Central Piedmont Community College
Encyclopedia
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) is a large community college
in Charlotte
, Mecklenburg County
, North Carolina
. The school was founded in 1963; it is the result of a merger between Mecklenburg College and the Central Industrial Education Center.
CPCC has seven satellite campus
es (and a Virtual Campus
), all in the Charlotte Metro area. It is by far the largest and most comprehensive community college system in North Carolina
and South Carolina
. The school is part of the statewide North Carolina Community College System
.
). The three-story building later became Garinger Hall, returning to its former name of Central High Building in 2002. As a result of the 1963 N.C. Community College Act, the Central Industrial Education Center and the black Mecklenburg College combined to become Central Piedmont Community College.
Since its beginning, Central Piedmont Community College has been a national pacesetter in education. Standouts on the CPCC roster include a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Metropolitan Opera star, Theo Chase Dakota III, an Olympic gold medalist, a Medal of Honor recipient, a television actress, and a pro football player.
From its inception, the College was innovative in its teaching methods. CPCC soon garnered national recognition for its individualized instruction and computer-assisted instruction. In 1970, the college was invited to join the prestigious League for Innovation in the Community College and is still an active member.
Tony Zeiss, CPCC’s third president, has led the college since December 1992. He is devoted to the mission of CPCC and to serving students and the community through customized training and workforce development. Under his direction, CPCC became a multi-campus community college in 1996 with the conversion of the North Area Learning Center in Huntersville to the North Campus. Four other campuses subsequently opened: Levine Campus in 1998, the Harper Campus in 1999, the Harris Campus in 2001, and the Cato Campus in 2002. CPCC now has full-service campuses across Mecklenburg County.
CPCC has grown from a small college with a dozen programs serving 1,600 students to one with over 100 degree, diploma, and certificate programs serving approximately 70,000 students in an array of credit and noncredit offerings. The college is the county’s premier workforce development resource, offering its educational services throughout the area.
(adjacent to Independence Park
)
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
-Air:The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.- Intercity rail :With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The school was founded in 1963; it is the result of a merger between Mecklenburg College and the Central Industrial Education Center.
CPCC has seven satellite campus
Satellite campus
A satellite campus or branch campus is a campus of a college or university that is physically detached from the main university or college area, and is often smaller than the main campus of an institution....
es (and a Virtual Campus
Virtual Campus
A virtual campus refers to the online offerings of a college or university where college work is completed either partially or wholly online, often with the assistance of the teacher, professor, or teaching assistant....
), all in the Charlotte Metro area. It is by far the largest and most comprehensive community college system in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. The school is part of the statewide North Carolina Community College System
North Carolina Community College System
The North Carolina Community College System is a statewide network of fifty-eight public community colleges. Each college has a distinct governance system and policies. In total, the system enrolls over 800,000 students, and is the third largest community college system in the nation...
.
History of CPCC
From 1922 to 1959, Central High School was located on Elizabeth Avenue, where Central Piedmont Community College is now located. Starting in 1959, the Central Industrial Education Center used space in the high school, which had been replaced with Garinger High School and was home to Charlotte College (later UNCCUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
). The three-story building later became Garinger Hall, returning to its former name of Central High Building in 2002. As a result of the 1963 N.C. Community College Act, the Central Industrial Education Center and the black Mecklenburg College combined to become Central Piedmont Community College.
Since its beginning, Central Piedmont Community College has been a national pacesetter in education. Standouts on the CPCC roster include a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Metropolitan Opera star, Theo Chase Dakota III, an Olympic gold medalist, a Medal of Honor recipient, a television actress, and a pro football player.
From its inception, the College was innovative in its teaching methods. CPCC soon garnered national recognition for its individualized instruction and computer-assisted instruction. In 1970, the college was invited to join the prestigious League for Innovation in the Community College and is still an active member.
Tony Zeiss, CPCC’s third president, has led the college since December 1992. He is devoted to the mission of CPCC and to serving students and the community through customized training and workforce development. Under his direction, CPCC became a multi-campus community college in 1996 with the conversion of the North Area Learning Center in Huntersville to the North Campus. Four other campuses subsequently opened: Levine Campus in 1998, the Harper Campus in 1999, the Harris Campus in 2001, and the Cato Campus in 2002. CPCC now has full-service campuses across Mecklenburg County.
CPCC has grown from a small college with a dozen programs serving 1,600 students to one with over 100 degree, diploma, and certificate programs serving approximately 70,000 students in an array of credit and noncredit offerings. The college is the county’s premier workforce development resource, offering its educational services throughout the area.
Campuses
Central Campus, Main Campus near Elizabeth neighborhoodElizabeth (neighborhood)
Elizabeth takes its name from Elizabeth College, a small Lutheran women’s college founded in 1897 on the present-day site of Presbyterian Hospital. Elizabeth began to develop rapidly after 1902, when a trolley line was completed, and was annexed in 1907...
(adjacent to Independence Park
Independence Park (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Independence Park is a 24 acre urban park at 300 Hawthorne Lane situated at the western end of the Elizabeth neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina...
)
- Cato Campus, (Northeast Charlotte, near Reedy Creek Nature ReserveReedy Creek Park (Charlotte, North Carolina)Reedy Creek Park is a 125 acre urban park at 2900 Rocky River Road in the in the Newell section of Charlotte, North Carolina. Adjacent to the park is a 737 acre nature preserve....
) - Harper Campus, (Southwest Charlotte)
- LevineLeon LevineLeon Levine is an American businessman and philanthropist that founded the Family Dollar chain of discount stores.-Early life:...
Campus, (Southeast Charlotte, in Matthews, North CarolinaMatthews, North CarolinaMatthews is a large suburban town of Charlotte located in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census.- Geography :Matthews is located at ....
) - Merancas Campus, (Renamed from North Campus in 2011. North of Charlotte proper, in Huntersville, North CarolinaHuntersville, North CarolinaHuntersville is a large town in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 46,773 at the 2010 census, which makes Huntersville the 19th largest city in North Carolina. It is located about 12 miles north of uptown Charlotte. It is thought that the town...
) - Harris Campus, (West Charlotte)
- Virtual Campus, (Distance learning)