(Left) Mr. Dennis Wiles, Chairman of the Ozarka College Board of Trustees, and(right) Dr. Richard Dawe, President of Ozarka College
Ozarka Collegewas recently named by Community College Week one of the top 50 fastest growing communitycolleges with less than 2,500 students enrolled. Community College Week is anindependent source of in-depth information for and about two-year college faculty, administrators and trustees. Established in 1988, it is publishedbiweekly and distributed to two-year colleges across the United States.
“Ozarka’srapid growth is a testament to our students realizing the importance of highereducation so that they will be more marketable and better prepared to advancein their careers,” said Ozarka College President Dr. Richard Dawe.”Our faculty and staff have done a remarkable job of meetingstudents’ needs as we’ve increased enrollment, which isparticularly impressive given relatively flat or declining state funding. Colleges, like Ozarka, have been impacted the most severely in recent yearsbecause we have fewer and fewer resources from the state to fund much largernumbers of students.”
Duringthe Fall 2010 semester, OzarkaCollege saw recordenrollment, reaching 1,573 students. The enrollment growth rate was also amongthe highest in the state for both four and two year institutions with a 25percent increase in full-time equivalent (FTE) students. The increase in FTE sudents is an indicator that students are taking heavier course-loads to morequickly achieve their educational goals.
Overthe past year, the College has also been able to maintain its growth andcontinue to increase the number of students attending all four campuses. Inorder to accommodate the needs of students, the College completed theconstruction of a Student Center on the Mountain View campus in early August 2011 and is in the processof beginning an amphitheatre project. OzarkaCollege also recently completed aFacilities Master Plan for the Melbournecampus, which will provide a blueprint for future building and expansionprojects to better serve the needs of the rapidly growing student population.
To further benefit students, new programs have been planned and developed,including the recent addition of an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice andCorrections. A four-year Business degree from Arkansas State UniversityJonesboro, facilitated on the OzarkaCollege campus, is also anew option for students, with additional Bachelor and Master degrees to beoffered in the future.
