Ozarks Technical Community College and Mizzou announce online academic partnership

Ozarks Technical Community College and the University of Missouri in Columbia have finalized three new transfer agreements between OTC and Mizzou.  A signing ceremony was held this morning at the OTC Springfield campus. 

The agreements are designed to provide a seamless transfer for qualified Ozarks Technical Community College students into online programs at Mizzou.  Today’s signing has officially set up the following three possible academic paths:

• OTC Associate of Science in Nursing to MU online Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• OTC Associate of Arts to MU online Bachelor of Health Sciences in Health Sciences
• OTC Associate of Arts to MU online Bachelor of General Studies

“We are proud to partner with the University of Missouri in Columbia for these three new academic opportunities,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College.  “These agreements will allow more of OTC’s students to advance in their education while continuing to be a part of the Springfield area workforce.  For students in the two health care industry programs, particularly, this will keep vital, qualified health care workers in our community, even as they pursue advanced education and greater opportunities.”

“MU is proud of its heritage and tradition of providing bachelor degrees and beyond to Missourians who need to thrive in the fast-changing, technology-driven environment of the 21st century.  Our partnership with Ozarks Technical Community College takes this tradition forward in an important way,” said Dr. Brian Foster, MU provost.  “Here we have two Missouri institutions with unique missions, taking a new approach to serving both the community college students in Springfield as well as students who may choose to stay in the vicinity, work in the Springfield region, and earn a degree from MU from a distance.   The three transfer agreements that are being signed today reflect our institutions’ opportunities to expand and strengthen options for Missourians, enhancing the central mission of both OTC and MU.”

Dr. Jim Spain, MU dean of Undergraduate Studies and interim vice provost for E-Learning, added, “This coincides with MU’s celebration of our one hundredth year of distance education.  The University of Missouri’s Extension programs have allowed us to provide citizens in every county with important resources tailored to meet the needs of local communities.  Our distance education programs were similarly designed to meet the needs of individual students who face unique situations that prevent them from coming to our campus to study.  OTC has created vibrant and robust online degree programs to serve these students as well.  It is exciting that OTC and MU can combine our resources to even better support these students interested in further advancing their college educations.”

The two institutions had one academic agreement in place prior to today’s signing, connecting an OTC Associate of Arts in Teaching to an MU Bachelors in Elementary Education.