Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus

Arkansas Tech University–Ozark Campus is a two-year college in Ozark (Franklin County) that serves as a satellite location of Arkansas Tech University in Russellville (Pope County).

The institution was established in 1965 as Arkansas Valley Vocational Technical School. Regional vocational and technical schools were established across the state in the 1960s to offer alternative educational programs to those offered by public universities. In 1975, the school became the first in the state to receive state accreditation from the Arkansas State Board of Education/Vocational Education. The name of the institution was changed in 1991 to Arkansas Valley Technical Institute in order to better separate the institute from secondary schools offering similar programs.

On July 1, 2003, the institute merged with Arkansas Tech University and was renamed Arkansas Valley Technical Institute of Arkansas Tech University. In 2007, the campus adopted its current name. The president of the institution became a chancellor, reporting to the president of Arkansas Tech. The board of trustees of the institute became a board of advisors, and the Arkansas Tech University Board of Trustees took legal control of the institute.

The campus offers a number of associate degree programs, including nursing, welding, and law enforcement. Transfer degree programs allow students to complete coursework at the Ozark campus before transferring to the main campus in Russellville or another university. Technical certificates and certificates of proficiency are also offered. In addition to the academic programs offered on the Ozark campus, the institution oversees the Arkansas Tech Career Center in Russellville, which offers career and technical education in eleven area high schools in Pope, Yell, and Johnson counties. The campus is also responsible for offering adult education programs in Franklin, Logan, and Johnson counties.

While the campus does not offer housing or athletic programs, it does have many of the same amenities as four-year institutions, including a student union, dining services, a campus bookstore, a library, and other services. A fitness center is available to students and faculty in the Health Sciences and Wellness Building. Several student organizations operate chapters on campus, including Phi Theta Kappa and Phi Beta Lambda. As of 2018, the campus is the only institution in the state to offer certificates in enology and viticulture.

Enrollment at the campus grew considerably after the merger with Arkansas Tech University. In 2003, enrollment at the campus was around 300 students, and the fall 2014 enrollment set a record with 2,172 students. The fall 2016 enrollment was 2,041.

For additional information:
Arkansas Tech University–Ozark Campus. https://www.atu.edu/ozark/ (accessed June 15, 2023).

David Sesser
Henderson State University