According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in 2021, more than 3,500 teaching positions in the state went unfilled or were filled by candidates without the proper qualifications. To help alleviate the teacher shortage in the state, Ozarks Technical Community College is updating its teaching degree to remove barriers and increase accessibility…
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, two of the fastest-growing jobs in the United States are for technicians who can install, maintain and repair wind and solar equipment. Ozarks Technical Community College’s Alternative and Renewable Energy course in the Electrical Trades program trains students to work on wind, solar and other forms of renewable…
Crystal Brinell, a student at Ozarks Technical Community College, has been named a 2022 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship. Brinell, a 2001 graduate of Troy Buchanan High in Troy, Mo., is enrolled in OTC’s Pre-Dental Hygiene Program. This scholarship is the first of its kind to support students at associate…
Ozarks Technical Community College will provide Amazon hourly employees access to all of the college’s academic concentrations through Amazon’s Career Choice program. Amazon employees can pursue one of OTC’s more than 40 degree programs. “Investing in your employees is an effective tool to retain quality workers and recruit new ones,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, OTC…
According to the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, one person dies from suicide every eight hours. To prevent loss of life among the communities it serves, Ozarks Technical Community College will implement Burrell Behavioral Health’s ONE Pledge to promote suicide prevention awareness and education. “Education is centered on people,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, OTC chancellor.…
Ozarks Technical Community College students Stevi Kay Berry and Samuel Boggs were two of 60 college students nominated to represent OTC during the 37th Annual Missouri Governor’s Student Leadership Forum on Faith and Values held February 25-27, 2022, in Jefferson City, Missouri. The forum challenges students’ character development by encouraging them to reflect on their…
Ozarks Technical Community College is accepting enrollment for its free Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at nine locations across the Ozarks. Students will attend an orientation and pretesting session before classes begin. The pretest allows students to be individually advised concerning the best placement and course of…
By January of 2023, Ozarks Technical Community College will increase the number of nursing and respiratory therapy students it can educate each year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory therapists were instrumental in saving lives as the medical practitioners who helped patients breathe. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the United States will need more…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Foundation received a six-figure donation from Rick’s Automotive for the Rick’s Automotive Student Lounge inside the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing. Founded by Rick and Karen Hughlett in 1980, Rick’s Automotive has 40 full-time employees who service more than 1,000 vehicles per month. “OTC has been a great…
Ozarks Technical Community College students who earn an Associate of Science in Biology can transfer seamlessly into Logan University’s Bachelor of Science in Human Biology program thanks to a new articulation agreement between the institutions. The collaboration marks the first time OTC and Logan have partnered on an articulation agreement. Located in Chesterfield, Mo., Logan’s…
To help meet the need for community healthcare workers in the state, Missouri managed care provider Healthy Blue will fund scholarships for 12 students to complete the Community Healthcare Worker course through Ozarks Technical Community College. Students who begin the class this semester are eligible for the scholarship. The Community Healthcare Worker course starts on…
To help students prepare for the upcoming spring semester, all Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open Saturday, Jan. 8, from 9 a.m. to noon. Student services staff will be available at each campus and center to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising, financial aid and student accounts services. OTC’s spring semester begins…
Due to an electrical malfunction in the Information Commons West building (ICW), all finals scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Dec. 16 and 17, in ICW will be moved to other rooms on the OTC Springfield Campus. Times for final exams will remain the same. Final exams scheduled for Information Commons, Information Commons East and all…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Foundation announced a six-figure gift from the Gene Haas Foundation for the precision machining lab inside the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing. The Gene Haas Foundation Precision Machining Lab will be located in the high-bay space of the PMC. “The Gene Haas Foundation is pleased to partner with…
OTC administrators and trustees honored the 2021 Excellence in Education award recipients at the college’s monthly board meeting in November. Candidates were nominated by staff members and selected by a college-wide committee. Each winner was presented with a plaque and monetary award, made possible by a donation from the Turner Family Foundation. OTC 2021 Excellence in Education…
The Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) honored OTC employees, alumni, donors and legislators at its 56th annual convention held in Branson Nov. 10-12. At the convention, MCCA acknowledged these donors, alumni and legislators for their commitment to OTC’s mission: Robert W. Plaster Foundation – Award of Distinction Elijah Haahr, former state representative – Distinguished Alumni…
For the first time in the history of the college, Ozarks Technical Community College will field a sports team. OTC will debut esports at the college in the spring of 2022 and will begin competing in the fall. Esports is competitive video gaming. “Our students have shown a desire to play video games against each…
The Center for Workforce Development at Ozarks Technical Community College will provide short-term courses this fall and winter to help potential employees gain in-demand skills to meet employer needs. Students pay nothing to attend the accelerated career training opportunities. Anyone may enroll in the classes as long as they are at least 18 years old. Students…
Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield Public Schools entered into an agreement to place a student success advisor at Hillcrest High School. The advisor will counsel and instruct Hillcrest students on their post-secondary options, including college, vocational training and military service. The Memorandum of Understanding between SPS and OTC was approved by the Springfield School…
Giovanni Sanchez has overcome more challenges than most 20-year-olds. Now, a semester away from an associate degree in computer science, Giovanni is the first OTC student ever to earn the Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship. Born in California to Mexican parents, Giovanni, like his three siblings, is a United States citizen, but his parents are not.…
Ozarks Technical Community College is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by the Great Colleges to Work For® program. The results, released today, Sept. 13, in a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education, are based on a survey of 196 colleges and universities.…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Foundation announced a six-figure sponsorship for the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing from insurance provider American National. American National’s investment will fund the American National Business Incubation Center. “American National is proud of the commitment to higher education in the Ozarks, and this new center continues that legacy…
Long-time Nixa teacher Emma Talbot died in 2020, but her impact on education extends beyond her life. Ms. Talbot bequeathed a seven-figure gift to the Ozarks Technical Community College Foundation. The donation is one of the most significant cash gifts the college has ever received from a single donor. Today, Thursday, Aug. 12, OTC named…
To help students prepare for the upcoming fall semester, all Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open Saturday, Aug. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon. Student services staff will be available at each campus and center to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising, financial aid and student accounts services. OTC’s fall semester begins on Monday,…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) will host a series of informational sessions at four local coffee shops throughout August and September. Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) is a federally funded program that helps Greene County veterans attend college. VUB offers academic and career planning, financial aid and benefits advising, tutoring, admissions assistance and community…