Ozarks Technical Community College

As Ozarks Tech celebrates 20 years of leadership under Chancellor Hal Higdon, we're looking ahead to the future — and we want your input.

For two decades, Ozarks Tech has helped shape southwest Missouri through workforce training, higher education and strong community partnerships.

Now we're launching Building Our Future Together, a strategic planning process designed to gather ideas from students, alumni, employers and community members across the region as we chart the next five years.

Your feedback will help shape our priorities. There are several ways to share your thoughts:

➡️ Visit us at the Ozark Empire Fair
➡️ Attend an open house at five locations, including Springfield
➡️ Complete a brief online survey: myotc.in/boft

Find all dates, links and details here: myotc.in/buildingourfuturetogether

👨‍⚕️Our respiratory therapy program is setting the standard – seventeen years and counting.

Ozarks Tech has once again received the CoARC Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success Award, marking our 17th consecutive year of national recognition for outstanding student success.

We're especially proud to remain the only community college in the nation to earn this award every year since it was established in 2009. It’s a testament to the strength of our program, which became the first community college in Missouri to offer a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy.

🦷Ozarks Tech is expanding its dental hygiene program to meet the ongoing demand for dental pros in southwest Missouri.

Through a partnership with Jordan Valley Health and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the college will expand the program by 40% beginning in fall 2027, adding new seats at the Springfield and Table Rock campuses.

Why does this matter? Our graduates overwhelmingly stay close to home, helping meet critical workforce needs in local communities. With average starting salaries in the $80,000 range, dental hygiene offers an attractive career path to students.

🔗 Learn more: https://myotc.in/dentalhygieneexpansion