To most people, the sky is the limit. To OTC aviation student Greg Haney, the sky is the beginning of new career possibilities. Six months ago, a life-altering event forced Greg to reevaluate his decade-long career in television broadcasting. Today, the former broadcast engineer is — quite literally — taking off in OTC’s new aviation…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Dental Hygiene program is a winner of the inaugural Siemens-Aspen Community College STEM Award by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program (CEP) and the Siemens Foundation. The Dental Hygiene program will receive $50,000 and is among just eight exceptional community college programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), recognized for providing…
You’re probably familiar with the term, “keeping up with the Joneses,” but you’d be pressed to find a Jones harder to keep up with than OTC alum Brandon. In the last decade, Brandon Jones has earned his associate and bachelor’s degrees while working full time at SRC Electrical. Today, he’s nearly halfway through his master’s…
CTE Month is a public awareness campaign held each year to celebrate the Career and Technical Education programs across the nation and the many accomplishments of their students. What is Career and Technical Education? Career and Technical Education, or CTE, is a specialized career path that can help students land jobs in lucrative fields like…
Graduates of Ozarks Technical Community College’s Behavioral Health Support program will have the opportunity to transfer seamlessly into Evangel University’s Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Health program thanks to a new articulation agreement signed between the institutions. Evangel’s Behavioral Health degree program was established in the fall of 2017. The new program, offered entirely online,…
Congratulations to our Fall 2017 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 the 12-credit-hour increment. The Dean’s List requires a GPA of 3.50 to 3.84, and the Chancellor’s List…
Welcome back, everybody! We hope your spring semester is off to a great start. To ensure you knock this one outta the park, we’ve put together a list of hacks you definitely need to try. 1. Sync your OTC email to your phone. Stay in the know when it comes to campus news and important announcements. Follow…
Prospective students will soon have a new starting point when they visit the OTC Springfield Campus. The construction of the Jared Family Welcome Center, located at the heart of campus in the Information Commons building, is nearly complete. “First impressions matter,” said Dr. Joan Barrett, vice chancellor for student affairs at OTC. “We wanted to…
Happy first day of classes, everybody! We hope your spring semester is off to a great — albeit freezing — start. To celebrate the fact that you’re back on campus, we’re hosting a back-to-school challenge on Snapchat. We’ve placed a special filter at each of our campuses and centers this week. Use the filter to…
Volunteer positions are available for Ozarks Technical Community College’s Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) classes, which will be held this spring in the following counties: Greene, Stone, Taney, Christian, Webster, Polk, Dallas, and Laclede. Volunteer schedules vary by location. Most volunteers average 2-3 hours of work per week. AEL volunteers assist instructors in preparing adults…
All Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open on Saturday, Jan. 6 to help students prepare for the upcoming semester. Student Services staff will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising and financial aid processes. Cashier Services staff will also be available during this time…
Whether they’ve been naughty or nice, many children wake up Christmas morning without gifts under the tree. So this year, a group of OTC Honors Program students did their part to ensure fellow Honors Program students and their families had presents to open on Christmas morning. “I’d heard about the Angel Tree program on KTTS,…
Molly Erickson travels the world with Convoy of Hope, giving those of less-fortunate circumstances a new start at life. But for Erickson, her new start began at OTC. Born and raised in Springfield, Erickson graduated from Glendale High School in 2004. She used the scholarship obtained through the A+ program to take classes at the…
Whether Hanna Smith is writing for the Springfield Business Journal or taking prerequisites for OTC’s surgical technician program, she always has one goal in mind: caretaking. “I always write with the mindset, ‘How is this going to benefit someone?’” said Smith. “Now I’m ready to take that mindset into surgical tech.” During the day, Smith…
Graduates of Ozarks Technical Community College’s aviation program will have the opportunity to transfer seamlessly into Missouri State University’s Bachelor of General Studies program thanks to a new articulation agreement established between the two institutions. OTC’s first cohort of aviation students began their training this fall. The college’s two-year program prepares students to enter the…
Former OTC honors student Wade Southwell gives new meaning to the quote, “Life is like a roller coaster. You can either scream every time there is a bump, or you can throw your hands up and enjoy the ride.” Since his time at OTC, Southwell has been riding the roller coaster of life – getting…
Chris Booker is passionate about two things: the sea and steel. He once worked as a welder for a Navy contractor, and recently, he used his skills to design some of the stainless-steel architectural pieces featured in the Ozarks’ newest attraction – the Wonders of Wildlife museum. After Polar Tank Trailer, Inc.’s permanent closure in…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Information Technology department received a Cloud Leadership award from E&I Cooperative Services, a not-for-profit purchasing company that serves educational institutions. David Esping, OTC’s chief technology officer, and Eric Kyle, director of network software, accepted the award at the annual EDUCAUSE conference, held Oct. 31-Nov. 3 in Philadelphia, Pa. OTC was chosen…
Ozarks Technical Community College announced Doug Carrell as this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Student Veteran Award during their annual Veterans Day service this past Friday, Nov. 10. Carrell, motivated by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 2001. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2003 in the 805th Military Police Company…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College received a $1.3 million Federal TRIO Grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish a Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program that will assist veterans with their pursuit of postsecondary education. The grant announcement was made today, Nov. 10 during OTC’s Veterans Day commemoration. “Members of our military…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — The Behavioral Health Support program at Ozarks Technical Community College recently signed an articulation agreement with Ottawa University in Kansas. OTC BHS graduates may transfer seamlessly into the Human Services degree at Ottawa University. The BHS degree program at OTC debuted in the spring of 2017 thanks to a grant from the…
What’s your OTC story? Our college chancellor wants to hear it. Join us at one of our campuses for a meet and greet event with OTC’s leader, Dr. Hal Higdon. He’ll share his experiences in higher education with you and listen as your share your OTC stories with him. Find the dates and times for…
Students enrolled in the Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Department’s (CAHM) dining room management class create edible masterpieces at OTC’s Scallions restaurant each semester. This year is only slightly different – the class, instead, takes place at Aviary Café, located at Farmers Park on Republic Road. OTC saw a unique opportunity arise when a fluke…
An outdoor classroom for the Lewis Family Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) is under construction and projected to be completed within the next few semesters. ECEC has partnered with the Career & Technical Education department to help build a variety of items for the outdoor classroom. The project was funded, in part, during the 2016…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Ozarks Technical Community College’s Matthew Simpson accepted the Missouri Community College Association Technology Innovation Award at the association’s 53rd annual convention held this week in Branson, Mo. Simpson, OTC’s college director of research, strategic planning and grant development, helped to create the college’s current Guided Self-Placement instrument. Rather than traditional placement exams,…