OTC rolls out 5-year strategic plan

Ozarks Technical Community College is launching a new five-year strategic plan.

OTC Chancellor Hal Higdon yesterday rolled out the plan, called Dream.Plan.Build. 2023-2028, at an employee kickoff event, according to a news release.

The plan has three commitments:
• OTC will improve student success by meeting their needs, enhancing engagement opportunities and increasing accessibility.
• OTC will support best practices to improve institutional excellence.
• OTC will develop community partnerships to make sure the school is offering necessary training programs in high-demand fields.

"OTC is committed to moving forward as an institution that is student-centered, data-informed, innovative, community-focused and driven by excellence," Higdon said in the release. "These values shape everything we do, and our new strategic plan is no exception."

The blueprint for the initiative was developed through feedback from stakeholders, including students, taxpayers and employees, according to the release.

Specific goals within the plan include increasing OTC's regional economic impact by 2028; boosting the school's fall-to-fall retention rates to the top 25th percentile compared with peer community colleges; and exceeding the median performance on academics as compared with peer schools.

The strategic planning council is chaired by Abby Benz, chief strategy officer for OTC.