The fall 2018 semester is finally here, and we’re kicking things off with our inaugural Eagle Days events! Between the free food, giveaways and special appearances by our new mascot, Ozzy the Eagle, we can’t think of a better way to start the school year. Check out the events happening at the Springfield campus, and…
Ozark Technical Community College officials and community members celebrated the grand opening of the OTC Table Rock Campus Technical Education Center today, August 13. The 10,500-square-foot building, located north of the Table Rock campus, will house classrooms and labs for the college’s HVAC and construction programs. The newly renovated center will open its doors to…
Ozark Technical Community College instructor Steve Fritts was appointed by the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society (PTK) to serve on its Honors Program Council. In this role, Fritts will help direct PTK’s honors programming for the next four years. Fritts was one of five college faculty members chosen internationally to serve on the council. Each…
OTC practical nursing student Penny Kimball is committed to caring for fellow veterans. A U.S. Army veteran herself, Penny wants to work as a nurse in the Veterans Administration System someday. In the meantime, she’s proud to serve as an advocate for OTC’s Veterans Upward Bound program. Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) is a college-readiness program…
Military veterans who are interested in attending college can learn about free benefits to help them get college ready at the Veterans Upward Bound Meet and Greet. The event will be held at Ozarks Technical Community College on Thursday, Aug. 16 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. in room 221 of Information Commons West. Veterans Upward Bound…
All Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open on Saturday, Aug. 11 to help students prepare for the upcoming semester. Student Services staff will be available from 8:30 a.m. to noon to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising and financial aid processes. Cashier Services staff will also be available during this time to…
Ozarks Technical Community College hosted a dedication ceremony for its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program Thursday, Aug. 2. The program, co-sponsored by CoxHealth and Mercy, trains students for careers as emergency medical technicians and paramedics. It also provides continuing education opportunities for individuals who currently work in the field. “Everyone wins when we partner with…
Starting this fall, Ozarks Technical Community College students can earn up to 12 hours of college credit by attending class just one night each week at the Marshfield Community Center. The college will offer four courses in a new hybrid format, which gives students the flexibility to attend classes both in person and online. The…
Ozarks Technical Community College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for its line worker training program today, Tuesday, July 17. The new degree program will debut this fall at the OTC Lebanon Center. OTC’s line worker program will teach students how to operate, build and repair electrical grids. The hands-on courses will cover essential industry knowledge…
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…