History of Cleveland Community College
On July 1, 1965, the history of Cleveland Community College began. Through the work of the then Shelby Chamber of Commerce and the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners, the Cleveland Unit of Gaston College was established. The unit, led by Dr. James Broughton Petty, began offering classes in the fall of 1965 in two rented buildings, the old Porter Brothers and McBrayer buildings, on North Morgan Street. With less than a handful of full-time employees and less than 40 students, the College began operating a few programs, including practical nursing.
Two years after the initial courses were offered, the College became a standalone entity with its own Board of Trustees. Cleveland County Technical Institute was born. With a significant number of veterans taking advantage of the GI Bill, the College began to grow rapidly. The two buildings on North Morgan Street were not enough to house the number of programs and students. The College administration used every piece of borrowed space with classes being offered in the basements of many Cleveland County churches.
In 1969, the College moved to the old "County Home" property owned by Cleveland County located at 137 South Post Road. This location is where the College resides today.
In the early 1970s, a long-range building plan was developed. The first two buildings, now known as the Wright Occupational Complex and the B Building, were opened for the fall quarter in 1974. The campus continued to grow significantly in both students and buildings in the 1970s and 1980s. The Jack Hunt Campus Center, which includes the Rose Library, Keeter Auditorium and the Student Activities Center greatly changed the face of the campus. The College was renamed Cleveland County Technical College in 1980.
In 1987, the College began offering two-year college transfer programs and became Cleveland Community College. Founding president, Dr. Petty, retired as President Emeritus on July 31, 1990. The College’s second president, Dr. L. Steve Thornburg, assumed the presidency on August 1, 1990.
Under Dr. Thornburg’s leadership, the College continued to grow in physical plant, programs and students. In the late 1990s, the College added much-needed classroom and office space (closets had been converted to faculty offices!) with the construction of the Paksoy Technology Center. In 2002, the Brown Emergency Training Center was opened. This facility houses a two-story, residential burn building, rescue tower, space for vehicle extrication training and classroom space. Home to innovative programs, including the Firefighter Academy, Aircraft Rescue training, Paramedic and EMT training, and training via the flashover simulator, the Brown ETC has the third largest enrollment in fire and rescue training among the 58 North Carolina Community Colleges.
Cleveland Community College grew in other areas as well. The College increased its allied health offerings significantly with the addition of the Associate Degree Nursing, Radiography and Surgical Technology programs. These programs are all housed in the Bailey Allied Health and Science Center along with the Practical Nursing program, one of the two original programs at the College, and state-of-the-art science labs including a biotechnology lab complete with a clean room, donated by the Fullerton Foundation.
When the great recession hit Cleveland County in 2008, enrollment at CCC skyrocketed. Almost 4,400 students enrolled in the Spring 2010 semester, breaking all previous enrollment records. Enrollment has leveled off as the economy has improved and more citizens are back to work.
The Cleveland Community College Foundation, with the support of the College’s Board of Trustees, entered into an historic partnership with Cleveland County and Cleveland County Schools for the construction of the LeGrand Center. The building provides offices and classroom space for CCC's Continuing Education programs, Cleveland NCWorks, The Carl and Doris Dedmon Center for Cleveland Early College High School, space for Cleveland County's economic development efforts and a conference facility.
In 2011, the College was selected as one of only 120 community colleges in the country to apply for the inaugural Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, ranking it in the top 10 percent of all community colleges in the country.
The U.S. Department of Labor Employment Training Administration awarded over $23 million to Cleveland Community College and a consortium of college and university partners for the development of a Mission Critical Operations program in 2013. The grant is the largest ever awarded to a North Carolina Community College.
On January 17, 2014, Dr. L. Steve Thornburg was named the Wells Fargo President of the Year by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges.
In 2017 Dr. Thornburg retired, after more than 27 years of service to the College. Dr. William C. Aiken served as interim president until Dr. Jason Hurst was chosen as the third president of Cleveland Community College.
Dr. Hurst assumed the presidency on April 1, 2018. Almost immediately, the College embarked on a new strategic planning process and a new facilities master plan. As a result, the mission of the College was updated to reflect a focus on the economic impact the College has on its students and on local business and industry through developing a skilled workforce. A new vision, values, goals and objectives were adopted by the Board of Trustees in May 2019 to guide the direction of the College through 2024. The new facilities master plan provides a comprehensive assessment of the campus in its current state, as well as plans for future facilities across campus that will meet emerging needs.
Under Dr. Hurst's leadership, the campus began a series of renovation projects that have transformed numerous spaces around campus. Extensive repairs to the Paksoy Technology Center, as well as the construction of the College's new Board Room, Board Lounge, IT Coding Lab, Fitness Center, and an expanded Student Lounge are just a few of the renovation projects that have been completed, with more to come. Beginning in 2021, the College has two major projects underway: The CCC Athletics Park and the Advance Technology Center.
Support for the College has been instrumental in moving renovation and construction projects forward. Funding for the Advanced Technology Center came from the College Foundation, NC Bonds, and the State Legislature, which provided $9,000,000 toward the project. In addition, the Golden Leaf Foundation provided $1,500,000 in support of the Center, as an investment in the future of the County's workforce.
An exciting milestone in the life of the College occurred with the addition of athletics in spring 2019, as the College became a member of the NJCAA, Region 10. Men's baseball, women's softball, and cross-country athletes have already competed, and the plan is to add additional sports teams in the future.
Beginning in March, 2020, an unprecedented global pandemic required creative thinking to ensure the College continued providing students the education they sought. Though the College had to move many classes to online delivery during the spring of 2020, the administration understood the importance of providing a meaningful commencement ceremony. A Drive-Thru Graduation was held to celebrate this momentous accomplishment in the lives of our students, as faculty, staff, and Trustees cheered enthusiastically for our graduates. Dr. Hurst and Rev. Dr. Lamont Littlejohn, Jr. (Board Chair) greeted each graduate and congratulated them individually. As the pandemic continued, CARES ACT funds allowed the College to acquire state-of-the-art simulation equipment, providing instructors with the tools to ensure students acquired the skills needed, in a safe environment.
Even during challenging times, the College has added new offerings, such as the Electrical Lineworker Academy, Culinary and apprenticeships, and has also expanded work-based learning. Pending approval, the College plans to begin offering the Associate in Fine Arts-Music degree program, as well as a Health and Fitness Science program in the fall of 2021. The College worked collaboratively with two other colleges to dissolve the Foothills Nursing Consortium in order to begin planning a standalone Associate Degree Nursing program, where students will attend Cleveland Community College for their entire two years.
With all the changes occurring on campus, 2020 felt like the right time to adopt a new logo and College brand. A 2021 marketing campaign will ensure brand recognition going forward.
In 2021, President Hurst was named the President of the Year for the North Carolina Community College System. This recognition was well deserved, as Dr. Hurst's tireless efforts propel the College forward to new and exciting possibilities. The future of Cleveland Community College is bright, as we continue our more than 55-year tradition of meeting students where they are and helping them achieve their goals.