News and Features

Central Piedmont has worked hard to keep employees and students updated and safe during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For the first time since early March, the college is bringing some students back to campus for in-person classes. As we resume selected in-person classes, keeping everyone as healthy and safe as possible remains our top priority.

In this first phase of returning students to campus, some health careers and some commercial driver’s license (CDL) students will have the opportunity to resume and complete their spring semester classes that were suspended in March. Some of the health careers classes have resumed already, others will start back on May 11 and 18. The CDL classes could begin as soon as May 18. This will ensure these students stay on track leading up to the Fall 2020 semester.

These classes will require just few buildings to be open — Belk/Health Careers on Central Campus, Levine I and III on Levine Campus, and the CDL program facility at Merancas Campus. Student Affairs also plans to have few staff members available in Central High and Levine I at limited times to serve current students. The college plans to bring some construction technologies students back to Harper Campus in June.

Again, this is the first phase in bringing employees and students back to campus. The vast majority of employees and students will continue to work remotely for several more weeks. Supervisors will inform their team members of their phase-in date. As the college works to bring more employees and students back to campus throughout late-spring and summer, if you do not feel comfortable returning to campus at that time, please notify your supervisor and/or Human Resources. If you are in a high-risk category with an underlying health condition or have any other questions or concerns, please contact your supervisor and/or Human Resources. The goal is to provide as much flexibility and keep everyone as safe as possible.

Coming back to campus will mean we all must focus on being safe by taking the necessary precautions. If you feel poorly at all or come in contact with someone believed to have COVID-19, please stay at home. Do not come to campus. If, within two weeks of your return to campus, you have had a cough, shortness of breath, or two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of smell or taste, you might have COVID-19, and you should consult a doctor immediately. Please notify Human Resources.

Please keep these important safety precautions in mind as you return to campus in the coming weeks.

• Employees and students will need to wear a face covering during this first phase, in places on campus where social distancing is hard to maintain. Such places include classrooms, labs, restrooms, hallways, stairways, elevators, Student Services areas, campus bookstores, and in-person meetings. If you don’t have a face covering, the college will provide one when you first return to campus. Face coverings must cover your nose and mouth completely and can include masks, homemade masks, and bandanas. The need for face coverings will be re-evaluated as we enter future phases of returning people to campus.
• Students and employees will have to attest on an online form that they are healthy with no COVID-19 symptoms and have not traveled recently to pandemic hotspots outside Mecklenburg County.
• To practice social distancing, departments will be asked to use staggered scheduling so all team members aren’t in the office the on same days.
• The college asks that no more than two persons at a time use an elevator and that they stand as far apart as possible. Please use the stairs if you are able.
• Please maintain at least six feet between yourself and others on stairways, in hallways, in parking decks and lots, and other campus spaces.
• Access to some common areas such as lounge spaces, as well as vending machines, could be limited for a while.
• Meetings should be by phone/Webex whenever possible.
• In-person meetings should include no more than 10 people. Such meetings should be held in rooms large enough to allow at least six-feet of space between persons.
• We encourage you to wipe down your keyboard and other high-touch surfaces in your workspace with disinfecting wipes or other cleaning products every morning when you first arrive.
• You should continue washing your hands regularly and frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds, and avoid touching your face as best you can.

The college will do its part by having classrooms and labs, restrooms, stairway handrails, elevators, door handles, other frequent touch points, and common areas deep cleaned every evening.

We are excited to resume some on-campus, in-person classes. We want to do all we can to help students stay on track and complete their programs of study. By everyone working together — wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, washing our hands, staying home if we feel ill, and keeping our campus spaces clean — we can make the resumption of on-campus classes a success while keeping everyone safe.

Please keep in mind that this is an ever-evolving situation. These directives could change as new developments occur and as we move toward bringing more people back to campus at some point during the summer semester. Thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to support our students and our community.

Visit coronavirus information for all of Central Piedmont's updates on the pandemic.

Central Piedmont Community College’s Small Business Center is excited to announce it has launched a new initiative — the Small Business Rebound Program — to connect small business owners impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with Master in Business Administration (MBA) students from top universities and colleges located across the United States. The program will be available May 11–July 3, 2020.

The program will provide business owners with exclusive access to business advisors, studying for their MBAs at some of the country’s most elite universities, including Stanford University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Advisors will conduct virtual counseling sessions with participants, helping small business owners identify and apply for loan opportunities, redesign their business models, evaluate their budget, and analyze their cash management process.

“Growing up in Charlotte, I saw how small businesses defined the character of our community,” said Ladd Hamrick, a Stanford University MBA student. “Our team of MBAs hopes to help by offering what we’ve learned in the classroom, from financial planning and marketing to crisis leadership.”

One of the many perks of the Small Business Rebound Program is some participants may be eligible for a professional service grant. The MBA business advisors will work with small business owners to help assess and/or gather the information needed to help them apply for the grant.

If awarded funding, eligible small business owners would have the opportunity to receive four hours of counseling from a Small Business Center Network-affiliated certified public accountant (CPA), digital marketing strategists, human resource expert, or attorney (a $1,200 or $1,500 value), depending on their area of need. Potential services include establishing a financial chart of accounts, developing social media accounts/a Google Business page, creating HR policies, and more.

“The goal of this program is to help provide small business owners with the sounding board they need to analyze the current state of their business,” said Renee Hode, executive director of Central Piedmont’s Small Business Center. “Advisors will provide guidance, helping each small business owner sustain their business practices during this challenging time in the marketplace.”

To learn more, visit the Small Business Rebound Program.

Dr. Jacob Garbini, chair of Central Piedmont’s engineering program, continues to produce components for healthcare workers’ face shields, using the 3D printers in Central Campus’s Advanced Technology Center.

Dr. Garbini received more 3D printing material on April 20, and, since that time, he has printed approx. 1,000 face shield parts. He delivered the parts to Charlotte MEDI on April 28.

While dropping off the parts, he learned from one of Charlotte MEDI’s representatives and a few healthcare workers, that an issue with the current design of the face shields is cutting into the heads of users. Considering a nurse’s shift is 12+ hours, this was unacceptable to Dr. Garbini.

As a solution, Dr. Garbini suggested he design his own face shields/masks, independently of Charlotte MEDI’s design, using only Central Piedmont equipment in the engineering lab. His design would address the practical nature of the shield. His request was approved!

Beginning this week, Dr. Garbini will work virtually with a design team, consisting of five personally-selected Associate in Engineering students studying civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. They are: Alexander Stephenson, Bailen Huggins, Lauran Echols, Laurick Amadi, and Luke Sewing.

The design team will meet virtually to develop a prototype based on utility, which includes comfort, cleaning, and assembly, by May 1. It will be tested by Atrium Main Hospital nurses by the end of the week so the team can receive feedback on its design/fit and make any necessary adjustments before Dr. Garbini mass produces the units in the college’s Engineering Lab.

One of the student volunteers, Lauran Echols, also serves as president of Central Piedmont’s Society of Women Engineers. She and her peers are on standby, waiting to contribute to the effort as well.

Dr. Garbini will need the assistance of as many individuals as possible as he strives to meet the demand created by in-need Atrium Main Hospital oncology nurses, local dental hygiene clinics, SC hospitals, and the Medical University of South Carolina.

“It's exciting to think about the number of people we are helping with our innovation, effort, and collaboration — especially in this time of need,” said Dr. Garbini.

Learn more about Central Piedmont’s STEM programs.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced yesterday he is extending his statewide stay-at-home order through Friday, May 8. The order continues to restrict gatherings of more than 10 and allows only essential businesses and institutions to operate. The stay-at-home order is aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

As announced previously, Central Piedmont Community College will complete the spring 2020 semester with students learning — and the vast majority of employees working — remotely.

The spring 2020 graduation ceremony scheduled for May 14 has been postponed. The college plans to hold a number of smaller, in-person, program-focused ceremonies on Central Campus, July 29-31. We will communicate the specific plans as soon as they are complete, but please mark these dates on your calendar. In the meantime, the Graduation Committee is exploring other ways to honor graduates during the month of May. More details to come.

Our summer terms will take place as scheduled. The method of instructional delivery — in-person, online, or a combination of the two — will depend on the future severity of the pandemic. Our top priority will be keeping everyone safe. Priority registration for our current students for the summer and fall semesters began April 17. Open registration for new students begins April 27.

Current students who have not done so already should register for their summer and fall classes quickly while plenty of seats are still available.

Please continue to take precautions to stay home and stay healthy. The college has established the Central Piedmont Cares initiative to connect with you and to connect you with helpful resources, as we all continue to navigate this rapidly changing situation. Visit the Central Piedmont Cares website for information regarding available resources.

Visit coronavirus information for all of Central Piedmont's updates on the pandemic.

Central Piedmont Health Professions and Human Services donated more than 30,000 pairs of gloves, 670 N95 masks, 350 isolation gowns, 250 level 3 masks, and 400 bouffant caps to Atrium Health and Novant Health.

All of our health programs and Environmental Health and Safety offered their supplies to meet the community's needs. Faculty from all of the college's Health Careers areas wanted to come in and help pack but we wanted to limit the number of faculty involved to just a few. They were:

• Karen Summers, Interim Dean ,Health Professions and Human Services
• Eileen Clark, Dental Hygiene
• Cathy Flores, Medical Assisting
• Mel Angelisanti, Surgical Technology​

Learn more about Central Piedmont's Healthcare programs.

Central Piedmont’s Dr. Adam Harris, chair of the computer engineering technology, electrical engineering technology and electronics engineering technology programs, and Dr. Jacob Garbini, chair of the engineering program, are partnering with Charlotte Latin to produce the parts needed for CharlotteMEDI to make face shields for area hospital personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As instructors, Dr. Harris and Dr. Garbini regularly work in the college’s FabLab, home to 10 3D printers, which the duo has been visiting tirelessly, sometimes twice a day, to manufacture the headbands and bottom clips needed to complete the assembly of CharlotteMEDI’s face shields.

To date, the Central Piedmont team has made approximately 300 3D printed parts, such as bottom clips and headbands.

But, according to Dr. Garbini, that’s only the beginning.

Once the team receives more filament — the material used to produce the parts — and services a couple of the machines to get them all working at 100 percent capacity, Dr. Garbini anticipates being able to print approximately 160 clips a day going forward.

However, productivity isn’t his only concern, so is safety. “I’ve sectioned off the lab in the building to prohibit the parts from being exposed to any external germs or elements before they are shipped,” adds Dr. Garbini. “At the end of the day, Adam and I are grateful to be given the opportunity to use our college’s equipment to contribute to a community need. Any support we can offer to our healthcare providers during this critical time is extremely important — both for their safety and the well-being of the greater Charlotte community.”

Dr. Garbini delivered the face shield parts he and Dr. Harris produced to an approved CharlotteMEDI drop-off location on April 8. The parts will immediately be assembled into face shields, to later be shared with healthcare personnel working at area hospitals throughout Charlotte.

Many area small businesses are struggling to navigate today’s evolving, economic landscape due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In response, Central Piedmont’s Small Business Center is offering extended hours of its free, online business counseling sessions.

Local business owners are invited to register online to receive free, confidential business advice from the Center’s advisors who can assist with:

• business financing
• loan applications, such as the SBA Disaster Economic Injury Loan
• business plans
• accounting and financial plans
• marketing/sales
• basic legal matters
• nonprofit organizational needs
• business startup/venture creation
• and more

All of the above counseling sessions will be available via Webex or by phone, so the appropriate social distancing measures will be followed.

Upcoming Series to Aid Small Businesses

The Central Piedmont Small Business Center is hosting an online, webinar series, beginning April 14, that will discuss a variety of helpful business owner topics, including:

• risk management
• crisis management
• business preparedness and continuity of operations
• emotional intelligence for business owners

Register for one, or all of the sessions, in the series.

Small Business Center Partners with Matthews Chamber of Commerce

In the spirit of providing local small businesses with additional resources during this unprecedented time, Central Piedmont’s Small Business Center has partnered with the Matthews Chamber of Commerce to host “Biz Briefing,” a twice-weekly online presentation that showcases regional business experts answering small business owners questions in real time. The free sessions are held each Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m.

Upcoming topics include: (To register or to learn more about the presenters, click the links below or visit the Matthews Chamber of Commerce.)

• March 31, 2 p.m.: Manage Remote Workers Like a Pro
• April 2, 2 p.m.: Work-From-Home Setup, Tips, and Tools

Learn more about Central Piedmont’s Small Business Center.

Central Piedmont Community College Foundation is proud to announce an anonymous donor has made a generous and timely commitment that will match all gifts made to the college’s Emergency Fund on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $100,000.

Central Piedmont’s Emergency Fund provides short-term financial support to students and employees experiencing financial emergencies.

“This amazing gift, and the community’s response to our donor’s matching-gift challenge, will enable us to better respond to the growing financial needs of our students, faculty, and staff during the coronavirus outbreak,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont. “These needs include access to the technology needed for remote learning and scholarships for tuition and books, as well as resources for food, housing, child care, transportation, and medical care.”

If you’re a member of the community who would like to make a gift to Central Piedmont’s Emergency Fund, and participate in the matching gift challenge, visit cpccfoundation.org/donation. Your support for the Central Piedmont family will be of enormous assistance as the college works together to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Students with financial and other needs are invited to email singlestop@cpcc.edu, while Central Piedmont employees can email wecare@cpcc.edu for assistance.

Central Piedmont Community College’s hospitality education program partnered with Sysco Charlotte LLC and the Piedmont Culinary Guild on March 25 to package and deliver 500 boxes of food to local restaurant employees who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Sysco Charlotte LLC donated 250 cases of food to the community outreach project. The cases consisted of frozen chicken, produce, fresh fruits and vegetables, and dairy products, such as milk and butter.

Representatives from Central Piedmont, Sysco Charlotte LLC, and the Piedmont Culinary Guild were on site at Central Piedmont’s Culinary Arts Center to receive the cases of food, sort and package the individual boxes, and deliver them to 25–30 restaurants located in Mecklenburg County and beyond.

Each box included three to four major food group items, providing local restaurant workers with a nutritious meal for their family during this unprecedented time. Restaurants needing employee assistance signed up to participate in the community outreach project online through the Piedmont Culinary Guild’s website.

Thanks are extended to Central Piedmont's Richard Kugelmann, division director of the college's hospitality education division; Ross Howard, director of business resources and marketing for Sysco Charlotte LLC; and Kris Reid, co-founder of the Piedmont Culinary Guild for spearheading the initiative.

View WSOC-TV's coverage of the community outreach project.

Mecklenburg County issues a stay-at-home order, effective 8 a.m. Thursday through April 16. 

As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Mecklenburg County, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management Office has announced a Stay-at-Home order for County residents. The order will go into effect on Thursday, March 26 at 8:00 a.m. and will remain in effect for the next 21 days.

The order was announced Tuesday afternoon by Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris during the Board of County Commissioners Budget and Public Policy meeting.

The order will require County residents to remain in their homes for the next 21 days as part of an attempt to reduce the number of new COVID-19 infections within the County. Exceptions will be allowed for those seeking medical treatment, buying food or exercising outdoors.

Essential workers, including hospital and medical staff, pharmacy employees, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS Agency (MEDIC), some government employees and food service and grocery store employees will be allowed to travel to work.

"As we said from the beginning, we must act based on what we are seeing on the ground in our community," said Harris. "Mecklenburg County has far more cases than any other County in North Carolina, and this extra step will keep more people away from each other and begin to flatten the rate of new cases before the hospital system becomes overwhelmed."

The order will be enforced by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

The order will not prohibit restaurants from providing take out or delivery options. It also does not prohibit daycares, homeless shelters, and government agencies from operating.

For more information:

• review the Stay-at-Home order for County residents Essential Businesses and Operations section, 10. Educational Institutions may remain open "for purposes of facilitating distance learning, performing critical research related to COVID-19, or performing essential functions..."
• review frequently asked questions and a complete list of essential services at MeckNC.gov.

Visit coronavirus information for all of Central Piedmont's updates on COVID-19.