STUDENT AFFAIRS & ACADEMIC SERVICES

54 - STUDENT SERVICES 57 - ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES 59 - SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

STUDENT SERVICES

RESIDENCE LIFE OCC has three women’s and three men’s residence halls that provide our residential program students with a Christian community during their time as a student.

All unmarried residential program students enrolled in 8 or more credit hours are required to live in the residence hall. Exceptions to the policy can be made if the student is living with his/her immediate family, has completed 90 credit hours, is 23 years of age or older, or has already lived in a residence hall for 7 semesters. More details about living facilities and guidelines are included in the Residence Hall Guidelines at occ.edu/residencehallguidelines.

DINING SERVICES The OCC Dining Hall provides a comfortable environment for students to enjoy meals. All students living on campus are required to purchase a basic meal plan. Unused meals are not refunded, nor do they “rollover” to the next semester. Off-campus students may purchase a meal plan if desired. Dining Hall hours and menus are published on the student portal. Pre-packed “sack lunches” are available with advanced notice to the Dining Hall and can be picked up anytime throughout the day.

The Dining Hall staff works hard to accommodate a variety of dietary needs. A doctor’s note describing the specific dietary needs, as well as a brief conversation with the Dining Services Director, is required in order to accommodate each student’s situation.

INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Ozark Christian College competes in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II and the Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA), with teams in women’s volleyball, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s cross country. Athletics present the opportunity for Christian witness for the Ambassadors. Historically, OCC has competed at the highest regional and national levels.

INTRAMURAL ATHLETICS Intramural sports include basketball, volleyball, soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee. The Athletics Department announces sign-up requirements for participation in these programs each semester.

HEALTH SERVICES Ozark’s Health Services Coordinator (campus nurse) works to promote and encourage optimal physical health and well-being among Ozark Christian College students. Located in the lower level of the Mabee Student Center, the nurse provides first aid, basic medical care, and relevant healthcare advice. Students who need further treatment are referred to a local hospital, urgent care, or primary care provider.

SECURITY DEPARTMENT OCC’s Security Department provides a safe and secure environment for students, personnel, and visitors while also safeguarding campus property and facilities from damage or loss. As required by federal guidelines, Ozark Christian College makes available an annual security report that includes statistics for the previous three years concerning any reported crimes. Those guidelines require the report to include any crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property controlled or owned by the college, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from campus. This report also includes institutional policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other related matters. This report may be accessed at occ.edu/security or by contacting the Office of Student Affairs.

STUDENT HANDBOOK Ozark Christian College students will find information related to campus and conduct policies, emergency guidelines, and legal requirements in the Student Handbook. Students will be required to review the handbook and sign the Student Covenant prior to enrollment. The Residential Student Handbook can be found at occ.edu/handbook and on the student portal; the link to the Online Student Handbook can be found at occ.edu/olresources and in the Intro to Ozark Online orientation course in Canvas.

STUDENT AFFAIRS OFFICE The Student Affairs Office serves both Residential Program students and Online Program students, helping students thrive and reach their full potential by working to identify personal, environmental, and/or institutional factors that could hinder students from continuing to complete their academic goals. Personnel in this office help to connect students with the various services the institution provides. The Student Affairs Office is located in the Idleman Ministry Center.

LIFE AND MINISTRY PREPARATION CENTER (LAMP) The mission of the Life and Ministry Preparation Center is to disciple wholeness into the personal, relational, and ministry lives of students by providing pastoral counseling and intergenerational relational mentoring to model a shepherding approach to ministry to be replicated in the future ministries of the students. The LAMP Offices are located in the Idleman Ministry Center.

COUNSELING SERVICES OCC makes available confidential pastoral counseling services to all current OCC students. If student counseling needs go beyond the scope of pastoral counseling, Ozark has contracted with area professional counselors to provide clinical counseling at a reduced rate, with financial assistance from the college.

MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT The mission of the Multicultural Affairs Department is to cultivate a multiethnic, multicultural campus and constituency by working across college departments to intentionally recruit and retain ethnic minority students and to increase the campus and classroom cultural inclusivity. The Multicultural Affairs Office is located in the Idleman Ministry Center.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES & MABEE STUDENT CENTER The mission of Student Activities is to strengthen community life and connection within the Residential Program student body by providing a variety of engaging events at strategic times throughout each semester to include and involve a maximum number of students in community. Concerts, conferences, and clubs are other activities in which students participate.

The Mabee Student Center, with its games, foosball, ping pong, pool table, TVs, coffee, Mail Center, and campus bookstore, is a favorite meeting place for students and a great environment to strengthen community.

ONLINE STUDENT LIFE Attending college completely online is a unique experience for adult students. Many of the blessings associated with increased flexibility and the elimination of physical presence (no relocating, school is open 24/7, no shuffling schedules to be in class at a specific place/time, etc.) create new challenges. Specifically, there is an increased need for self-imposed boundaries on time and space that must be negotiated with family, work, and ministry responsibilities. College cannot merely be added to one’s plate. Students must make room for it.

Online students are required to interact within courses in a variety of ways. Many students extend this interaction outside the classroom via social media. Likewise, interaction with online teachers is encouraged.

While there is a physical separation between the student and the teacher, much learning and mentoring can take place when students feel greater freedom to ask questions and where teachers are focused on responding to students rather than preparing for lectures. Throughout each semester, a student newsletter for those in the online program is published to communicate important dates, program changes, significant events, and resources.

Upon acceptance into the online program, new students will receive an OCC email address, access to a student portal (for online billing, financial aid, and informational purposes), access to the Canvas learning management system, and a brief orientation to online studies. While it takes a campus to meet all the educational and personal needs of online students, the Online Learning Office (onlinelearning@occ.edu) is available to assist students with their concerns. Students are encouraged to ask questions early and often.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES AND CO-CURRICULAR LEARNING

CHAPEL AND LIFE GROUPS The spiritual growth of OCC students is of utmost concern to our administrators, faculty, and constituents. All residential program campus students enrolled in 8 or more credit hours in a semester are required to attend chapel services every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Students will be led in worship by Frontline and will get to hear from outstanding speakers each chapel service. On Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m., all residential program students participate in small group meetings (life and mentor groups) for community, mentoring, and prayer.

MINISTRY CENTER AND CHRISTIAN SERVICE The Ministry Center staff provides assistance to OCC students in the areas of internships and vocational placement as they prepare for a life of ministry. The Ministry Center maintains a list of available ministry positions for students who desire part-time ministry positions in the area and full-time ministry positions upon graduation. Resume writing assistance is also provided. They connect ministry students to internship opportunities to prepare them for future full-time ministry. Coordination of ministry expos and campus guests help students to find opportunities for ministry in areas of church, parachurch, missions, camps, residencies, and internships. For assistance contact ministry.center@occ.edu

Christian Service is an integral part of a student’s preparation for ministry, which is why every graduating student must demonstrate that Christian Service has been a priority in his/her degree program. Every student enrolled in eight or more credit hours in a semester is to complete and report 30 hours of Christian Service each semester enrolled. During a student’s first semester, the expectation for Christian Service is reduced to 15 hours to afford the student adequate time to seek a local church home.

LIBRARY The Seth Wilson Library has over 29,000 square feet on two floors. Named for OCC’s first academic dean, Seth Wilson, the library collection exceeds 100,000 items, including books and audio-visual materials. Additionally, the library houses the Seth Wilson Bible Collection. Library access is 24/7 via phone (417.626.1209), email (library@occ.edu), or online (occ.edu/library) to renew items, place holds on requested materials, or ask questions.

During the school year the library is open seven days a week and provides research assistance during regular hours. Electronic resources such as the Christian Periodical Index, Academic Search Premier, ATLA Religion Database, and over 450,000 e-books assist patrons in finding electronic periodicals or access to fulltext articles. In cooperation with the MOBIUS consortium, over 250,000 electronic resources are housed in the library’s OverDrive collection (mobius.overdrive.com). The library also utilizes JSTOR which provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.

Some books and articles are available through MOBIUS (a consortium of over 75 libraries in Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Colorado, and Texas) and interlibrary loans to students and personnel. MOBIUS libraries provide access to over 30 million titles. The library also offers audio-visual equipment to checkout for school assignments, projects, or ministry needs or to rent for other purposes. Online students can take advantage of EBSCOHost, MOBIUS and JSTOR for research needs. These resources provide access to electronic materials and delivery of physical books from OCC to an associated library that may be near the student.

ACADEMIC RESOURCE COMMONS The mission of the Academic Resource Commons (ARC) is to help students succeed academically by providing resources, instruction, and peer-tutoring on academic skills, writing, and research; facilitating learning accommodations; and offering test proctoring services for Ozark Christian College students. On-campus and online students can make appointments to work with tutors in an in-person or online session, and all tutoring is free. The ARC is located inside the Seth Wilson Library.

MUSIC/DRAMA OPPORTUNITIES Students with talent in music and/or drama find many enjoyable ways to use their abilities at Ozark. The college has many on-campus performance opportunities in the areas of instrumental and vocal music as well as drama. Students will find many opportunities to express their talents through fine arts. Contact the Worship and Creative Arts Office for more information.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

Several special on-campus events enhance the student’s educational experience:

• Welcome Week in August begins the fall semester. It includes the Convocation Banquet, blOCC Party, the Ministry Expo, and more.

• Getaway in September invites students (grades 6-8) to campus for meaningful worship, engaging speakers, workshops, games, and fun. This overnight event gives middle schoolers a chance to experience OCC.

• Global Awareness Week in the fall emphasizes the need for evangelizing the world. During this event, students are challenged to serve the Lord on the mission field.

• The Event in November welcomes hundreds of high school students (grades 9-12) to campus for worship, speakers, and more.

• The Christmas Musical in December welcomes thousands of people to the campus to enjoy the timeless message of Jesus Christ through music and drama.

• Preaching-Teaching Convention in February features strong Bible preaching, excellent workshops, inspiring music, alumni reunions, and Christian fellowship.

• Women’s Event in April exists to encourage, empower, and equip women everywhere.