Purpose

Central Piedmont Community College is an innovative and comprehensive college that advances the life-long educational development of students consistent with their needs, interests, and abilities while strengthening the economic, social, and cultural life of its diverse community.

The College accomplishes this purpose by providing high-quality, flexible pre-baccalaureate and career-focused educational programs and services which are academically, geographically, and financially accessible. This purpose requires a fundamental commitment to teaching and learning excellence within a supportive environment.

History of Central Piedmont Community College

Central Piedmont Community College’s history centers not so much on bricks and mortar, books and tapes, or research and development. The history centers more on the many people who have played a role in developing the College. A host of unsung heroes—from secretaries to counselors to faculty to administrators—have dedicated themselves to building the great institution that is CPCC.

Since its beginning, the College has been a national pacesetter in education. Standouts on the CPCC roster include a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Metropolitan Opera star, an Olympic gold medalist, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner, a television actress, and a pro football player. Countless others—chefs, health care providers, technicians, real estate brokers, paralegals, firefighters, law enforcement officers, trades people, and others who serve our community—share CPCC’s proud tradition.

CPCC has been providing educational opportunities since 1963, the year that the North Carolina General Assembly passed the community college bill. Opening as a fully integrated institution, under the direction of Dr. Richard H. Hagemeyer, the founding president, the College combined the programs of Central Industrial Education Center (CIEC) on Elizabeth Avenue and Mecklenburg College on Beatties Ford Road.

The College sold its property on Beatties Ford Road and developed a campus around the old Central High School complex. Starting with 3.94 acres, the College bought surrounding property, demolished buildings, and closed streets to build the beautiful, tree shaded, 31-acre Central Campus that students and faculty now enjoy.

From the start, the College was different in its teaching methods. CPCC soon garnered national recognition for its individualized instruction and computer-assisted instruction. In 1970, the College was invited to join the prestigious League for Innovation in the Community College, and today it is still an active member. In 1985, CPCC was named one of the nation’s top five community colleges in teaching excellence.

CPCC has grown from a small College with a dozen programs serving 1,600 students to one with over 100 degree, diploma, and certificate programs serving approximately 60,000 students in an array of credit and non-credit offerings. The College has also become the county’s premier workforce development resource, offering its educational services through area campuses and at many high schools and businesses.

After Dr. Hagemeyer’s retirement in 1986, Dr. Ruth Shaw became the College’s second president. Under her leadership, the College added the Advanced Technologies Center and the Center for Automotive Technology and began acquiring land for area campuses.

Dr. Tony Zeiss, CPCC’s third president, has led the College since December 1992. He is devoted to the mission of CPCC and to serving students and the community through customized training and workforce development. Under his direction, CPCC became a multi-campus community college in 1996 with the conversion of the North Area Learning Center in Huntersville to the North Campus. Three other campuses subsequently opened—the new South Campus in 1998, the new Southwest Campus in 1999, and the new West Campus in 2001. A number of services are also available through City View (learning center). With the projected opening of the Northeast Campus in 2002, CPCC will have full-service campuses across Mecklenburg County. The College also reaches thousands of students via distance learning, offered through its "College Without Walls."

The College is currently embarking on more capital improvements and expansion to serve the growing region, and the Central Campus is slated for major renovations. As always, the College is growing because the citizens of Mecklenburg County know their investment in CPCC is changing their lives for the better.

- Carol Timblin,  Writer/Coordinator
  CPCC—The First 30 Year