Ozarka College

Ozarka College Surpasses 1,500 Students

Published on August 26, 2010

Ozarka College has reached a milestone during its first week of Fall 2010 classes. Enrollment has exceeded 1,500 students according to initial numbers.

President, Dr. Richard Dawe is very pleased with the early figures. "Enrollment growth has been steadily on the rise at Ozarka College for the past several years. However, this semester is 12 percent higher over last Fall, which is quite a milestone." He adds, "We are even more excited to report the 25 percent growth in full-time equivalency (FTE), which indicates Ozarka students are taking larger course loads."

With increased enrollment, comes the need for additional space. Ozarka's Mountain View campus broke ground on a new facility earlier this month and construction is underway which will add over 10,500 square feet to accommodate the growth in Stone County. Parking is also being added at both the Mountain View and Ash Flat locations.

Another highlight is the strong enrollment for evening-only classes at Mammoth Spring. The College expects 125-150 students from the Mammoth Spring and Thayer area next semester by offering both day and evening classes. Ozarka College's Board of Trustees approved Dr. Dawe to begin negotiations for suitable facilities in Mammoth Spring.

Dawe states, "I appreciate the strong support of our Board of Trustees to serve all counties in our service area. This agility is one of the great aspects of a community college; the ability to respond quickly to community and students' learning needs. The site in Mammoth Spring has also been enabled by the support from Mammoth Spring Mayor Jean Pace, who also serves as the Ozarka Foundation Board Chair. We appreciate Mayor Pace being a committed advocate for the College and our mission of providing life changing experiences through education."

For more information about Ozarka College and the programs available, contact the college toll free 800-821-4335.