A group of OTC students put their emergency-response skills to the test at a simulation held yesterday in Battlefield, Missouri. The event, coordinated in conjunction with CoxHealth, Mercy and the Battlefield Fire Department, taught OTC paramedic and emergency medical technician students how to safely extract patients from crashed motor vehicles. “We wanted to make this…
Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed a higher education funding bill for the 2019 fiscal year at Ozarks Technical Community College today. The bill emphasizes workforce training and $2 million in tuition assistance for individuals who receive food stamps. “I’m a firm believer in the American Dream, and many of us have benefited from that dream,”…
Ozarks Technical Community College is accepting enrollment for its free Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) classes held at several locations throughout 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…
Ever wonder how our criminal justice system in the U.S. compares to others around the world? A group of OTC criminology students recently traveled “across the pond” to uncover the answer for themselves. Andrea Jones, OTC criminal justice instructor, promoted and organized the weeklong trip to London. In total, eight students took advantage of the…
August 2, 2018 is an important date for OTC student Keshia Guffey. She along with nine others in their cohort, will be the first to graduate from OTC’s new Behavioral Health Support program. “That day will be the culmination of all my hard work and determination,” said Keshia. “I’ve found a career I’m passionate about…
OTC alumnus Brice Clark’s job is to give couples the best day of their lives. No pressure, right? Just plan and execute the party of a lifetime – or in Brice’s case, 250-plus parties each year. The 23-year-old entrepreneur is the founder and Chief Experience Officer at Spark Events. He and his team provide fun,…
Congratulations to our Spring 2018 Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List recipients! Students who complete 12 or more credit hours are eligible for the Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List. Recognition is based on the grade point average attained during a 12-credit-hour increment. The Dean’s List requires a GPA of 3.50 to 3.84, and the Chancellor’s List…
Things are heating up in the kitchens of OTC’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program. Daniel Pliska, the former executive chef at the University Club of MU in Columbia, will join the college’s team of experienced culinary instructors this fall. In his early years, Pliska worked at first-class hotels, restaurants and pastry shops in Washington,…
Everyone enjoys the challenge of gaming, whether it’s on the coffee table or a computer screen. But a relatively new game form turns the players into game pieces. Escape Rooms challenge players to solve puzzles and riddles to literally escape a room. According to the Atlantic, the first escape room debuted in Japan in 2007,…
Four students from Ozarks Technical Community College’s Career Center signed employment agreements with Springfield Remanufacturing Corp. today to begin work as registered apprentices this summer. The OTC Career Center is a half-day program that allows high school juniors and seniors to take technical education courses at OTC while still attending their hometown high schools. The…
More than 750 Ozarks Technical Community College graduates walked in the 2018 Commencement held Thursday, May 17 at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus. OTC conferred 2,945 degrees and certificates to graduates this year, which includes students who have completed, or are pending completion of, their coursework from the summer 2017 semester through…
Ozarks Technical Community College celebrated the groundbreaking of the MHC Diesel Technician Training Center today, May 14 at the OTC Springfield Campus. The expansion was made possible through a $1 million grant from the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and $1 million in matching funds primarily raised from private donations, including…
Welding is more than just a skill for OTC student Chase Woodiel – it’s also an art form. The soon-to-be welding graduate works at The Forge, LLC in Pleasant Hope, Missouri. She designs and creates custom “sissy bars” – also known as sister bars or passenger backrests – for motorcycles. “We’ve made bars ranging from…
Missouri community colleges will have a strong advocate at the State-Federal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Summit in Washington D.C. June 25-26. Ozarks Technical Community College Chancellor Hal Higdon will attend the summit hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. According to the invitation letter from Jeff Weld, the senior policy…
Ten Ozarks Technical Community College students were honored for their academic success and campus leadership at the Missouri Community College Association’s PTK and Student Leadership Luncheon. The event was held April 25 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City. Three students received Phi Theta Kappa student leadership awards: Jayme Handley, OTC Springfield Campus Kimberly…
After less than a year of operation, the Aviation Program flight partner at Ozarks Technical Community College has earned Part 141 status from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Part 141 flight training schools are subject to more stringent auditing, accountability and curriculum approval than Part 61 flight training schools. Part 141 and Part 61 refer…
Soon-to-be graduates, the moment you’ve waited for is practically here. Our 2018 graduation ceremony will be held Thursday, May 17 at 6 p.m. at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University Campus. Whether you’re celebrating your own graduation this year, or that of a fellow student, friend or family member, share your excitement on social media with the…
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt stopped by OTC today with an important message for college students: Use year-round Pell to complete your degree in less time and with less debt. Funding for year-round federal Pell Grants was restored by Congress in May 2017. Many Missouri colleges including OTC will offer Pell funding for summer courses for…
When you ask most college students why they decided to pursue a degree, they will often tell you it’s because their families encouraged or inspired them to do so. OTC student Bobby O’Keefe says he too was inspired by his family to attend college, but not for the reasons you might think. At just 8…
Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, the president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa, will give the commencement address at Ozarks Technical Community College’s graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 17 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…
A group of OTC Surgical Technology students won first place at the 2018 Missouri Association of Surgical Technologists Scrub Bowl competition. The event was held earlier this month at the annual Missouri Association of Surgical Technologists conference. The jeopardy-like competition prepares surgical technology students to take their certification exam upon graduation. OTC’s team, comprised of…
OTC’s Counseling Services department and numerous community agencies are hosting the Clothesline Project in the Jared Family Atrium today, Wednesday, April 25 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Clothesline Project is a national effort to raise awareness about the devastating effects of relationship and domestic violence. The project spreads a message of hope while…
Representatives from Ozarks Technical Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year college students, have returned from the organization’s international convention with several awards in hand. In total, the students and advisors of OTC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, Alpha Psi Tau, were honored with 10 awards at PTK Catalyst 2018,…
It’s Spring Picnic week! Between the hot dogs, dancing, games and giveaways, it’s always our favorite day on campus. Are you planning to attend? Find the details for your campus or center below. Spring Picnic 2018 dates and times: OTC Table Rock Campus: Tuesday, April 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. OTC Richwood Valley…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Lebanon Center will debut a line worker training program in the fall of 2018. The two-year program will lead to an Associate of Applied Science in Electrical Distribution Systems. Local electric companies, private donors and the college partnered to develop the curriculum and secure the equipment necessary to offer the…