News and Features

Central Piedmont Community College celebrates, honors, and remembers the life of Leon Levine, who died April 5, 2023, at age 85. 

At age 22, Levine started the first Family Dollar store on Central Avenue in Charlotte, and built the company on the value of customer service, expanding to thousands of stores and nationwide success. In 1980, Levine, along with his wife Sandra, turned his attention to philanthropic efforts through the Leon Levine Foundation.

Levine’s life and legacy in our Charlotte-Mecklenburg community was one of great philanthropy to education, healthcare, Jewish families, and children, among many other entities bearing their name. At Central Piedmont, a 2002 gift from the Levines was the largest the college had received to date, prompting Central Piedmont to rename a campus in their honor. 

Their generosity did not stop there, as the Levine Campus in Matthews continued to expand, student scholarships were endowed, and Central Campus named two more buildings in their honor: the Levine Information Technology building, and most recently, the Leon Levine Health Sciences Center. The Levine Health Sciences Center creates state-of-the-art learning environments with hospital simulations and virtual anatomy classrooms, and is the home base to Central Piedmont’s newest healthcare programs.

Levine’s legacy lives on, not just in the buildings, but in the lives forever changed by education, as students become healthcare professionals and leaders in our region. We honor Mr. Levine for the positive impact he made through the entire Charlotte community, and to all the students supported at Central Piedmont through his decades of generosity. 

• Nov. 2002: South Campus in Matthews renamed and dedicated as Levine Campus
• Sept. 2004: Levine II on the Levine Campus opened
• Nov. 2014: Levine Information Technology building dedicated at Central Campus
• Jan. 2019: Levine III on the Levine Campus opened
• Oct. 2021: Leon Levine Health Sciences building opened and dedicated at Central Campus

Two Central Piedmont Community College students have been named 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholars, in partnership with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Each will receive a scholarship.

Ashton Leswing has been named a Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Letrell Grady has been named Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars across the nation with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion.

“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, President of the Coca- Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrow’s leaders of the global community.”

Students are nominated for the academic team by their college administrators. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service, and this year winners were chosen from more than 2,400 applicants.

Coca-Cola Academic Team members will be recognized in both local and statewide ceremonies and will also be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention, PTK Catalyst, to be held in Columbus, Ohio, April 20-22.

Through a generous gift from Truist Bank, Central Piedmont Community College will establish an Honors Program, opening with the start of the 2023 fall semester.

The Honors Program will seek to develop excellence in students by providing high quality enrichment experiences that are intellectually challenging and result in deeper learning. The Honors Program will engage students in meaningful academic, personal, and social development experiences to create independent thinkers and life-long learners through the construction of knowledge.

“The Honors Program is an example of how Central Piedmont is committed to elevating student success,” said Dr. Deninne Pritchett, Honors Program faculty director. “The Honors Program will create additional opportunities for students who want to attend Central Piedmont while enhancing the experiences of current students. Students in the Honors Program will be challenged and gain transferable skills that add value to the credits or degree earned at Central Piedmont resulting in better marketability.”

Students will actively participate in course sections aligned with the Honors Program foundations emphasizing experiential learning, research, civic engagement, global learning, leadership, and reflective thinking. The Honors Program will include a variety of transformational learning experiences for students planning to transfer, earn a degree, or enter the workplace.

Students in the Honors Program will be referred to as Honors Program Scholars. They will be required to complete 15-credit hours in Honors Program course sections, a 30-hour immersive experience, and 10 activities or events including interview and résumé sessions that emphasize the Honors Program foundations.

Students can apply for scholarships that will cover tuition and course materials as well as travel, events, and immersion experiences aligned with at least one of the program foundations. The Honors Program will be open to students from all courses of study offered at the college. The college will provide alternate methods for acceptance into the program outside of GPA requirements to ensure the program is equitable and inclusive.

“Research shows honors program students have increased retention rates, higher graduation rates, and increased pathways to honors programs at four-year institutions,” Pritchett added. “As a champion of students and catalyst for opportunity, Central Piedmont continues to be at the forefront of a changing student population and the need to prepare students for the future.”

Students and parents who want to learn more about Central Piedmont’s new Honors Program can review the program webpage or contact Dr. Deninne Pritchett.

Bachelor degree graduates who are considering a career in the elementary school classroom will soon be able to receive teacher licensing at multiple North Carolina community colleges, including Central Piedmont Community College.

The new program makes teacher licensing more affordable and convenient with classes at local community colleges. The seven institutions approved thus far to offer the new licensing program are Alamance, Blue Ridge, Central Piedmont, Fayetteville Technical, McDowell Technical, Wayne, and Western Piedmont community colleges.

Central Piedmont will launch its program in August, with the beginning of the fall 2023 semester. The Elementary Education Residency Licensure Certificate program will offer instruction and coaching for residency elementary teachers seeking licensure. This program will help support students with classroom observations and one-on-one sessions, and assist with the creation of their portfolio in preparation for licensing from the state.

This new path to elementary licensure will expand Central Piedmont’s current teacher preparation track, which prepares students to transfer to a bachelor degree education program through completion of an associate in arts or associate in science degree.

For more information about Central Piedmont’s new teacher licensing certificate program, email Jennifer Perkins, chair of the Teacher Preparation Pathway Program.

As a continuation of the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council’s (CELC) support for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), seven additional loaned executives to support various efforts for the local school district were announced Feb. 23. These latest executives from Ally Financial, Bank of America, Central Piedmont Community College, Duke Energy, Rodgers Builders, and Wells Fargo are in addition to those already in place and announced as part of the more comprehensive CELC-CMS partnership.

The latest loaned executives include Moses Fox III, Ph.D., an executive director of campus affairs at Central Piedmont. Fox is serving CMS in support of the development of a strong school partnership program on a part-time basis. At Central Piedmont, Fox oversees strategy and operational outcomes for the college’s Harris Campus.

Prior to his work at Central Piedmont, Fox provided strategic engagement and partnership oversight with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Union County Schools. He also engaged leaders of Union County to establish the first Salvation Army and Boys & Girls Clubs of Union County, providing strategy and budgetary oversight of operations. As Director of Development and Communications with Brookstone Schools, Fox researched and wrote grants while providing fund management.

Central Piedmont Community College and Western Carolina University (WCU) announced today the launch of the Catamount Connection Program – a new direct pathway to a four-year degree for Central Piedmont students.

Dr. Kelli R. Brown, Western Carolina University chancellor, and Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president, met at WCU to sign a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions that guarantees admission to the university for Central Piedmont associate degree graduates who satisfy certain requirements.

The memorandum launches the Catamount Connection Program. The program’s purpose is to create a direct pathway for Central Piedmont graduates to acquire an affordable and accessible four-year degree from WCU. As Deitemeyer announced, “Central Piedmont is excited and proud to partner with Western Carolina University to provide our students a seamless admissions pathway to the university. This program represents a wonderful opportunity for Central Piedmont students.”

Brown said she wants to ensure students from Central Piedmont have immediate access to the affordability and quality of WCU. “It is so critical for students to see that if they want to go to a four-year college, but went to a two-year college, they have a pathway to that four-year institution,” Brown said. “Western Carolina University is an NC Promise school; the affordability is there and, of course, the quality is always there. There are great advantages for us to have this memorandum of understanding, given that we are a quality four-year institution.”

Deitemeyer is equally thrilled to provide WCU as an option for their graduates. "We know our students will be well-prepared here and well-cared for at WCU,” she said. “In Cullowhee, they will enjoy challenging classes taught by superb faculty, a beautiful campus and a learning environment that fosters exploration, innovation and excellence. This program offers Central Piedmont students a great destination for pursuing a bachelor’s degree.”

Students who wish to participate in the Catamount Connection Program must satisfy the following conditions:

• Be a currently enrolled student at Central Piedmont, in a degree-seeking capacity
• Submit a WCU application for admission and records by WCU deadlines
• Submit the application fee or waiver, and fulfill all commitment action steps
• Be in good standing at Central Piedmont and other institutions attended
• Demonstrate good citizenship and conduct
• Earn and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 at Central Piedmont and a minimum GPA of 2.20 in their most recent term
• Earn an associate degree from Central Piedmont in a college transfer program or in an applied program for which an articulation agreement exists
• Enroll at WCU within one academic year of completion of the associate degree

“This transfer pathway also is a wonderful example of higher education partners in North Carolina working together to broaden access to a bachelor’s degree and greater opportunities beyond,” Deitemeyer explained. “It has been well documented that North Carolina and its workforce and economy need more individuals with bachelor’s degrees. The Catamount Connection program addresses this need directly.”

Visit WCU's website for more information about how to transfer. Learn more about applying to Central Piedmont Community College.

As part of the Central Piedmont Risk, Safety, and Security unit’s ongoing commitment to campus safety, the Emergency Management department is offering Rave Guardian, a free mobile app that turns any smartphone into a personal safety device. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to download the FREE Rave Guardian safety app to check in with family, friends, campus security, or others they trust to help them stay safe on campus. 

The Rave Guardian app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, or Google Play. You’ll use your Central Piedmont email address to create an account. You can also learn more at raveguardian.com. 

With the Rave Guardian app, students and employees can:

• Register and set up an account: They can add their name, campus address, medical notes and other pertinent information for campus safety in case of emergency.
• Easy emergency communication: In an emergency, a one button call to College Security Services will display their profile and current location.*
• Send anonymous tips: See something, say something. The app allows them to anonymously text suspicious activity to College Security Services, including photos.
• Add and message Guardians: By adding roommates, friends, and family – called “Guardians” – to your network, they can feel safer when walking alone, on or off campus. Guardians can also be messaged directly through the app. 
• Set a safety timer: In the event a student or employee feels unsafe, they can set a timer with their current location, indicating where they are going and their expected arrival time. In the event they do not make it there and deactivate the timer, Guardians or College Security Services will be immediately alerted. 
  • They can also call the college’s non-emergency line at 704-330-6632 for a safe escort to their vehicle on campus.

Our students, employees, and community members are always encouraged to report any issues of concern: If you see something, say something. For more information, visit the college’s emergency communications webpage.

Central Piedmont Community College will provide specialized training for IPEX USA LLC., employees through funding from North Carolina’s customized training program. IPEX USA will receive approximately $345,500 in training value from Central Piedmont over a two-year period. The training will cover a broad range of skills building and be delivered by the college’s Engineering Technologies Division and other faculty and staff. The training and skills areas will include programmable logic controller, electrical circuit controls, electrical motor controls, Lean Overview, Lean Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, as well as multiple workplace and industrial safety courses. The N.C. Community College System’s Customized Training Program offers training services and specialized programs to assist new and existing business and industry to remain productive and profitable in North Carolina.

IPEX USA LLC., was founded in 1992 and designs and manufactures thermoplastic piping systems. The company is increasing its Mecklenburg County footprint by building a new, state-of-the-art injection-molding plant in Pineville, N.C. The new 200,000 square-foot facility will encompass Industry 4.0, including artificial intelligence, and increase the company's ability to manufacture fittings for plumbing, electrical, industrial and municipal applications. This facility will become the company’s technological flagship operation and be one of the most advanced plastics manufacturing facilities in the industry. 

The IPEX expansion project will create approximately 230 jobs, including warehouse, production, maintenance, and production supervisor positions. Central Piedmont will provide the main training component, with the Polymers Center of Excellence providing injection-molding and extrusion training to support the 67 new machines that will be in the new facility. Both new and current Pineville employees will receive the training.

“Central Piedmont is excited to work with IPEX USA as the company expands its operations in Mecklenburg County. The college is eager to assist IPEX as it creates hundreds of new jobs and gives incumbent workers opportunities for growth within the company,” said Allison Bowers, Central Piedmont director corporate learning and economic recruitment. “The college, through our Corporate Engagement team, will work hard to develop and deliver the customized training IPEX USA
will need to achieve its expansion goals.” 

Central Piedmont’s Corporate Engagement is the college’s single point of contact for serving the wide range of learning and development needs of businesses and organizations in Mecklenburg County, including customized training. The college’s span of learning, expertise and experience make Central Piedmont a uniquely positioned workforce development resource to help meet the performance and organizational needs of local companies.

To talk with a Corporate Engagement team member, call 704-330-4660, or visit their website.