Once a month we highlight a different NCRA-approved school. The court reporter programs offered at these schools have met the General Requirements and Minimum Standards established by the Council on Approved Student Education of NCRA. This is a chance for members to get to know these programs and hear from their students and teachers.
By Patricia Woodard
San Antonio College is one of five colleges in the Alamo College District located in San Antonio, Texas. It is the only college in the district that offers court reporting and has been doing so for more than fifty years. We provide complete instruction in court reporting, both in person and online, offering two certificates and an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree.
The mission of our program is to empower our community for success by meeting the postsecondary learning needs of all San Antonio College students through equitable educational practices for diverse populations in a globally networked society. We strive to help our students achieve their full potential by preparing them to graduate, transfer, or enter the workforce with effective critical thinking skills, communication proficiency, leadership ability, personal and civic responsibility, empirical and quantitative understanding, performance proficiency, and the ability to work effectively in teams.
Our program’s advisory board provides timely input and feedback in addition to providing a stream of students by teaching the NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program to prospective students. The local court reporters association (Bexar County Court Reporters Association) supports us in recruitment and advising and comes alongside the student to offer help and assistance in any way they can. The mentor program they have established is one of the best anywhere. Our students network with these local reporters from almost the beginning of their career, and the guidance they provide is exceptional. San Antonio College is also able to provide financial aid, scholarships, and grants to our students. Our Veteran’s Affairs office is exceptional in their guidance of these students.
Our students sit for the Texas Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) test at the completion of their speed requirements. The opportunity for employment is almost immediate after a student becomes a CSR. Several years ago one of our students completed the program in 50 weeks and is now a working court reporter. Two years ago, one of our students completed her AAS degree completely online, passed the CSR, and is now a working reporter. All of our students who pass the CSR are now working in the field, either as a deposition writer or as an official in the courthouse.
Patricia Woodard, CRI, is an instructor at San Antonio College in San Antonio, Texas. She can be reached at pwoodard@alamo.edu.
To learn more about San Antonio College, please visit their website. Learn more about NCRA-approved schools and programs.
