Here are 7 big changes to the Ozarks Technical Community College campus this summer, fall

Fall classes at Ozarks Technical Community College start Monday and the new semester will bring many changes to the look, and learning spaces, on campus.

The opening of the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing, or PMC, in August 2022 created a domino effect in nearby buildings.

Planning and work during the past year has resulted in big changes to the Springfield campus of OTC — visible both inside buildings and in the ways students access the campus — and more will be finished by the end of the calendar year.

"This summer has been a summer of change at OTC," said Chancellor Hal Higdon.

OTC commissioned an Eagle statue, which will be installed later, and work to the plaza was intended to provide a gathering place and improve walkability on the campus.

Here are seven other ways the campus is changing.

Hampton Avenue upgrades

More lighting and new wide sidewalks is being added to both sides of Hampton Avenue, a well-traveled thoroughfare to bring students and employees into the campus from the north.

Higdon said enhancing Hampton, from Pythian Street to the center of campus, provides better access to the parking near the PMC and along the east side of the campus.

"Students will be surprised when they come back," Higdon said.

Improved 'tourability' of ITTC building

Parts of the ITTC building were gutted and new paint and flooring was added.

Higdon said with automotive, diesel, welding and other hands-on programs in that building, OTC wanted to make it easier to give tours.

That means better signage, wider doors and frosted glass so visitors and others passing by classrooms can catch a glimpse of what is happening inside.

Higdon said the PMC was built to accommodate tours, which the college finds valuable, and wanted the renovations to ITTC to result in similar features. "We will see a much more user-friendly building."

Last school year, 853 individuals requested to tour a program of interest or the college. There were 97 groups of 10 or more that toured that college.

Since the opening of the PMC, it has hosted 110 tours or events.

Additional 36 welding booths on campus

The opening of the PMC allowed certain programs to be relocated and consolidated there, which created space to move in other buildings including the nearby Industry Transportation and Technology Center, or the ITTC building.

This summer, 36 welding booths were added at the ITTC, bringing the campus total to 86.

In a campus update video, Matt Hudson, executive director of technical education, explained: "Welding remains one of our most popular programs and we knew we had to the opportunity with the PMC opened to clear some space in the ITTC building to create capacity."

Greenhouse renovations for plumbing program

The greenhouse on the south edge of the ITTC building is in the process of being renovated to make way for a new plumbing program, which is set to debut in 2024.

"It's exciting going in with plumbing. I think that's going to be a big deal," Higdon said. "We were wanting to start plumbing years ago and didn't have support from industry and the unions and now industry and unions are saying 'Please start plumbing.'"

The greenhouse used to be part of the college's agriculture program, which shifted to the Richwood Valley campus in Christian County.

The Middle College offices that were located above where plumbing is going in will be enhanced.

Safety, security, lighting

OTC has added parking spaces and increased traffic flow to improve pedestrian safety. Lighting and cameras have also been added in parking lots.

"There is a great deal more security on campus," Higdon said.

The college has been going from one building to the next to provide security upgrades. Most recently, the work was focused on Lincoln Hall and includes "life safety and security systems" including intrusion alarms, video monitoring, and access control.

Once completed, the college will be able to automatically lock interior and exterior doors from a central location. Change also includes internal and external cameras and two-way communication.

Lincoln Hall entrance renovated

The historical facade of Lincoln Hall, opened in 1930 as a school for African American students during segregation, remained unchanged.

However, the interior of the building was revamped, with design elements in the entrance leaning into the art deco that was popular in the 1930s, when it opened.

Mark Miller, chief media relations officer, said the refresh included a new paint and flooring and upgraded lighting.

The biggest changes are the entrance and the corridor adjacent to Lincoln 211, a key gathering space.

New labs for nursing, surgical tech

In Lincoln Hall, work includes renovating the surgery tech lab, adding a nursing lab, and upgrading existing labs and classrooms.

Miller said demand for nursing and for the OTC nursing program prompted the changes. He said additional space means more students can enroll.

More: New OTC aviation repair program buys three airplanes, one helicopter for student training

The surgery tech lab, located in a small space, has been expanded to add students. The program teaches students the skills to sterilize and clean operating spaces and assist with surgeries.

In the update video, Aaron Light, dean of health sciences, said: "Every single health sciences lab and classroom has been touched in some way — new floors, new paint, new LED light so now when students come through our tours they're going to see a very updated space that actually looks like a health care, high-tech type place that they want to come."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Check out 7 big changes to the OTC campus in summer and fall 2023