OTC graduate numbers up more than 50 percent

Ozarks Technical Community College awarded degrees to a total of 1,420 graduates in the spring 2013 semester, an increase of 51 percent over the spring of 2012, when only 940 students graduated.

A number of factors have contributed to the increase in graduates, but administrators point to two key influences. First, many of the recent graduates were among the record number of students who initially enrolled in OTC during the recession. In addition, enhanced advising efforts have led to increased communication with students who meet the requirements for completion of a degree, beginning the graduation process for many students who were unaware that they were eligible.

“While having such a high number of graduates is exciting, it also represents a large number of students who will no longer be enrolled at OTC,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College. “We expect the increases in our graduation numbers to affect our enrollment trends in the next few years, as more of our current students complete their training and move into the workforce or on to a local university.”

Many of the colleges graduates complete multiple degrees, leading to a similar increase in degrees awarded. In the spring of 2013, 1,660 degrees were conferred, up 65 percent from the 1,006 degrees awarded in the spring of 2012.