OTC, C of O to make transition for transfer student more efficient

College of the Ozarks (C of O) and Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) are partnering to make the transition from the completion of an OTC Associate of Arts degree to a Bachelor of Arts for transfer students pursuing agriculture studies more efficient.  The institutions entered a formal articulation agreement that designates certain credits earned at OTC to apply to specific College of the Ozarks course requirements.

“The purpose of this agreement is to help ensure a smooth transition when a student is admitted to C of O from OTC intending to major in agriculture,” said Dan Swearengen, C of O chair of technical and applied sciences. “This really helps the student, and most transfer students are proven and successful students when they are admitted to C of O.”

“This partnership with C of O expands the educational opportunities for our students”, said Dr. Gavin O’Connor, OTC’s Assistant Dean of Sciences. “OTC prides itself on working with many institutions to provide a seamless transfer to other educational institutions.”

According to the agreement:

– Agriculture courses at OTC may count toward certain equivalent agriculture courses at C of O.

-A minimum grade of “D” in all courses must be maintained to qualify for transfer.  Transfer grades of “F” will be counted in figuring cumulative grade averages but will not count toward C of O graduation requirements.

-Upon completion of the Associates of Arts degree (at OTC), the only remaining General Education courses required by C of O is REL 103 (Biblical Survey) and REL 343 (Biblical Theology and Ethics) or any other current additional General Education course(s) that have been added since the agreement and are unique to C of O.

– This agreement does not guarantee admission to C of O. OTC students must still proceed through the application and admission process as established by C of O for transfer students.

The Ozarks Technical Community College system offers associate degrees and certificates in a variety of technical, allied health, and two-year transfer degree programs, as well as workforce development opportunities and community enrichment courses.

OTC, which was named one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation earlier this year, reported a 13,907 student enrollment for the fall 2010 semester.  Recently, the college announced its Board of Trustees approval for the purchase of land to develop a campus in Hollister.

College of the Ozarks is a four-year, Christian college where students work on-campus jobs and do not pay tuition.  It offers bachelor’s degrees in 44 majors.  Based on the number of degrees awarded in the program, agriculture is one of C of O’s top three majors. 

C of O is consistently named one of the best colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review, Kaplan/Newsweek, Forbes magazine and many others.  This fall, U. S. News & World Report ranked C of O as the seventh best regional college in the Midwest.  

The C of O mission is “to provide the advantages of a quality, Christian education to youth of both sexes, especially those found worthy, but who are without sufficient means to procure such training.”

For more information on the C of O/OTC articulation agreement, please contact Dr. Gavin O’Connor at (417) 447-8241.