News and Features

What's going on in the Central Piedmont community and what Central Piedmont is doing in the community.

  • College hosts EDI event with community partners

    In celebration of Black History Month, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Council at Central Piedmont Community College hosted a virtual panel discussion today featuring prominent leaders from some of its key partner organizations in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. The panel was comprised of:

    • Kieth Cockrell, president, Bank of America Charlotte
    • Chiquitha Lloyd, director of diversity and inclusion, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
    • Dr. Dana McDonald, vice president of talent development, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont
    • Fernando Little, vice president and chief diversity officer, Atrium Health

    During the event, Central Piedmont employees and students had the opportunity to hear the group discuss their personal stories as they relate to equity, diversity, and inclusion; and most importantly, learn about each individual’s professional experiences with actively advocating for and promoting opportunity, access, and fairness within their organizations and in the community-at-large.

    “I’d encourage all of you, no matter how you classify yourself or what you think about this campus, to speak up,” said Cockrell during the event. “We all have a voice and we all need to show a willingness to make things better.”

    Over the last 18 months, Central Piedmont has hosted a number of EDI related events for both its employees and students to attend. Examples include: inclusive leadership trainings, inclusive teaching practice sessions, examining best EDI practices from other institutions, courageous conversations, and more.

    Central Piedmont is offering the events to foster the growth of its employees and students, as well as the institution as a whole. The goal is to deliver a superior collegiate experience for students that supports their success both personally and professionally, while embedding an enhanced EDI philosophy and awareness in the college’s daily practices and processes.

  • Forbes names Central Piedmont to ‘Top 25 Best N.C. Employers’ List

    Forbes partnered with Statista to compile their third annual list of “America’s Best Employers by State,” and Central Piedmont ranked #20 among North Carolina’s businesses. The findings are based on a survey conducted from October 2020 to June 2021, of 80,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees. View the complete list of honorees.

    Central Piedmont is an attractive employment option for individuals seeking employment. The college is recognized as Mecklenburg County’s resource for academic excellence and cultural enrichment. In addition, it’s in close proximity to the Queen City’s robust public transportation system, professional sports arenas, and a number of premiere restaurant and shopping outlets that attract visitors from Mecklenburg County and beyond.

    At present, close to 40,000 students call Central Piedmont home. With eight locations, it is one of the largest community colleges in the Carolinas and serves people of all ages who seek a real-world, affordable, hands-on education that will transform their lives and strengthen the economic, social, and cultural environment of Mecklenburg County.

    To learn how to join the Central Piedmont family, visit the college’s Human Resources Web page.

     

  • College welcomes students to spring 2022 semester

    More than 15,000 students from Mecklenburg County and beyond converged at Central Piedmont Community College on Monday, Jan. 10, as the college kicked off its 2022 spring semester.

    Throughout the day, Student Engagement representatives and other staff members were stationed at information tables across all six Central Piedmont campuses to help ease students’ first day of class.

    Representatives were on site to guide students to classes, answer their questions, and provide them with important college information, such as valuable campus resources, parking guidelines and available extracurricular activities.

    The college offers nearly 300 programs to get students real-world ready, providing them with an affordable and hands-on education that can help them fast track into a career pathway or lay the foundation for a four-year degree.

    Registration for the spring term remains open. Enroll today!

  • Students Earn Their Nursing Pin

    Despite a pandemic, this year’s class of nursing students persevered, earning their nursing pin during a special ceremony on Dec. 9, and a 94-percent job placement rate.

    The pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the nursing community, symbolizing the nursing student’s hard work and commitment to serving others as a healthcare professional.

    This year marks the 54th anniversary of the pinning ceremony at Central Piedmont, an institution that is home to the oldest nursing program of its kind in the state of North Carolina and renowned for producing quality healthcare practitioners who are prepared to meet the healthcare needs of residents located in Mecklenburg County and beyond.

    To learn more about nursing at Central Piedmont, visit cpcc.edu/programs/nursing.

  • Longleaf Grant now open to 2020 N.C. high school graduates

    Central Piedmont is excited to announce North Carolina’s Longleaf Commitment Grant, a program that was previously only available to 2021 North Carolina high school graduates who planned to attend one of state’s “Great 58” community colleges during the 2021-2022 academic year, is now open to eligible 2020 high school graduates.

    Thanks to the addition of the Class of 2020, even more high school graduates now are eligible to receive grant funds – not a loan – to cover tuition and fees that may be applied toward a degree or to attain transfer credit.

    Full-time eligible students are guaranteed to receive $700 to $2,800 per academic year, for a total of two years. Part-time students may receive a partial award. The Longleaf Commitment Grant ends at the conclusion of the 2023 spring semester.

    “The Longleaf Grant helped me by saving me money,” said Leila Turner, a grant recipient and Central Piedmont student. “And the process [to apply] was easy!”

    In addition, the Longleaf Commitment program will provide matching grants to affiliated colleges to help the institutions expand their student advising, success coaching, and related services to support student success after students have enrolled.

    Learn more about the North Carolina Longleaf Commitment Grant, including its eligibility requirements, and get connected to helpful resources.

    With the Longleaf Commitment Grant, other sources of state and federal financial aid, and Central Piedmont’s $3 million in scholarship assistance, attending college debt-free is a real possibility. Check out the Central Piedmont website for more details.

    Contact the Financial Aid office.

  • Request for Proposals: Sculptor

    Central Piedmont has issued a Request for Proposals from area artists for the design, fabrication, and installation of a sculpture that celebrates the arts and humanities at the college.

    The work will be displayed outside the college’s new Student Success Center and Library, located on its Central Campus, at 1201 Elizabeth Ave. (See the Central Campus map.)

    Learn more about the project or submit a proposal by Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.

     

  • Kudos to the College's Cyber Security Team

    Congratulations to Central Piedmont's Cyber Security Team and program area on its student's performance at the individual and team level during the National Cyber League Competition, which took place Oct. 8 - Nov. 7, 2021. The team placed 137 out of 927 teams that competed nationwide, beating several four-year universities. In the individual competition, Central Piedmont student Daniel Freeman placed 209th out of 3,667 competitors. This put him in the top 6% nationwide. The other team members placed 1,225, 1,826 and 1,870 respectively. 

    Events like the National Cyber League Competition expose students to industry partners who may provide them with internships and full-time jobs - jobs are one of the best completion statuses our students can have. 

    Learn more about the National Cyber League and its competitions.

  • College Honors James W. Allison

    Central Piedmont Community College recognized James “Jim” W. Allison, a long-time Central Piedmont benefactor and respected Charlotte lawyer, by naming Room 1221 of the Zeiss Building on the college’s Central Campus, the "James W. Allison Classroom” in honor of his 17-year relationship with the college.

    The college will use Room 1221 for paralegal technology instruction beginning in 2022, when its paralegal program relocates from Cato Campus to Central Campus. The classroom naming aligns perfectly with Mr. Allison’s professional interests – he dedicated his career to working as a business lawyer, working primarily for Johnston, Allison & Hord PA. There, he helped counsel a number of clients representing the higher education, real estate, and healthcare fields – including Central Piedmont Community College.

    Over the years, Mr. Allison has served as the college’s legal counsel, helping its leadership acquire facilities/property across the county to help expand its footprint to meet the needs of students and the community.

    However, his contributions to the college’s growth extend beyond his legal work. He and his wife Judy – a Central Piedmont Board of Trustees member since 2010 – have generously donated their time and resources to Central Piedmont, establishing the Judith N. & James W. Allison Endowed Scholarship to support students in the paralegal program (with a veteran preference), and the Johnston, Allison & Hord Scholarship to support students in the college’s paralegal program.

    “Jim and Judy have been generous supporters of the college, establishing endowed scholarship funds to extend opportunities to financially-needy students in our paralegal program,” said Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont. “This generosity has made it possible for numerous students to prepare for meaningful careers as paralegals. The gift to name this classroom will increase available scholarship resources and provide additional life-transforming financial assistance to students.”

    Watch a recording of the dedication event.

  • 2020-2021 Annual Report Now Available Online

    The Central Piedmont Annual Report is ready to view online at cpccfoundation.org/annualreport.

    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-2021, the college continued to serve as the community’s college, providing the support services, courses, and career training its students needed to stay on track, within an environment that fostered a culture of care.

    We are grateful for the continued support of our donors, industry partners, and friends who believe in our vision of providing learning experiences that transform lives and strengthen the local community.

    Please enjoy this interactive reading experience, while learning more about our 2020-2021 accomplishments and celebrating our many successes with us through videos, photos, and more.

     

  • Students give back to local community

    On Oct. 27, approximately 50 Central Piedmont Opportunity Scholars gathered in the Worrell Gym, located on Central Piedmont’s Central Campus, to participate in a special “Spread the Love” event.

    During their time together, the students:

    Each month, the college’s Office of Mentoring and Bridge hosts bi-weekly Pop Series workshops to help Opportunity Scholarship recipients bridge the transition between high school and college by informing students of campus resources in an attempt to sharpen their self-advocacy skills, learn the importance of professional communication, and maintain a healthy work/life balance. Workshop attendance is required for all first-year Opportunity Scholars, while second-year Opportunity Scholarship students have the choice to attend.

    The Mentoring and Bridge team changes the workshop theme monthly to reflect an area that can best benefit students. Featured themes have included and / or will include study habits and learning (September), health and fitness (November), and stress management (December). The Spread the Love event held on Oct. 27 supported the team’s October theme – community and giving back.