2 min read December 2022 — President Kandi Deitemeyer of Central Piedmont Community College sat down with Invest: to discuss the institution’s 2022 achievements and the community impacts that followed. Between partnership announcements, campus expansions and demographic shifts, she sees a bright future ahead for the wider Charlotte community if collaboration remains a priority.
What did the college achieve this year?
We have focused on capacity building. We see Central Piedmont as a hub for economic development, because when you think about Charlotte growing, talent needs to accompany it. We were voted a Top 25 employer in North Carolina by Forbes and formed a number of important new partnerships this year.These include workforce development agreements with Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Duke Energy, Honeywell and the City of Charlotte. A third-party economic impact study showed that the college contributes almost $1 billion annually to the Mecklenburg County economy. We opened the Parr Center, which was an extraordinary public investment that is helping our institution reshape itself. The Parr Center is a brand new front door to our Central Campus that has enhanced the beauty of the campus and the way we serve our students. It opened later than we hoped but it turned out to be the perfect moment for all stakeholders. We are also partnering to address health and wellness as a community need through the community eye clinic we just opened, as well as a virtual clinic with Atrium Health and Bank of America. If anyone in the community wants to access that clinic, they can come to our campus and virtually interact with a healthcare professional.
How has your curriculum evolved in the past year?
We launched a handful of new programs, including utility lineworker training through a partnership with Duke Energy and a new direct transfer program with Wingate University. When you align workforce needs with the career training hub of the community, students will come. Our new partnership with the City of Charlotte, a larger employer in the area than some might realize, is focused on economic and social mobility and is a proactive investment for the city. It has decided to partner with us to pay for four-year degrees of city employees upfront. We also have Honeywell’s new STEM Scholars Academy, and Coca-Cola Consolidated supporting 30 apprenticeships. We understand our mission of being Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s primary workforce development partner, and through this work we are helping to transform the community.
What will be the role of community colleges in the future of higher education?
I have always said I will not retire until the narrative around community colleges has changed. There is no argument against our value proposition. At $76 per credit hour, we are the best value in higher education. We have so many different program offerings that offer flexibility for every type of student. I don’t believe community colleges are being credited enough as the chief value proposition of higher education. The larger landscape needs to be responsible and accountable for the indebtedness students go into for a degree, but community colleges will always be extremely accessible with a tremendous return on investment. Employers in all sectors need talent, and community colleges are nimble to collaborate with employers and develop customized talent pipelines. Developing high-tech skills takes time, but we do it with accessibility in mind. We are looking to attract more individuals into careers og high demand in this community, including truck driving, utility lineworkers, welding and the construction trades, public safety and first responders, and numerous healthcare roles among others. We are not just a means to a job; this is about creating career pathways with important impacts for the community.
What legislation are you watching?
The college made a decision years back to stay out of the student loan business and that has served our students well. That does not mean we are not concerned about students being able to afford education. We have had the blessing to close out a four-year, a major fundraising campaign, which was not about raising money for physical infrastructure. Instead, it was all about people, between professional development for faculty and staff, scholarships for our students, trying to start new programs and more. It was a $40 million campaign, and we closed at $66.3 million. Federal legislation can take a while. We have been talking about expanding Pell Grant eligibility and access to federal financial aid for short-term workforce programs for years. These discussions will continue. At the state level, we are hoping to see increased investments in our students and employees. But we know we must help ourselves, and that’s why I’m so excited to publicly thank the partners that came to us during the campaign and generously supported our students and programs. We want to ensure anyone who wants to come to Central Piedmont can, and through a range of scholarship opportunities we can ensure that money or a lack thereof won’t be a deterrent.
What challenges are you anticipating in 2023?
Everything at Central Piedmont is about opportunity. We don’t like to think of things as challenges. We are looking at future partnerships and significant announcements we will unveil in 2023. If I were to tell you what keeps me up at night, I am concerned about changes in student demographics, specifically the national trend that young men are much less likely to pursue workforce training and higher education. We have to figure out ways to engage young men and help them see a future in which education and career training opens a wealth of opportunities. We will continue our efforts in DEI, especially considering we are a majority minority institution. Going forward, it will all be about making sure students are engaged and provided the resources they need to be successful. They should want to be on campus and in the community, but they also enjoy flexibility. We will continue to build capacity and get our message out to every individual who needs and wants to be here.
What is your outlook for the region?
Our community has needs and opportunities. We need more talent, affordable quality housing, enhanced public transportation and the ability to meet these needs. But when you stop for a minute and look, you see how blessed this community is with access and opportunities other communities don’t have. My outlook is positive. There has been a reshaping over the past few years in collaboration, relationships and partnerships across groups and entities. My outlook is not limited and sees more possibilities. I’m grateful to our partners for the ways they contribute. Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a unique, unstoppable place.
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