Charlotte, N.C. / April 8, 2021 – Today, leadership for Johnson C. Smith University and Central Piedmont Community College announced “JCSU Connect”– a new bachelor’s degree pathway that will expand college access to more students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and beyond. This new collaboration is part of JCSU President Clarence D. Armbrister’s mission to help address the lack of economic upward mobility in Charlotte by providing local students a guided pathway to earn bachelor’s degrees from JCSU.
“For more than 150 years, JCSU has been a leader in providing educational access,” said Armbrister. “As the University continues to focus on providing opportunities to address economic upward mobility in Charlotte, we look forward to this new partnership with Central Piedmont Community College to assist those seeking bachelor’s degrees and experience Charlotte’s HBCU, the only HBCU in partnership with CPCC.”
JCSU Connect is a “2+2” program, meaning participating students will complete an associate degree at CPCC and a bachelor’s degree at JCSU. During the first two years of study, students in the JCSU Connect Program will take classes at CPCC and engage in intentional career and academic workshops at JCSU. During the third-year, students will enroll at JCSU and be placed in an on-campus paid internship (via federal work study) at JCSU that correlates with their field of study. During the final year of study, participants will complete their academic program at JCSU and engage in experiential learning, including internships and undergraduate research.
“We are excited to partner with Johnson C. Smith University and thrilled to offer this pathway to our students,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. “JCSU Connect will be a wonderful program for our students who want to earn a four-year degree. We know they will flourish at JCSU. At the same time, this transfer program is another great example of the higher education community in Charlotte working together to build more avenues to opportunity and enhance our community’s economic mobility.”
In addition, each student who remains eligible during their time at Central Piedmont and successfully submits the application to Johnson C. Smith University will receive an $8,000 annual scholarship and other financial aid to attend JCSU. To be eligible, students need to enroll in a full-time course load, maintain a 3.0 grade point average and complete an eligible program of study at CPCC in the semester immediately preceding their desired entry term at JCSU.
CPCC will launch the program this August at the start of the fall 2021 semester. The first cohort of students will transfer to JCSU in fall 2023. Students who intend to major in psychology at JCSU will follow a guided pathway that starts in the first term at the community college and seamlessly transfer
credits earned to their bachelor’s degree. Additional pathways will be announced in upcoming semesters.
While at Central Piedmont, JCSU Connect students will have access to JCSU libraries and other facilities, faculty, advising, and its many resources. The overall goal of the program is to put students on a guided path to a bachelor’s degree, preparing them for a meaningful career or graduate study.