Ozarks Technical Community College\u2019s Branson center will be able to offer about 50 percent more classes by the time the spring semester begins in January.<\/p>\n
A 5,000-square-foot expansion on the 11,000 square-foot facility will be completed at the end of this week to help the college keep up with local demand. Branson Center Coordinator Rob Griffith said he estimates about a 30-percent increase in enrollment over the spring; most of those students are taking general education classes that will transfer to a four-year college.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of the need is for more of what we\u2019ve been doing,\u201d Griffith said.<\/p>\n
The expansion includes more classrooms and office space.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are growing and want to offer facilities that meet the demands of students,\u201d Griffith said.<\/p>\n
The center now has a community room, and Griffith said he hopes OTC will be able to host more community events in Branson.<\/p>\n
More than 360 students took fall classes at the center and early enrollment projections show that the number of students taking classes will be up significantly.<\/p>\n
Griffith said he estimates 425 students will enroll for the spring semester.<\/p>\n
The center, located in The Shoppes at Branson Meadows on Gretna Road, offers a variety of general education, non-credit and work force development courses, as well as the GED and the English as a Second Language program.<\/p>\n
Students may earn an Associate of Arts degree or work toward fulfilling requirements for a four-year degree.<\/p>\n
\u201cBranson\u2019s enrollment and growth over the last two years has been double digit. We cannot offer more classes without more space,\u201d said Hal Higdon, president of OTC.<\/p>\n
Griffith said students needing to enroll for the spring semester should act fast. He said there is quite a bit of paperwork that needs to be completed before classes begin in January.<\/p>\n
The center will host a welcome day Jan. 14, 2009, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. when the public is invited to see the renovated center.<\/p>\n