LONG BEACH, CA – After becoming the nation’s first Caring Campus District, the Alamo Colleges District, a community college system serving the Greater San Antonio region, is strengthening its culture of care through districtwide alignment, employee engagement, and shared student-centered practices.

Through employee recognition programs, engagement initiatives, and strategic communications, the District is embedding these practices throughout the organization, extending its culture of care beyond traditionally student-facing roles and across its District offices and five colleges: Northeast Lakeview College, Northwest Vista College, Palo Alto College, St. Philip’s College, and San Antonio College.

“At the Alamo Colleges District, care is foundational to how we serve our students, support our employees, and advance our moonshot of partnering to end poverty through education and training,” Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor, said. “By aligning our efforts across our five colleges, we are creating a consistent culture where every employee understands the important role they play in helping our students succeed.”

To sustain that momentum, the Alamo Colleges District established Caring Campus sub-committees focused on reinforcements and rewards, events and networking, knowledge and education, and leadership, ensuring caring behaviors remain visible and embedded in the employee experience.

The reinforcements and rewards sub-committee launched the Caught in the Act of Caring Award, a peer-nominated program recognizing employees who demonstrate Caring Campus values through their everyday actions. Employees can also celebrate colleagues with handwritten, Caring Campus-branded notes acknowledging meaningful acts of kindness and service. One recent nomination highlighted an employee who provided calm, compassionate support to a colleague experiencing a health issue at work.

The events and networking sub-committee brings employees together through regular connection and engagement opportunities, including the popular “Caring, Connecting, and Coffee.” These events encourage relationship-building across departments and create opportunities for employees to connect.

The knowledge and education sub-committee further helps keep Caring Campus visible through digital signage, newsletters, a centralized resource hub for increased accessibility, and incorporation of employee feedback through survey data.

The leadership sub-committee is focused on partnering with leadership members to increase their involvement in Caring Campus, pushing for behavioral modeling and communication between leadership and staff.

The Alamo Colleges District also provides opportunities for employees to connect directly with the student experience. During the first weeks of each semester, employees are encouraged to volunteer at campus welcome stations, helping students navigate campus, answering questions, distributing water bottles, and creating a welcoming environment.

At other key points in the academic year, Alamo Colleges District employees show support for campus teams by delivering coffee and refreshments to staff, recognizing the critical role they play in supporting students.

“When our employees feel valued, connected, and supported, they are better equipped to provide the caring and personalized experience our students deserve,” Flores said. “Creating a great workplace and helping our students succeed go hand in hand. Both are essential to fulfilling our promise to the communities we proudly serve.”

The Alamo Colleges District has also institutionalized Caring Campus into hiring procedures and orientations, ensuring all new hires understand the District’s commitment to creating a caring culture.

This commitment to embedding Caring Campus principles throughout the District has helped foster a workplace culture where employees feel valued and supported, contributing to the Alamo Colleges District earning the nationally recognized Great Place To Work Certification for two consecutive years.

“As our first Caring Campus District, the Alamo Colleges District demonstrates what is possible when an entire organization aligns around creating a culture of care,” IEBC/Caring Campus President Dr. Bola King-Rushing said. “We hope that more District Offices will follow in their footsteps to create an environment where both employees and students are empowered to succeed.”

District Offices interested in becoming a Caring Campus District can reach out to King-Rushing for more information.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

IEBC_ALAMO1: The Alamo Colleges District, the first Caring Campus District, provides opportunities for employees to connect directly with the student experience by volunteering at campus welcome stations during the first weeks of each semester.

IEBC_ALAMO2:  The Alamo Colleges District events and networking sub-committee brings employees together through regular networking and engagement opportunities, including the popular “Caring, Connecting, and Coffee,” which encourages relationship-building across departments.