CoARC Recognizes College’s Respiratory Therapy Program

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The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) has awarded Central Piedmont’s Respiratory Therapy program its Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award.

The award recognizes a program’s success in inspiring its graduates to achieve their highest educational and professional aspirations and is presented as part of the CoARC’s continued effort to ensure the RRT credential remains a standard of professional achievement in the respiratory therapy field.

To be selected for the award, a program must meet the following criteria:

  • Have three or more years of outcomes data
  • Hold accreditation without a progress report
  • Document RRT credentialing success of 90 percent or above
  • Meet or exceed established CoARC thresholds for CRT credentialing success and retention

“It is always an honor to be recognized for exceeding the metrics set forth by our accrediting body – CoARC,” said Jeff Ruiter, program chair for Central Piedmont’s respiratory therapy program. “Our program’s passion for the respiratory profession invigorates us to embody a professional and positive learning environment that enhances student learning. More importantly, it validates our faculty’s commitment to student success and ensuring students achieve their ultimate goal of becoming a respiratory practitioner.”

Learn more about Central Piedmont’s respiratory therapy program.

Advisory: Gov. Cooper Announces Face Coverings Order, Extends Phase Two

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North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced today the state will remain in Phase Two for another three weeks, while making face coverings mandatory in public. Phase Two will remain in effect until July 17.

“We’re adding this new requirement because we don’t want to go backward,” Cooper said. “We want to stabilize our numbers so we can continue to safely ease restrictions, and most importantly, get our children back in school.”

Exceptions to the statewide mask requirement apply to children under 11, those with certain medical conditions, and people exercising outdoors away from other people.

Central Piedmont will announce its plans for the upcoming fall semester sometime after the July 4 holiday, but well before the start of the term. Students will have ample time to register for classes and make work and childcare arrangements before the semester opens on Aug. 10.

Preliminary plans for the semester include offering classes that are completely online, class sections that are primarily online, classes that will combine online and in-person instruction, and a smaller percentage of traditional in-person classes.

Registration for fall semester classes is open, and students are encouraged to register now for the best selection of options. There will be a short registration pause June 26 – 30 for the end-of-fiscal-year closeout. Fall registration will resume on July 1.

As a reminder, the Student Guide to Returning to Campus and the Employee Guide to Returning to Campusare easy to find on the college website. Students and employees should read through the guidebooks carefully to be aware of the safety protocols and practices the college has put in place to keep everyone safe. On the same web page, you can find student and employee videos that provide information about our new safety guidelines.

Please remember: everyone going to a Central Piedmont campus must wear a face covering. This is a good safety practice and follows the new state order and Mecklenburg County rule. Everyone coming to campus also must submit a Health Acknowledgement form weekly. The form is a way for students, employees, and visitors to attest to their current good health and lack of any known recent contact with COVID-19, and a commitment to follow safety best practices while on campuses.

Access the student Health Acknowledgement Form on the “Returning to Campus” Web page.

Access the faculty/staff Health Acknowledgement Form.

Thank you for your partnership as we keep our focus on your safety and your success.

Save Time and Money With the Central Piedmont Cloud

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Wouldn’t it be great if it were easier for you to access — from anywhere! — software that’s important to your program of study? This includes quick access to your program-specific applications such as Adobe Creative Cloud, AutoDesk AutoCAD, Solidworks, Eaglesoft, NetBeans, SPSS, and Trimble (and many others), that could help you better complete your assignments. That’s why Information Technology Services has developed the Central Piedmont Cloud and is inviting you to try it out today.

The Central Piedmont Cloud provides access to licensed applications on all of your devices. Access college-licensed software from anywhere with an internet connection –which allows you to skip the visit to campus labs and save on a software purchase.

To get started and see a list of available Cloud applications, visit the Central Piedmont Cloud website at cloud.cpcc.edu or if you need help, contact the ITS Help Desk at helpdesk@cpcc.edu or at 704.330.5000.

 

New and Improved Worrell Gym

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At Central Piedmont, the options for getting involved are endless. As we’ve adapted to a remote learning environment, we can’t help but miss seeing our students on campus. But exciting improvements are happening while students are away.

The college has over 70 clubs and organizations that you can choose from, as well as fitness and recreation activities. Many of which take place in Worrell Gym on Central Campus.

Check out the new and improved Worrell Gym floor!

Advisory: Returning to Campus Guide for Students

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The college’s Student Guide for Returning to Campus (v. 1) has been posted on the Central Piedmont website. Please take the time to read the guide carefully before returning to campus for scheduled classes. The vast majority of students should not come to campus at this time unless reporting for a scheduled meeting under the direction of your instructor.

All Central Piedmont students are expected to follow the protocols and practices outlined in the Student Guide for Returning to Campus. These have been put in place to keep all of us safe when on campus.

We all have a responsibility to keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy. By working together – wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, washing our hands frequently, 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.

Visit the college’s COVID-19 Web page for the most up-to-date information related to the coronavirus, including our plans to safely return to campus.

FAFSA Deadline Approaching – Don’t Wait!

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To keep you moving forward with your educational goals at Central Piedmont, our Financial Aid office is available remotely to assist you with the completion of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

If you don’t fill out the FAFSA, you risk losing out on money that you might be eligible for – so don’t wait! The deadline is June 30, 2020.

If you apply for Central Piedmont and external scholarships, you will need to have completed the FAFSA which is the primary form used by federal, state, and financial assistance programs to determine your eligibility for grants, work-study, and scholarships.

If you haven’t done so already, complete the 2019-2020 FAFSA today and contact Financial Aid at (704) 330-6942 or visit us online, if you need help.

Join the Conversation: Race 101 – What is it?

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Race, equality, prejudice, bias, justice…

While some find it very easy to discuss these concepts, others are put on guard when these words become the topic of discussion. Most, however, recognize that sustained dialogues help people transform relationships and influence processes around the world.
What is Race?

Race is a socially constructed category of difference based on physical characteristics.  “Socially constructed” means the racial categories we use today (like White, Black, and Arab) have no basis in biology and change throughout history.  American culture has attached value judgments, prejudicial ideas, and stereotypes onto each race. Though race may be a social construction, it has huge, very real outcomes in today’s world.

Service-Learning invites students to join this conversation on Wednesday, June 17 at 5 p.m. as we kick off our first dinner dialogue discussion, “Race 101 – What is it?”.

Grab dinner and head to your computer as we dialogue together to address the causes of deep-rooted human conflict. Groups will be small and facilitated by a moderator that will ask questions of the group to get the dialogue started.

All sessions are online at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Here are the upcoming sessions:

  • June 24: Whiteness and White Privilege
  • July 1: Race 201 — Interpersonal Racism and Racial Bias
  • July 8: Race 301 — Institutional Racism
  • July 15: Race 401 — Racial Profiling

REGISTER

Register now to receive the session Zoom links.

Contact jesse.bennett@cpcc.edu with any questions.

Virtual Career Services: “It’s a Major Decision” Workshop

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Having trouble selecting your program of study?  Need assistance figuring out which major is right for you?  Attend Career Services’ “It’s a ‘Major’ Decision Workshop” – these informative, virtual workshops will be offered on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons between June 23-July 29, 2020.  Sign up for a virtual session now. See you there!

Call to Artists: Bill and Patty Gorelick Gallery Accepting Exhibit Proposals

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Central Piedmont’s Bill and Patty Gorelick Gallery is accepting exhibit proposals for 2021-2022.

Entries
  • Work may be paintings, drawings, mixed media, photographs, prints, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, or fiber art.
  • Prints and photos must be original and printed by the photographer.
  • All works must be original – no copies or photographs of other art will be accepted.

Submission

Please include the following:
  • cover letter outlining your exhibition proposal
  • your bio
  • a résumé including your last three exhibits
  • 5-10 digital images
  • an image list detailing title, date, medium, and dimensions
  • your affiliation, if any, to the college
Central Piedmont’s Bill and Patty Gorelick Galleries are non-traditional gallery spaces. For more information on the galleries, please contact Vanessa Shelton Stolen at 704.330.6869, or visit Central Piedmont art galleries online.
Submissions may be emailed to foundation@cpcc.edu. Submission deadline is August 15, 2020.
Mail packets to:
Central Piedmont Foundation
Attn. Bill and Patty Gorelick Gallery
P.O. Box 35009
Charlotte, NC 28235

Student Guidelines for Returning to Campus

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As Central Piedmont slowly returns to campus, keeping students as healthy and safe as possible remains our top priority. By working together, we can resume on-campus classes and student services while keeping everyone safe. All students are expected to comply with college guidelines and safety best practices. Please review the video guide below on how students can safely return to campus.

 

 

Racial Justice Dinner Dialogue Series

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Service-Learning invites students and employees to our virtual Sustained Dialogue Series. Recent events, starting with the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, have again brought attention to that the rectification of racial injustice is long overdue and something that must be dealt with immediately as a society.

Grab dinner and head to your computer as we dialogue together to probe into and address causes of deep-rooted human conflict.

Sustained Dialogues help people to transform relationships and design change processes around the world. We define dialogue as “listening deeply enough to be changed by what you learn.” Groups will be small and facilitated by a moderator that will ask questions of the group to get the dialogue started.

All sessions are online at 5 p.m. on Wednesday:

  • June 17: Race 101 — What is It?
  • June 24: Whiteness and White Privilege
  • July 1: Race 201 — Interpersonal Racism and Racial Bias
  • July 8: Race 301 — Institutional Racism
  • July 15: Race 401 — Racial Profiling

REGISTER

Register now to receive the session Zoom links.

Contact jesse.bennett@cpcc.edu with any questions.

Student Writer’s Work Featured in Teen Vogue

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Central Piedmont student Michael-Michelle Pratt, a student in the college’s Associate in Arts degree program, recently had an op-ed piece featured in the June issue of Teen Vogue called, “Growing Up Black Between Trayvon Martin and George Floyd Has My Generation at a Boiling Point.”

When Pratt began sharing her thoughts on systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter movement on Twitter earlier this year, she had no idea her comments would attract the attention of the political editor at Teen Vogue, who began following her online.

In her online musings, Pratt discussed that while the recent death of George Floyd was causing a resurgence in the Black Lives Matter movement, no one was talking about how the tragedy had impacted her generation — Generation Z, a segment of the population that had largely grown up between the deaths of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and George Floyd in 2020. She pitched the article topic to the editor at Teen Vogue, and they accepted.

“I wanted my article to explain to readers that the events of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, and others are not isolated incidents that happened in a bubble,” said Pratt. “I wanted to explain that everything that is happening today is a combination of past and present frustration — that it has all built up to this critical moment, a boiling point that we’re about to see spill over.”

In the op-ed, Pratt discusses first learning about the Trayvon Martin shooting; the impact it had on her adolescence/family; how the incident inspired her to begin following strong female, African-American writers (Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, Alice Walker); and how it propelled her to seek out leadership opportunities that would allow her to not only fight back against oppression, but to also find her voice.

Thankfully, Pratt has discovered an outlet for her voice at Central Piedmont’s Levine Campus in Matthews, NC, where she participates in the campus’s Student Writers Assembles Guild (SWAG), a student creative writing club formed in 2016 that provides individuals with a creative space to write poetry, short stories, articles, screenplays, and more.

“Michael-Michelle is a talented writer and poet,” said Elizabeth West, an associate instructor and faculty advisor for Central Piedmont’s SWAG.“She has a strong voice and is brave enough to use it to enact change in our community. She has a sweet, quiet demeanor in person, but her words ring loud and strong on the page. She is a wonderful SWAG member and we are all so proud of her accomplishments.”

Pratt plans to graduate from Central Piedmont in August 2021 and pursue a career in journalism or film to become a director/screenwriter. “While I love being able to discuss my opinions on the cultural climate in which we all live, I love being able to create my own world in a screenplay,” said Pratt.

Learn more about Central Piedmont’s Associate in Arts program. For information on the college’s Student Writers Assembles Guild (SWAG), please email elizabeth.west@cpcc.edu.

Save Time With Short Summer Sessions

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Do you need to pick up another class? Beyond the standard 16-week fall and spring semesters, take advantage of the shorter, eight-week session and complete your next course in less time.

Students who still need high-demand courses, such as math, English, history, Spanish, psychology and more, can register now.

Summer Second Session Classes begin Thursday, June 18.

You can register online in MyCollege or register in the Central Piedmont mobile app for second short session classes. Here’s how:

Short sessions and mini sessions (4 -weeks) are also available during the fall semester. Registration for Fall 2020 is now open! Fall classes start on August 10.

View term start dates, end dates, and other key dates on the college academic calendar at cpcc.edu/events-calendar.

Spend Your Summer with SWAG

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Do you enjoy writing and sharing ideas? Need a creative space for expression? The Student Writers Assembled Guild (SWAG), a creative writing club on Levine Campus, has extended virtual meetings throughout the summer term. 

Through student-led writing prompts, SWAG members write about a variety of topics in different genres such as fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Weekly meetings also serve as a positive release during these challenging times. Recent topics have included anxieties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and inequality and social issues.

SWAG is a community safe-space to receive positive and constructive feedback. Central Piedmont alumni, currently studying at North Carolina State University, East Carolina University, Appalachian State University, Queens and Wingate Universities, return to club meetings to share their experiences with current students.

Students write poetry, short stories, and screenplays while focusing on several skills such as voice, perspective, and dialogue development.

Members are also encouraged to develop works for publication. SWAG member and current student, Michael-Michelle Pratt recently published an article for Teen Vogue, titled Growing Up Black Between Trayvon Martin and George Floyd Has My Generation at a Boiling Point. Other members are actively submitting their work for publications as well.

Meetings are held every Thursday at 4 p.m. via Zoom. Students, faculty, or staff members interested in joining SWAG for the summer are encouraged to contact Elizabeth West at elizabeth.west@cpcc.edu.

Advisory: Important Message from President Deitemeyer

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CPCC President Dr. Deitemeyer - President of Central Piedmont Community College

Central Piedmont Community College President, Kandi W. Deitemeyer, Ed. D.

Since early March, our college, our city, state, and nation have been focused on the unanticipated effects of COVID-19. Our primary objective has been to keep our students, faculty, and staff safe and to determine the best path forward as we return to campus. That work continues, and we remain steadfast in ensuring our college and its campuses can provide the educational, social, and emotional support for our community. What our college means to so many is vital, and we must be more vibrant and ready to serve with new exceptional standards of excellence.

These months have been unprecedented in so many ways. I never imagined as we wrapped up the academic year our college, community, state, and nation would be immersed in more devastating circumstances that give us great pause about the care, safety, treatment, and concern for our fellow man: In the last few weeks COVID-19 has been in the forefront of our minds, but in the last few days, we have been reminded that there is more than a healthcare pandemic impacting our nation, our state, our community.

Central Piedmont is troubled and saddened by the events in Minneapolis and other cities around our nation, including here in Charlotte. The college acknowledges the pain, anger, fear, and other emotions felt deeply by those involved and even those watching from afar. The college knows these events affect many of our students and employees. It is our hope and prayer that everyone stays safe, that wise and peaceful actions win out over violence, and justice prevails for all involved.

This college has always condemned racism and bigotry, and the unfair treatment of minorities and will continue to do so. You will recall Central Piedmont champions equity as an institutional value and an institutional goal, and we do not take that lightly. Our college is committed to breaking down barriers to student access and achievement and providing pathways to family-sustaining careers or to further education. We embrace diversity and respect all individuals and the journeys they make to reach our college. Our work on equity is so important, and the courage we are showing as an institution will be even more important as our community heals and moves forward.

As leaders in our community, we must demonstrate our willingness to discuss our differences, share our perspectives, grieve together, and question how such events continue to occur. While we do, I ask that we continue to champion our mission and be a catalyst for opportunity in our community and move forward with intentionality to identify and address the inequities that we see in our community. As an institution of higher learning, we must be a safe haven for our students, faculty, and staff. As one college, we need to acknowledge members of our college community are hurting, and they need us more than ever.

If you are feeling concern, stress, or anxiety, the college reminds you counseling services are available to students and employees. Students simply need to complete the online Counseling Services form, and a college counselor will respond.

Please also remember, our Central Piedmont Cares team members are here to assist students and employees. Team members are ready to help at wecare@cpcc.edu, or see the Central Piedmont Cares website for more information.

PNC Awards Central Piedmont $25,000 Grant for Single Stop Program

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The PNC Foundation has awarded Central Piedmont Community College a $25,000 grant to support the college’s Single Stop program, an initiative that connects students to the support services they need to succeed in college and administers the college’s Emergency Fund.

“Our entire community has been affected by COVID-19, and the pandemic has been particularly difficult for students who have lost employment and income ― and who depend on campus resources for access to learning and technology,” said Weston Andress, PNC regional president for Western Carolinas and a Central Piedmont Foundation board member. “During this challenging time, we want the Central Piedmont student community to know that we understand and are committed to helping address some of the hardships they are facing.”

Since 2016, Central Piedmont’s Single Stop program has served as a free, on-campus resource, removing barriers for students with critical needs by connecting them with resources to help them flourish academically, obtain good jobs and achieve financial stability ― through one-on-one meetings with experts representing the financial, tax and legal fields.

In addition to matching qualifying students with specific tools to help fuel upward mobility in their lives, Single Stop administers monies available through the college’s Emergency Fund, which provides one-time support of up to $500 for students who have emergency needs related to housing, utilities, medical expenses, food, technology and more.

The PNC Foundation’s gift is timely. The college will use the grant to help purchase the following items, which have been identified as students’ most pressing needs during the coronavirus pandemic:

  • Grocery/food gift cards. These items will allow students to purchase food, medicine and other essential products.
  • Technology access (laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots). The college has witnessed a surge in students needing laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots since it moved much of its course instruction online.
  • Resources for budgeting during a crisis. Single Stop’s financial counselors are implementing and delivering online and virtual sessions for individuals and groups who need crisis budgeting assistance. Each emergency grant recipient is contacted by a financial counselor with tips on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic from a financial perspective.

“As a result of the pandemic, the college has witnessed an increase in the number of students needing resources to sustain their everyday lives in addition to their studies,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont. “Many agencies in the Charlotte area have had to close temporarily, limiting the resources students can turn to for emergency crisis assistance. The PNC Foundation’s gift will help us streamline the connectivity process, ensuring resources such as nutrition assistance, technology support and financial aid reach the students who need them most in a critical time of need.”

Learn more about Central Piedmont’s Single Stop program. If interested in supporting the college’s Emergency Fund, visit https://secure.cpccfoundation.org/donation/.

Managing Stress Through Mindfulness with Counseling Services

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Have you been looking for a way to cope with the daily stressors of being a student? Join Counseling Services online to learn about managing stress with mindfulness.

Research shows that practicing mindfulness is beneficial in many areas, including:

  • Better sleep
  • Lower stress levels
  • Improved attention
  • Dealing with depression and anxiety

Through practice and discussion, we will strengthen our ability to “begin again” in the present moment. Counseling Services will be hosting Mindfulness & Meditation sessions on:

  • June 11 10:30-11:00am: Getting Started with Mindfulness: The Basics
  • June 25 10:30-11:30am: Be Right Where you Are; Mindfulness for the moment

Please email Stephanie.Boyd@cpcc.edu to register for an upcoming session.

Central Piedmont to Host STEM Prep Courses June 22, Registration Now Open

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Central Piedmont Community College will begin hosting a virtual STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Prep, an academic enrichment program that helps prepare current Central Piedmont students and high school 11th and 12 graders for college-level STEM classes, on June 22. Students interested in participating in the program can visit cpcc.edu/ncsa.

NC STEM AllianceSTEM Prep is being made possible through a $1.5-million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop programs that boost the number of under-represented minority students pursuing associate and baccalaureate degrees in STEM subject areas.

Central Piedmont secured the grant funding in spring 2015 and is currently leading the North Carolina STEM Alliance (NCSA) with partners Forsyth Technical Community College (FTCC) and Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) with the goal of enrolling increased numbers of high school students in community college associate-degree STEM programs and seeing those students continue their studies in bachelor-degree STEM programs. Each college wants to increase its number of under-represented minority STEM students by 50 percent. The grant period runs through June 2021.

During STEM Prep, students will gain increased familiarity with current practices in STEM fields, be able to illustrate preparedness for a successful transition into STEM studies at the college level and participate in a coordinated exploration of careers in one of the following STEM Prep courses:

STEM Prep – Science: Students will be introduced to biological concepts, including molecular biology. Students will use this knowledge, as well as the scientific method and their critical thinking skills, to design an experiment where they will analyze a segment of their own DNA.

STEM Prep – Information Technology: Students will be introduced to basic fundamentals of computer science and application development by developing small applications using an Integrated Development Environment. Upon completion of the course, students will have an understanding of basic programming design, debugging, sequence, selection and repetition.

STEM Prep – Engineering: Students will learn how to design, build and analyze projects using 21stcentury engineering strategies and technologies. Project experience will include the use of tools, such as but not limited to, 3D printers and CAD software.

STEM Prep – Mathematics: Students will participate in collaborative projects that relate to real-life applications of math concepts. In addition, each student will be provided with a personalized math enrichment plan aimed at filling gaps in their mathematics foundation and positioning them for success in their future mathematics studies.

In addition to the above courses, students will also receive STEM-focused mentoring, additional academic support, career-centered and proactive academic advising, and financial support. Classes will be held virtually on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. June 22 – July 16, from 1 – 3:30 p.m., and Thursdays from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte Observer: From High School Dropout to Princeton

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Christopher St. Hilaire felt isolated in high school and dropped out at just 15 years old. He later completed his studies, earning his GED from Central Piedmont in 2015. He immediately joined the workforce, working as a server at Ballantyne Country Club. A club member recognized St. Hilaire’s potential and urged him to go back to school. Thankfully, St. Hilaire heeded his friend’s advice and enrolled where he was most familiar: Central Piedmont.

“I came in with a mission. I came in with a goal … to make something happen. And I think the biggest takeaway from my experience is that, yes, what I do matters, but also that what community college students do matters. That just because you’re attending a community college doesn’t mean that what you do is any less important than what someone does at Princeton or at Harvard. It matters.”

Back on campus, St. Hilaire decided to be a part of everything the college community had to offer – Student Government Association, Rotaract, Model UN and Phi Theta Kappa. He excelled at Central Piedmont, and will graduate this week with an Associate (Transfer) Degree. This fall, St. Hilaire will move to New Jersey, where he will study philosophy at Princeton University on a full scholarship as one of only 13 community college students in the country to be admitted to the Ivy League school for the fall term.

“You can make something happen, too. You really can. You can make something great happen. You can transform your life. … I mean, Central Piedmont’s motto is ‘Conquer Possibility. So why not try?”  says St. Hilaire.