Especially For Parents

Doors... How they influence lives. As your child is planning to leave your front door to enter college doors, many decisions and concerns are on your mind. You want to be sure of the right doors.

Making Your Decisions
Coming to a decision on the college of choice where a student will continue his or her education after high school involves parents and raises many questions. After all, you're preparing to entrust your child for the next several years to people who will directly influence his or her lifelong thinking. Furthermore, you are making a major investment in his or her learning venture, and you want to know that your money is being well spent.

Addressing Your Concerns
Parents just naturally have a number of concerns they would like to be comfortable about before delivering their young man or woman to college. One reason we're certain of this is the answers parents supplied on a recent survey. In the order of their importance, according to these parents, here are the things they said really mattered to them. They probably matter to you, too.

  1. CHALLENGE TOWARD SPIRITUAL MATURITY
    Chapel service twice weekly, dorm devos, classroom lectures and Christian service combine to issue this challenge daily at OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE. Click here for a detailed description of OCC's mission, objectives and doctrinal statement.
  2. PERSONAL CARE AND NURTURING
    Our Residence Directors, affectionately called "Dad" and "Mom" by the students who live in the residence halls, take a personal interest in the lives of each young man or woman residing in their care. They strive to be loving stand-in parents, nurturing your children on to maturity. Mentoring and accountability groups serve to strengthen practical Christian living. Our professors are always accessible, and counseling is readily available.
    OCC's Alumni Office offers two caring services for parents of OCC students. You may send a Birthday Surprise or a Final Exams Care Package to your OCC student.
  3. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION
    OCC is a nondenominational college that welcomes students from many church groups. We are specifically associated with and mostly supported by Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.
  4. REPUTATION OF THE COLLEGE
    OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE has been training men and women for both vocational and volunteer Christian service since 1942. We are a conservative Bible college believing in "no creed but Christ and no book but the Bible." Historically, ninety-six percent of our graduates enter into vocational Christian service.
  5. FRIENDLY FAMILY ATMOSPHERE
    Every fall semester begins with Welcome to the Family Week. Emphasis is given to the truth that we are a part of the family of God, and to the understanding that at OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, family is just who we are and how we focus toward one another.
  6. CHRISTIAN SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
    Many areas of service are available including nursing home ministry, prison ministry, tutoring, ministry to the homeless, ministry to children, student preaching ministry as well as youth ministry and music ministry, ministry to the deaf, teaching Sunday school or working with youth groups in local and nearby churches. Many outlets for Christian service are open to OCC students.
  7. FACULTY
    Caring -- Qualified -- Committed. These words describe the OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE faculty. They are interested not only in educating students, but also in the students themselves. They are well prepared to teach the word of Christ in the spirit of Christ, and they are committed to being fine Christian role models.
  8. VOCATIONAL PREPARATION
    OCC Alumni report upon being surveyed that their OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE degrees provided significant preparation for fifty-nine different vocations.
  9. PROGRAMS AND DEGREES OFFERED
    Seven Bachelor degrees, three associate degrees, eight two-year certificates and two one-year certificates provide many possibilities from which students may choose. Within these programs, a number of majors as well as minor emphases may be incorporated. Click here for more information.
  10. CAMPUS SECURITY
    Entrance doors to residence halls are locked every night. All residence hall rooms are equipped with locks. A security guard is provided nightly. Campus lighting is excellent. Crime statistics are nearly nonexistent at OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE. Click here to view the Crime/Security Report.
  11. ACCREDITATION
    OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE has been accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges since October 25, 1988. Our ten-year reaffirmation of accreditation was granted February 18, 1999. OCC's credits are transferable to many other colleges.
  12. COST OF EDUCATION
    OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE has always provided a quality education at the lowest possible cost. Among Christian colleges of comparable size, the cost of attendance at OCC is one of the lowest.
  13. AVAILABILITY OF INSTITUTIONAL AND FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID
    Nine different types of scholarships are offered by OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE as well as thirty-eight different grants. About seventy-five percent of our students receive these scholarships and grants. All federal financial aid that is available can be applied for through OCC. About eighty-five percent of our students receive federal aid. NOTE: Students who could have received financial assistance often do not because they didn't apply. Be sure to apply.
  14. TUTORIAL SUPPORT
    The Learning Center in our library provides student tutors who tutor for courses in which they have earned no less than a B grade. No additional charges are made for tutorial support.
  15. QUALITY OF HOUSING
    The residence halls at OCC provide spacious rooms with good lighting, individual closets, chest of drawers, desk and book shelves for each student living in our dorms. Each room is also equipped for individual phone service through which e-mail and Internet access are available.
  16. STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO
    Our ratio of 20:1 has been quite satisfactory in providing good availability and accessibility of faculty to meet student needs.
  17. SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES ON CAMPUS
    Concerts, residence hall open houses, meal times, athletic events and dorm life all provide those relaxed, fun times to enjoy one another in the OCC family.
  18. ON-CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT
    Approximately 150 student openings are available each year. Our cafeteria, maintenance, athletic department, bookstore, library, and admissions department each employ several students.
  19. OFF-CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT
    OCC students have no trouble finding jobs in the Joplin community. A large mall, many fast-food services and other area businesses have employed our students. Many merchants prefer them because they are honest, dependable, punctual, and relate well to people.
  20. NEARNESS TO CITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES
    Joplin has a population of about 40,000 and the area is continually growing. The OCC campus is located just at the north edge of the city. Some services are within walking distances, and ten minutes by car brings one to just about any destination in town. Tulsa, Oklahoma and Kansas City, Missouri are just two hours away. Click here for more information about Joplin.
  21. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
    OCC's gym is one of the finest in our area. Basketball, volleyball, racquetball, a weight room, and two inside tracks are all housed in our multi-purpose building. Tennis courts, softball diamond and a soccer field are also provided.

We're Concerned Too
Your concerns do concern us. We want to answer your questions that are involved in reaching a decision about your son or daughter's future. We hope that the information herein is helpful, but some of your questions may not have been addressed. For more information, just call us at 1-800-299-4622. We will be glad to hear from you, and we will do our best to provide answers... and the right doors.