OTC, Drury sign articulation agreement

Ozarks Technical Community College and Drury University officials yesterday signed an articulation agreement designed to benefit OTC students transferring to Drury.

Through the agreement, initially four honors students at OTC will be able to transfer to Drury and have access to the private university’s honors program and scholarships, according to a news release.

“OTC students will bring a wealth of experience and talent to our program,” said Richard Schur, director of the honors program at Drury, in the release. “We can expect great things from these students as they use Drury’s resources to complete research and service learning projects that will not only enhance their academic journeys, but also benefit our local community.”  

The first four OTC Honors program students - who have been accepted to Drury and have a grade point average of 3.75 or higher - automatically will be enrolled into the Drury Honors program and granted a scholarship of at least $6,500 per academic year that is renewable for up to eight semesters. The Drury Honors program will accept more OTC students through the program if space becomes available, according to school officials. Drury spokesman Mike Brothers said the first students transferring from OTC likely would be in the spring.

The OTC Honors program enrolls around 50 students per academic year. To graduate in the program, students must finish honors courses, volunteer and maintain a high GPA. Drury’s honor students have gone on to such graduate schools as Harvard University, Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Missouri, according to the release.

The program represents the third such agreement signed between the OTC Honors program and a four-year higher education institution. The Springfield community college signed similar agreements with the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Missouri Southern State University.