OTC and Cox College announce academic agreements

Two new academic agreements have been finalized between Ozarks Technical Community College and Cox College.  A signing ceremony was held December 2, at Ozarks Technical Community College’s Springfield campus.

The agreements are designed to provide for a seamless transfer for qualified Ozarks Technical Community College students into Cox College’s nursing degree programs.  The first academic agreement arranges for qualified OTC graduates who have earned an Associate of Arts degree to transfer into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Cox College.  The two institutions have created a curriculum plan for students enrolled in the Associate of Arts Degree to meet all of the prerequisites for the BSN program.

The second agreement allows OTC graduates who have completed the Associate of Science in Nursing degree, which qualifies graduates to take the exam to become a Registered Nurse (RN), to transfer directly into Cox’s RN-to-BSN degree program.

“In creating these arrangements, we are making it much easier for students to move into the next level of formal education in nursing,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, president of Ozarks Technical Community College.  “It is our hope that these agreements will attract additional qualified students to pursue careers in nursing, as well as encourage those already in our nursing programs to continue their training beyond their associate degree, leading to an increase the number of nurses with advanced training in southwest Missouri”

“Moving nurses to the bachelor degree level is a goal of the profession, and these agreements will facilitate that process.  Additionally, there is now an opportunity for any AA student at OTC, including A+ students, to complete their bachelor’s degree in nursing in 4 years,” added Dr. Anne Liners Brett, president of Cox College.  “This will benefit not only our students and our institutions, but also the community as a whole.”

As part of the agreements, Cox College will visit Ozarks Technical Community College once per semester to provide a workshop for interested students detailing course pre-requisites, application processes, and Cox policies, in order to ensure a seamless and timely transition.. Additionally, Cox College will give priority consideration to up to seven qualified OTC graduates per year who apply to the BSN program.