty at STC in 1994, said this number is more than the awards, it’s 101,347 lives that STC has touched and changed over the years.
“This number represents generational change in our region. STC brought that here,” she said. “This 100,000 represents the lives we have changed and the difference we have made in people’s lives. Through the college’s vision and mission, we have empowered generations.”
While the college excels and is a leader in technical education and workforce development with more than 90 programs such as automotive technology, health sciences, welding, information technology and manufacturing, more than 50% of STC graduates receive academic associate degrees and then transfer to four-year universities, according to Brett Millán, Ed.D., STC associate vice president of Academic Success and Advancement.
STC offers 35 academic associate degrees – Associate of Arts, Associate of Science and Associate of Arts in Teaching, with credits designed and mandated to transfer to any public university in the state, helping students succeed when they enter a four-year university.
Courses such as English, Mathematics, Sociology, Science and History make up an academic associate degree.
“These graduates play a large role in this achievement. STC offers the first two years of a college education, empowering our students – traditional and dual credit, to succeed as they move forward towards their educational goals,” Millán said. “Therefore, these 100,000 awards also reflect student success at our college and beyond.”
STC offers 131 programs – 91 workforce, 40 academic and 37 online certificates and associate degrees, five of these being bachelor’s degrees.
STC is one of the few community colleges in the state to offer five baccalaureate programs and last year celebrated more than 4,000 bachelor’s degrees awarded.
“We’ve also seen a steady increase of students graduating with their bachelor’s degrees from STC,” said Petrosian. “Our bachelor’s degrees are unique in a sense that each program has an advisory board, all are 100% online, most are competency-based, meaning we accept industry experience for credit, and our programs are designed to help a student reskill or upskill.”
In addition to STC’s innovative programming, Petrosian and Millán, also credit STC faculty and staff in helping the college reach this milestone.
STC has more than 2,000 employees, nearly 600 of those are full-time faculty with more than 180 being STC alumni.
“From one building and working in closets and hallways to six campuses full of offices, active learning classrooms, technologies and many student resources, STC has come a long way and undergone many changes, but one thing that remains steadfast is are our student-focused faculty and staff,” said Petrosian. “Our faculty develop our programs, they work with our students, they have empathy and appreciate our students. They have built a foundation in creating a college-going culture.”
Millán added, “Our students are not treated like a number…and what I hope faculty realize it is their passion that is positively impacting and decreasing poverty rates by lifting students up and helping students find jobs. These 100,000 students who have graduated, in our two-county district, have sat in our classrooms and have gone on to achieve educational or workforce success.”
STC President Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D., calls reaching more than 100,000 awards a historic milestone that speaks to STC’s mission of transforming lives and communities through higher education.
“Reaching this milestone is a true testament to STC’s mission, vision and impact in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Solis. “Each certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree reflects opportunity and transformation. On behalf of the STC trustees and administration, we are honored that our community entrusts us with the promise of a brighter future for our region.”
For more information on the programs and services offered at STC, visit southtexascollege.edu.
Information source: STC
