Alamo Colleges Recognized as Leader for Excellence in Campus Internationalization

The Alamo Colleges District has been selected as one of four U.S. universities and colleges to receive a 2024 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization.

Named after the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the awards celebrate outstanding commitment and accomplishment in campus internationalization. The Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization recognizes excellence in integrating international education throughout all facets of university and college campuses.

The Alamo Colleges is the first institution in San Antonio and the second community college in Texas to be honored with this award since its inception.

“The Paul Simon Award demonstrates how the Alamo Colleges offers all students unparalleled opportunities for international education and global engagement,” said Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor. “We believe that by embracing international education, we empower our students, faculty, staff and community.”

The Alamo Colleges has notably enhanced its international education framework through a strategic selection of partners and the adoption of cutting-edge approaches to global learning. Initiatives such as the introduction of digital badges, the incorporation of virtual exchanges, and the progression of curriculum internationalization have widened opportunities for students to gain global perspectives during their educational journey. These initiatives have profoundly impacted the democratization of global learning access, allowing a larger contingent of students to reap the benefits of international education.

A full list of the 2024 Comprehensive Award recipients are:

•     Alamo Colleges District (San Antonio, Texas)
•     Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama)
•     Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas)
•     University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, California)​​

“With minority-serving institutions, large land-grant universities, and a community college district counted among this year’s winners, these institutions demonstrate that the principles and practices of internationalization thrive within a variety of structures, geographies, and student populations,” said Fanta Aw, NAFSA executive director and CEO. “We commend these colleges and universities for their exemplary work in advancing the intercultural skills of their students, faculty, and staff in today’s dynamic landscape.”

Institutions selected for the Simon Awards will be featured in NAFSA's annual report Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, to be published this fall, and honored during NAFSA’s 2024 Annual Conference & Expo in May 2024. 

To learn more about NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Awards, visit nafsa.org/SimonAward. To explore opportunities with the Alamo Colleges District Office of International Programs, visit alamo.edu/international