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.…
Fort Leonard Wood military personnel and their families can soon learn more about the educational opportunities available on base through Ozarks Technical Community College. OTC will host an open-house event July 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Truman Education Center on the Fort Leonard Wood military base. Free refreshments will be provided.…
Ozarks Technical Community College celebrated the grand opening of its Lebanon Aviation Center at the Floyd W. Jones Airport, today, Wednesday, June 12. The opening of the Lebanon aviation program marks an expansion of OTC’s Aviation Flight Technology Program, which debuted at the Springfield campus in the fall of 2017. “We were extremely pleased but…
Ozarks Technical Community College and Southwest Baptist University signed an articulation agreement to allow students to seamlessly transfer from OTC into SBU’s bachelor degree programs. The agreement was signed at the OTC Springfield Campus, today, Thursday, June 6. “Southwest Missouri is fortunate to have an abundance of higher education opportunities for students,” said Dr. Hal…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Fire Science Technology Program achieved formal Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Recognition. FESHE’s mission is to establish an organization of post-secondary institutions that promote higher education and enhance the recognition of the fire and emergency services as a profession to reduce loss of life and property from fire and…
More than 750 Ozarks Technical Community College graduates walked in the 2019 Commencement, held Thursday, May 16 at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus. OTC conferred 3,244 degrees and certificates to graduates this year, which includes students who have completed, or are pending completion of, their coursework from the summer 2018 semester through…
Robert Randolph was named the inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Ozarks Technical Community College. Randolph will help guide the implementation of the state-of-the-art technical education facility and manage its operations once it opens in August of 2022. The OTC Board of Trustees approved Randolph’s hiring at its monthly meeting today,…
In the spring of 2019, Fort Leonard Wood military personnel and their families gained access to new educational opportunities thanks to an agreement with Ozarks Technical Community College. OTC is now accepting enrollment for the summer and fall classes to be held at the Truman Education Center on the Fort Leonard Wood military base. This…
OTC students Jorgie Teaster and Kelley Stone will be honored as winners of the 2019 Missouri Breaking Traditions awards at a ceremony in Jefferson City on Monday, April 29. As part of the award, both Teaster and Stone will receive a $1,000 scholarship, renewable for up to four semesters at OTC. Presented by the Missouri…
Seven Ozarks Technical Community College students were honored for their academic success and student leadership at the Missouri Community College Association’s PTK and Student Leadership Luncheon. The event was held today, April 24, at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. At the event, three OTC students received MCCA Student Leadership Awards. These awards are presented annually…
Jennifer Moore, the news director and content coordinator for KSMU Radio, will give the commencement address at Ozarks Technical Community College’s graduation ceremony Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. The event will be held at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University Campus. In addition to all graduates and their families, the public is invited…
OTC selects Springfield firm Dake Wells, along with its national partner Perkins + Will, to provide architectural services for the Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM). The OTC Board of Trustees approved the proposal at a monthly board meeting held Monday, April 1. In February, the board approved a proposal to move forward with architectural services…
OTC student Samantha Adams is a winner of the 2019 Scott Wright Student Essay Contest organized by The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD). Adams was one of three winners selected from more than 160 contest entries nationwide. Held each year, NISOD’s student essay competition honors the memory of Scott Wright, past editor…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Career Services will host a job fair on Wednesday, March 27 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the OTC Springfield Campus in Lincoln Hall, room 211. The event is free and open to the public. The job fair is designed for both career-minded individuals and those seeking seasonal or part-time employment. Several…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Department of Fine Arts and Humanities presents “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” the musical. Performances will be held at the Springfield Art Museum March 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. and March 30 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The show is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Patrons…
Politically Active, a nonpartisan student organization at Ozarks Technical Community College, will host a voter education event March 20 from 6-8 p.m. at the OTC Springfield Campus in Lincoln Hall 211. The event, called Springfield Votes, will give local citizens the opportunity to interact with Springfield City Council, mayoral and school board candidates running for…
Construction is underway for Ozarks Technical Community College’s newest education center in Republic. Projected to open in August 2020, the 30,000-square-foot facility is being built by Rich Kramer Construction on a 7.69-acre property near the west side of the city. The land was donated to OTC in 2015 by the Bussey, Cox and Lipscomb families.…
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) will recognize Dr. Joan Barrett, OTC’s vice chancellor for student affairs, with the Distinguished College Administrator Award during PTK Catalyst 2019, the society’s annual convention, held April 4-6 in Orlando, Florida. The Distinguished College Administrator Awards are presented to college vice presidents, deans, or directors serving at post-secondary institutions…