Many people can recall a classmate who turned every notebook, folder or handout from the teacher into an art project. Those serial doodlers viewed any blank space as an unfilled canvas ready to be adorned with flowers, cartoon characters, animals and geometric patterns. American authors Jack Kerouac and Mark Twain were well-known doodlers, and archivists…
Students in Ozarks Technical Community College’s Graphic Design Technology Program earned 25 medals at the 2023 Addy Awards. The event recognized the top advertising of 2022 for the Heartland Chapter of the American Advertising Federation. The 2023 Addy Awards were held on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Downstream Casino near Joplin, Mo. Overall, OTC students brought…
Creating opportunities for student success, collaboration and employment was the theme when faculty and staff convened for Ozarks Technical Community College’s fourth annual Innovation Celebration on February 21, 2023. The gathering was the first Innovation Celebration held in person since the inaugural event in 2020. OTC’s full-time employees got together at the White River Conference…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Board of Trustees approved funding for two major building projects for the Springfield campus at its monthly meeting on Monday, February 13. The two facilities will enhance the college’s ability to train much-needed professionals in healthcare and plumbing. Grant funding will pay for more than 70% of the cost of…
When Lebanon-based manufacturer DT Engineering became the first tenant of the industry partner space inside the new Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing last fall, it paid off almost immediately. The company found an experienced employee among the Ozarks Technical Community College students taking classes in the PMC. DT Engineering hired OTC student Ben…
Ozarks Technical Community College saw a 38% year-over-year increase in dual credit enrollments in the fall of 2022. Dual credit courses are high school classes that count for college credit because they meet OTC’s learning objectives and standards. OTC’s increase in dual credit students reflects a national trend. While community college enrollment overall has declined…
Between the spring and fall of 2022, Ozarks Technical Community College more than doubled the number of students receiving the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant. Fast Track pays the tuition and fees for non-traditional students pursuing programs such as welding, nursing and teaching. In the fall of 2022, OTC had 111 students receiving Fast Track…
To meet the workforce needs of local plumbing companies, Ozarks Technical Community College will debut a plumbing program in 2024. To help cover the program’s startup costs, OTC received a $1.3 million grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development for construction, equipment and scholarships. “OTC developed this program in conjunction with local plumbing companies,…
To help students prepare for the upcoming spring semester, all Ozarks Technical Community College locations will be open Saturday, Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. Student services staff will be available at each campus and center to assist students with last-minute admissions, enrollment, advising, financial aid and student accounts services. OTC’s spring semester begins on…
Everyone has seen the motorized shopping carts at the grocery store for shoppers who have limited mobility. But what if a customer comes to the store in a wheelchair? They have to get out of their wheelchair, get into the motorized shopping cart, and then, what happens to their wheelchair while shopping? Plus, they must…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Jazz Band will make its concert debut on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. at Drury University’s Stone Chapel. The “Winter Joy” concert will also feature holiday favorites performed by the OTC choirs. The Jazz Band came into existence when Philip Forrester, an OTC music instructor, applied for and received…
The Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) honored Ozarks Technical Community College employees and donors at its 58th annual convention and tradeshow held in St. Louis from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. At the convention, MCCA recognized Emerson with its Award of Distinction, one of the highest awards MCCA bestows. In 2020, Emerson donated half-a-million dollars to the…
The first season of esports at Ozarks Technical Community College far exceeded expectations. That’s the assessment of the college’s esports advisor, Dr. Tiffany Ford. “We definitely had more students than we expected,” Dr. Ford said. “The competitive esports team is as large as we can manage right now.” Esports launched at the college in the…
We don’t live in a Monday-through-Friday world. Families, jobs and community duties sometimes make it difficult for students to take classes at traditional times. OTC has developed a suite of Saturday courses that allows students to maintain their life responsibilities while moving closer to their goals. Developed to accommodate the needs of our busy students,…
In higher education, it is a common practice to offer science survey courses to non-science majors. While the official names for these courses may be “Basic Physics,” they are often referred to as “Physics for poets.” Most colleges offer several “for poets” courses, which feature wide-ranging technical concepts and little math. However, there is no…
The 2022-23 school year marks the fifteenth year of operation for the Middle College at Ozarks Technical Community College. In 2007, Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Norm Ridder approached then-new OTC Chancellor Dr. Hal Higdon with an idea to lower the high school dropout rate and help credit-deficient students get back on track. The Middle…
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” Ozarks Technical Community College graduate Kaila DeJonge has suffered, and she has found meaning. In 1999, at just six months old, another driver hit the car carrying Kaila, her mother and two older sisters.…
Ozarks Technical Community College is partnering with Arizona State University to provide students with a seamless transfer experience through the MyPath2ASU program. MyPath2ASU™ allows students to take the steps needed early in their college experience to successfully plan their transfer to ASU, ensuring a smooth transition process and student success. MyPath2ASU™ is a customized tool for transfer students from…
Ozarks Technical Community College trustees and administrators honored the 2022 Excellence in Education Award recipients at the November Board of Trustees meeting. Candidates were nominated by staff members and selected by a college-wide committee. Each winner was presented with a plaque and monetary award, made possible by a donation from the Turner Family Foundation. Full-Time…
Trisha Tindall, a 2022 Ozarks Technical Community College graduate, was awarded a fellowship from the American Respiratory Care Foundation (ARCF) for research. Tindall’s project analyzing the efficacy of flow sensors on ventilators for neonatal patients earned the ARCF’s 2022 Vyaire Fellowship for Neonatal and Pediatric Therapists. “I was shocked when I received the email that…
For Ozarks Technical Community College student Joe Nachtigal, OTC wasn’t just the first college he attended. It was the first school of any kind he ever set foot inside. “I’d never attended school,” Joe said. “School used to be on the couch.” At just 19 years old, Joe will finish a degree in Information Technology…
Ozarks Technical Community College’s free Eagle Breakfast program helped students achieve better grades and persist in their courses during the 21-22 school year. Eagle Breakfast is a no-cost meal for any OTC student at all of the college’s locations. “It’s allowed me access to food in the morning when I normally didn’t eat breakfast,” said…
Ozarks Technical Community College graduate Tyler Kahler is a big fan of the late chef, author and television host Anthony Bourdain. Tyler and Bourdain have a lot in common. They both have a passion for preparing good food. They’re also both storytellers. But while Bourdain’s stories involve food, drink and good company, Tyler’s tales come…
The Ozarks Technical Community College Richwood Valley Campus will host a 5K Run and Fall Festival on Saturday, October 8. The 5K Fun Run and Walk begins at 5:30 p.m. The Fall Festival kicks off at 6:30 p.m. The OTC Richwood Valley Campus is located north of Highway 14 between Nixa and Ozark. The Physical…
Fewer than 2% of teenage mothers graduate college by age 30. When Dee King heard that statistic, she knew she couldn’t do anything about being a teen mom, but she was determined not to become a part of the 98%. Her son, Shane, was born in Dee’s hometown of Missoula, Montana, just before Christmas, during…