St. Philip's College is a public community college located in San Antonio, Texas, United States, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. St. Philip's College, a part of the Alamo Community College District, currently serves more than 11,000 students in over 70 different academic and technical disciplines. It is the only college to be federally designated as both a historically black college and a Hispanic-serving institution. Adena Williams Loston, Ph.D. is the 14th and current president of St. Philip’s College.
History
James Steptoe Johnston, a bishop of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church of the West Texas Diocese, founded St. Philip’s Normal and Industrial School to educate and train recently emancipated slaves. Opening March 1, 1898, the school began as a weekend sewing class for six black girls, taught by Miss Alice G. Cowan, a missionary with the Episcopal Church.
In 1902, Artemisia Bowden, daughter of a former slave, joined the school as administrator and teacher. Miss Bowden served St. Philip’s College for 52 years. Under her supervision, the school grew from an industrial school for girls into a high school and later, a junior college.
In 1942, the school, retaining the St. Philip’s Junior College name, affiliated with San Antonio College and the San Antonio Independent School District, marking the end of the college’s era as a private institution.
Campus
St. Philip's College operates two major campuses and seven subsidiary locations.The main campus is located on the east side of San Antonio, three miles from Downtown. The Southwest Campus, formerly part of Kelly Air Force Base, is located on the southwest side of San Antonio and serves as a hub for technical training programs. Courses are also conducted at local military installations, hospitals, high schools and the Central Texas Technology Center, located in New Braunfels.
During the last 20 years, multimillion-dollar capital expansions added four major buildings, including a state-of-the-art theater complex, to the main campus; the opening of the Northeast Learning Center in 1996; and the completion of the Learning and Leadership Development Center in 1997 in collaboration with the City of San Antonio. In Spring 2009, SPC expanded to include a new multipurpose facility, library, and welcome center.
Academics
St. Philip’s College offers open admission. Admission requires completion of a student data form and submission of high school graduation transcript or GED certificate.
Liberal arts and technical courses
Major divisions include Arts and Sciences, Applied Science and Technology, Health Sciences, and Continuing Education. Students may earn an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Applied Science degree, depending on major area of study.
Many departments offer one-year certificate programs, designed for concentrated study in specific subject areas and rapid entry into the job market.
The Applied Science and Technology division offers coursework in unique high-demand career and technical fields, such as Aircraft Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Construction Trades, Electrical and Power Transmission, Multi-Modal Transportation, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, plus many more.
Online Classes
St. Philip’s College offers 200+ Internet classes through its Center for Distance Learning. Classes range from Accounting, to Pathophysiology, to Web Design.
References
External links
- St. Philip's College at The Handbook of Texas Online
