Current Initiatives
Learning College
With its new Strategic Plan for 2009-2014, CPCC has made a commitment to continue becoming a more learning-centered college. A learning college places learning first and provides educational experiences for learners anyway, anywhere, anytime, with a mission to produce learning with every student by whatever means work best. The College itself is a learner, continuously learning how to produce more learning with each entering student.
The purpose of a learning college is not to transfer knowledge, but to create environments that bring students to discover and construct knowledge for themselves and to make students members of communities of learners that make discoveries and solve problems. All College employees are encouraged to be learners and to accept collective responsibility for student learning and success.
Achieving the Dream
In light of the growing popularity of social media sites across numerous audiences and the College's reduction in available marketing and communication dollars, CPCC launched several social media sites in June of 2009. The College's Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter sites join the existing CPCC-TV YouTube channel. CPCC reaches over 1,400 students, alumni, community leaders, advocates and other stakeholders through these communication vehicles.
Resources for Changing Careers
Resources for Changing Careers has a wealth of resources to help you navigate through challenging and difficult times.
- High school students looking for a career path
- CPCC students evaluating possible career choices
- Employed workers exploring alternative careers
- Career professionals seeking to enhance their careers
- Unemployed or underemployed workers looking for jobs that match their interests and skills
- Employers who want to enhance the skills of their workforce and connect with CPCC students to meet growing demand
- Lifelong learners who want to learn more about what’s happening in this rapidly advancing sector
Gateway to the Community College Initiatives
The Gateway to the Community College comprehensive website and college-wide collaboration demonstrates CPCC’s focus on improving college performance, supporting young adult access, and encouraging leaders to commit to helping students complete their degrees. The College provides several program and service initiatives to address these categories.
Online Course Schedule
The traditional printed course schedules have been replaced by the online Schedule Builder. This online course schedule allows visitors to quickly search for courses according to their criteria for example, online classes, f'rom 6-7 p.m., on Wednesday. Once the schedule is built, students may continue to the online registration system to register for classes and pay their tuition. All registrations are processed online.
Career Services
As a result of the tough economic times, CPCC has enhanced the services provided through Career Services. Experienced career counselors are available to assist students and alumni plan their careers and take their job searches to new heights. Employers may work through Career Services to recruit on any campus; post job openings (at no cost) tailored for students on the job-posting system; or participate in the annual Career Fair hosted by the College. Students, alumni and employers are encouraged to visit Career Services at any campus or online.
College Connection
College Connection is an early registration opportunity for current CMS high school seniors. The program allows for greater selection of classes and the ability to tailor class schedules around home and work. In order to participate, CMS high school seniors must complete a CPCC application online and take the Accuplacer placement test.
Student Success Centers
The Student Success Centers connect students with resources that assist them to reach their educational, life, and career goals. The Centers offer a wide range of services and resources to meet the specialized needs of current and future students. Conveniently located at each campus, the Centers provide information and guidance, goal clarification, answers to questions, tutorial assistance, advising and counseling, and access to all enrollment services.
Scholarships
Scholarships are provided through the College’s Foundation and the generosity of industries, businesses, professional organizations, civic clubs, and individual philanthropists. The donor or a scholarship review team determines the recipient for those scholarships awarded by the College.
Veterans' Affairs
CPCC is approved by the NC State Approving Agency for the enrollment of persons eligible for education assistance benefits from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Through the Veterans' Affairs Office, the College provides training opportunities for veterans and their eligible dependents. (The spouse and/or children of service-connected or deceased veterans, 100% service-connected disabled veterans, those missing in action, and prisoners of war.)
Minority Male Mentoring Project
CPCC developed and implemented the Minority Male Mentoring Program based on data gathered for a national study funded by the U.S. Department of Education and on data gathered at the College, both of which indicated that male students are much more likely to drop out of CPCC than female students. Internal data showed that while the female-to-male ratio of new, incoming students in the fall term is 55% to 45%, of that same group of students one year later, the ratio of female-to-male is 60% to 40%. This program focuses on issues relating to retention, academic achievement,career networking, self-esteem and professionalism.
Summer Bridge Program
The Summer Bridge Program provides first generation or low income recent high school graduates a structured, supervised environment to make the transition from high school to college. It has been in place for over 10 years and generally occurs mid-June through mid-July each year. To participate in the Summer Bridge program, a student must be a graduate of CMS with an overall grade point average of 2.0, recommended by either the Communities-In-Schools or CPCC’s Outreach and Recruitment Department, take CPCC’s placement examination, and plan to enter a college or university in the fall semester following the Summer Bridge program.
Service Learning
Service Learning is an innovative program designed to deepen student learning in the classroom and enhance a sense of civic responsibility through meaningful and organized service activities in the local community. CPCC is partnering with numerous schools, community agencies, and nonprofit organizations that benefit from the service work provided by our student service learners. CPCC is the first community college to become a charter member of North Carolina Campus Compact, a statewide coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to promoting civic engagement among our students.
American Academy of Applied Forensics
The American Academy of Applied Forensics (AAAF) was originally funded in 2001 by a Congressional appropriation for forensics-related training. The function of the AAAF is to enhance field applications of forensic sciences and to increase the knowledge, skill, and ability levels of law enforcement and medico-legal investigative practitioners. Elevating the skill levels of those who first encounter evidence raises the likelihood that the evidence will reveal the truth and that ultimately justice will be served.
Adult and Academic English as a Second Language
These programs prepare students who need to improve their English language skills for college-level studyor for career advancement. The programs also prepare non-native speakers of English to function successfully in institutions of higher education and in professional settings, prepare newly arrived immigrants 18 years and older who need to improve their basic literacy communication skills, and provide English language instruction online.
Integrated Counseling and Advisement Network (ICAN)
ICAN is an award-winning advising system that includes faculty, staff, academic advisors, counselors, peer advisors, and technology in collaborative ways to foster total student development and enhance student success. Advising plays an essential part in student persistence and success. If advising is viewed as part of a retention and student success strategy, it cannot be narrowly defined. At CPCC advising is viewed as an integrated, developmental process that contributes to a student’s total college performance. To enhance online advising services for students, the College has developed a comprehensive website including synchronous advising and a new student interactive orientation. ICAN has received best practice recognition and has become a model for other community colleges.
Pathways to Employment
This nationally acclaimed Pathways to Employment Program is designed to prepare students to enter the workforce as skilled employees. Pathways programs run 12 to 14 weeks and combine classes that teach basic academic and job readiness skills with training for jobs where skilled workers are high in demand. Central Piedmont Community College has quickly become a model for other community colleges seeking to develop their own Pathways programs.
JumpStart
JumpStart was designed to provide a labor pool of skilled workers to meet the growing workforce in the Charlotte region. In an effort to meet the needs of business and industry, CPCC developed a flexible, intensive training program in which competency-based curriculum is tied to skill standards. The success of this program has resulted in JumpStart becoming a model for other community colleges around the country.
