Pictured from left to right: FaithLyn Bragdon, senior accounting major; Amy Leaming, student-made products manager at The Stained Glass and Candle Shop; Esther Rea, senior public relations major; Andrew Williams, fall 2023 graduate; Drew Banks, senior psychology major; Dr. Nick Sharp, dean of work at College of the Ozarks.

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — Four students from College of the Ozarks traveled to Savannah, Georgia, in the fall semester, to represent the College in the meeting of the Work Colleges Consortium. While there, the students met with the Work College Consortium members and sat in different breakout sessions over the course of two days.

The Work Colleges Consortium is a group of ten colleges across the nation who share the common goal of providing work-based, low-cost education for their students. All colleges in the consortium require full-time students to work a designated number of hours weekly to cover most, if not all, of their tuition costs.

The purpose of the conference was to meet with members of the National Student Employment Association and make them aware of the Work Colleges Consortium.

Dr. Nick Sharp, dean of work education at C of O, served as the sponsor of the trip. Sharp works closely with the Work Colleges Consortium throughout the year, due to his instrumental involvement in the College’s vocational mission.

“We were happy to join efforts with the Work College Consortium to represent College of the Ozarks and share our story with the National Student Employment Association,” Sharp said. “The Work College model is unique to higher education and is attractive to employers looking for driven individuals who understand the value of hard work. Our students walked away with a new appreciation for College of the Ozarks and a better understanding of how work influences student development.”

The students attending the conference were as follows:

• FaithLyn Bragdon, senior accounting major from Lake Lure, North Carolina
• Esther Rea, senior public relations major from Nevada, Missouri
• Andrew Williams, fall 2023 graduate from Springfield, Missouri
• Drew Banks, senior psychology major from Florence, Alabama

Throughout the conference, students gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Work Colleges Consortium. Students served the local community of Savannah alongside other members of the consortium by picking up trash.

“It was really eye opening to be able to see how few Work Colleges there really are,” Bragdon said. “I am so thankful for the perspective I gained on this trip. It becomes easy to take our school and experience for granted. Meeting other people with similar perspectives on work, but differing approaches and goals, has made me proud of the opportunity I have at College of the Ozarks.”

Work Deans visit College of the Ozarks

The Work College Consortium objective is to provide opportunities for all the Work Deans to corporately gather at peer institutions each year. The meeting space provides deans with a well-rounded knowledge of how other Work Colleges approach work education.

This year, the Work Deans visited College of the Ozarks in February and stayed at The Keeter Center. Their time together involved learning about the College’s approach to work education, taking campus tour, and meeting with various people on campus, such as the work supervisor and student work councils. President Brad Johnson also welcomed the deans to campus on Tuesday morning.

“We owe a big thank you to Brenda Boggs, executive director of the Work College Consortium, and Stella Welsh, assistant director of Work College Consortium, for their efforts to bring the Work Deans together to discuss prominent issues and current events in higher education,” Sharp said. “Opportunities to engage with people who also serve in unique positions such as a Work Dean are invaluable. Although we operate very differently from one another, our objectives to influence students through work are the same.”