OTC kicks off Technical Education Center expansion

The center, located on OTC’s Springfield campus, houses classrooms for general education courses that are required for an Associate of Arts transfer degree, an Associate of Science degree and various technical certificates, as well as some faculty offices, according to an OTC news release. The 8,300-square-foot addition will add classroom space, which is in demand given that the school’s enrollment is up 8 percent this semester. Some remodeling for the exisiting building also is planned. Click here to view a larger project rendering.

Completion is slated for August 2009.

The project is funded by Missouri’s Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative, which so far has provided OTC with more than $2 million, according to Gov. Matt Blunt’s office. The initiative reinvests Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority assets to generate $335 million for the state’s colleges and universities.

“We are grateful to Gov. Matt Blunt, the state legislature, MOHELA and the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative for providing the funding for this much-needed expansion,” OTC President Hal Higdon said in the release. “Classroom space is truly at a premium on the Springfield campus, and this addition is the best option we have for physical growth at this time.”