Enrollment in summer classes at Ozarks Technical Community College increased by 15 percent for 2020 compared to 2019. That’s equivalent to 477 full-time students. All summer classes, with a few exceptions, were moved online this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten-week and five-week summer classes at OTC began today. Eight-week summer courses start Monday,…
Ozarks Technical Community College will confer 2,575 degrees and certificates to graduates this week, which includes students who have completed, or are pending completion of, their coursework from the summer 2019 semester through the spring 2020 semester. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the college postponed its previously scheduled ceremony on May 14. Instead, graduates…
OTC’s own James Ackerman will be the new director of the OTC Republic Center. The OTC Board of Trustees approved Ackerman’s promotion at its monthly board meeting in May. Ackerman will begin his new duties on June 1. The OTC Republic Center is slated to open in August of 2020, and Ackerman will serve as…
Ozarks Technical Community College is offering $100,000 in scholarships this summer for students impacted by COVID-19. OTC will distribute 200 scholarships worth $500 each on a first-come, first-served basis for its summer session, which begins Monday, June 1. The scholarships are open to current OTC students, or students from another college whose spring semester was…
In an acknowledgement that almost all OTC courses have an online element, the Ozarks Technical Community College Board of Trustees voted to eliminate online course fees beginning June 1, 2020. Currently, online students are charged a $65 fee for each course they attend. The board made the decision at its monthly meeting on Monday, April…
With a goal of increasing retention and graduation rates for its allied health programs, Ozarks Technical Community College cut the ribbon on the Allied Health Student Success Center today, March 9. The new facility provides students with advising and academic counseling, along with a study lounge. The center is located in Lincoln Hall on the…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Center for Workforce Development and general contractor, Branco Enterprises, Inc., have entered into a partnership to administer and provide instruction for Branco’s Carpentry Apprenticeship Program based in the Springfield, Missouri area. The apprenticeship program provides on-the-job experience and classroom instruction to select employees. “The job market is tighter than ever. We…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) and rootEd Alliance are working together to help more rural students pursue and complete postsecondary education, including two-year and four-year institutions, technical schools and the military, so they can be better prepared for the workforce. Through this partnership, four new advisors are embedded at high schools in…
Ozarks Technical Community College is accepting enrollment for its free Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) classes. The classes provide individualized learning programs for adults who want to prepare for the High School Equivalency (HSE) exam, learn English as a second language or improve their reading, math and writing skills. To be considered for the AEL…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — All OTC locations will be open on Saturday, Jan. 11 to help students prepare for the upcoming semester. Student services staff at OTC Springfield, Richwood Valley, Table Rock, Lebanon and Waynesville will be available from 9 a.m. to noon to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising and financial aid processes. The…
Ozarks Technical Community College will host a free FAFSA Frenzy event on Thursday, Nov. 21 from 5-7 p.m. in the Information Commons West building at the OTC Springfield Campus. The event, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Higher Education, is designed to help prospective college students file their FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Fine Arts Department will present the romantic comedy “Almost, Maine” next month at the Springfield Art Museum. Performances will be held Nov. 20-23 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. The show is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Patrons are encouraged to reserve their…
Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield-based remanufacturing company SRC dedicated the college’s new SRC Diesel Remanufacturing Lab today, Tuesday, Oct. 22. SRC donated $100,000 to the college to help create the new laboratory facility. “SRC has been a great partner and advisor in helping the college match its curriculum to the needs of employers,” said…
Every Friday in October, Ozarks Technical Community College will host “Fast Track Fridays” to teach prospective students how they can take advantage of Missouri’s Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant to attend college tuition-free. The dates for “Fast Track Fridays” are Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 2-4 p.m. in room 117 in the Information…
Self-described motivational speaker, entertainer, author and domestic violence survivor Wambui Bahati will appear at Ozarks Technical Community College on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 1-3 p.m. Bahati will speak in room 211 of Lincoln Hall on the Springfield campus. Bahati’s appearance at OTC is in conjunction with Project HEAL, a college program that works to prevent…
With a focus on students, safety and accessibility, Ozarks Technical Community College unveiled its new 20-year Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan for the Springfield campus, today, Wednesday, Aug. 14. The plan projects robust enrollment growth for the Springfield location and includes additional instructional space, student life amenities and parking improvements. “On April 3 of 2020, the…
OTC trustees, administrators and faculty along with K-12 school officials and community leaders gathered at Ozarks Technical Community College’s Richwood Valley Campus for the grand opening of the college’s Agriculture Training Center, today, Aug. 12. Prior to the 2019-2020 school year, OTC’s agriculture and turf and landscape programs were based at the OTC Springfield Campus.…
Update June 2021: This article addresses free HiSET testing for 2019. As of 2021, the Missouri budget no longer funds HiSET testing. Missouri’s high school equivalency exam, otherwise known as the HiSET, is now available to first-time test-takers for free. The 2019 legislative session funded House Bill 1606, which began paying for first-time HiSET test…
Cost is often a major barrier for students who wish to attend college, but, beginning with the fall 2019 semester, a new financial aid program in Missouri removes that obstacle. The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant will pay tuition and fees for any student in the state who is more than 25 years old. Students…
All Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open on Saturday, Aug. 10 to help students prepare for the upcoming semester. Student Services staff will be available from 9 a.m. to noon to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising and financial aid processes. Student Account Services staff will also be available during this time…
The Health Information Technology Program at Ozarks Technical Community College is ranked twelfth in the nation by the education resource guide TheBestSchools.org. OTC’s Health Information Technology degree can be completed entirely online. OTC was one of just two Missouri community colleges ranked in the top 25. “Medical information is the most private and important information…
Margaret Shelton is the new director of the OTC Waynesville Center. The OTC Board of Trustees approved Shelton’s promotion at its monthly board meeting in June. Her first day as director was July 1. Shelton assumes the role previously occupied by Rosalind Pride, who now oversees OTC’s presence at the Fort Leonard Wood military base.…
Dr. Robyn Gordon is the new dean of Ozark Technical Community College’s Technical Education Division. The OTC Board of Trustees approved Gordon’s hire at its monthly board meeting in June. Her first day on the job was July 1. Gordon assumes the role previously occupied by Dr. Matthew Hudson, who was recently promoted to executive…
Ozarks Technical Community College is accepting enrollment for its free Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) classes held at several locations across southwest Missouri. The classes provide individualized learning programs for adults who want to prepare for the High School Equivalency (HSE) exam, learn English as a second language or improve their reading, math and writing…
Five students from Ozarks Technical Community College earned gold medals at the SkillsUSA Championships, held June 24-28 in Louisville, Kentucky. The championships took place as part of the SkillsUSA 55th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference. At the event, more than 6,400 career and technical education students competed in 103 different trade, technical and leadership fields.…