Cox College, OTC finalize academic agreements

Two agreements signed Wednesday by officials with Ozarks Technical Community College and Cox College of Nursing are designed to make it easier for OTC graduates to further their nursing studies.

The first academic agreement allows qualified graduates of OTC's Associate of Arts degree program to transfer seamlessly into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Cox College, and the two schools have created an OTC curriculum to meet all prerequisites of the BSN program, according to a news release.

"It is our hope that these agreements will attract additional qualified students to pursue careers in nursing, as well as encourage those already in our nursing programs to continue their training beyond their associate degree, leading to an increase the number of nurses with advanced training in southwest Missouri," said OTC President Hal Higdon in the release.

The second agreement allows graduates of OTC's Associate of Science in Nursing degree program - which qualifies graduates to take the exam to become a registered nurse - to transfer directly into Cox's RN-to-BSN program. Earlier this year, OTC's first class of Associate of Science in Nursing gradates earned a 100 percent success rate on the state-registered nurse licensing examination.

Under the terms of that agreement, Cox College will give priority consideration each year to up to seven qualified OTC graduates who apply for open slots in Cox College's BSN program.

"Moving nurses to the bachelor degree level is a goal of the profession, and these agreements will facilitate that process," said Cox College President Anne Liners Brett in the release. "This will benefit not only our students and our institutions, but also the community as a whole."

As part of the agreements, Cox College will visit OTC once per semester to provide a workshop for interested students detailing course prerequisites, application processes and Cox policies in order to ensure a seamless and timely transition.