Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Celebrates 60 years

Apr. 8—CALDWELL COUNTY — Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI) is the county's comprehensive provider of higher education, workforce development, community enrichment, and career and college readiness programming, according to a press release feom the school.

This year CCC&TI is celebrating 60 years of service as "The Community's College" with a variety of activities for students, employees, supporters and the community.

The college officially kicked off the year of celebration at a recent event for employees, retirees, board members and guests on the Caldwell Campus in Hudson. The anniversary offers an opportunity to celebrate both the college's history and its positive impact on the greater community.

The establishment of Caldwell Technical Institute was tentatively approved by the State Board of Education in January 1964. The people of Caldwell County expressed their support of the college through a bond vote of $600,000 on March 28, 1964. The monies funded purchase of a site, construction of facilities, and up to five cents tax authorization for college operations. Final approval by the State Board of Education followed on April 2, 1964, and the first president, Dr. H. Edwin Beam, was selected that fall. Beam began work in November 1964, according to the press release.

Early training programs, which began in 1965 at a temporary site in the Dulatown community, included health occupations such as nursing, as well as business training and high school equivalency programs.

A few years later, in July of 1970, the North Carolina General Assembly authorized Caldwell Technical Institute to begin offering college transfer courses and the name was officially changed to Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute to more accurately reflect the wide range of opportunities that the college would be able to provide for local students.

CCC&TI President Dr. Mark Poarch spoke about the college's history at a recent event. "CCC&TI was officially approved on April 2, 1964. Our first building opening in 1967 and that year we served 1,765 students. Today we have five sites, two campuses, 190 acres of property, more than 30 buildings comprising over 560,000 square feet and we serve nearly 10,000 students annually. How about that? We've come a long way, baby," Poarch said.

Larry Taylor, Chairman of the College's Board of Trustees, shared statistics that illustrated the colleges broad reach and regional impact. Taylor, who has served as a trustee for more than 30 years, explained that "CCC&TI has touched nearly every family in Caldwell County at one time or another over these last six decades. Over our 60-year history, CCC&TI has awarded nearly 700,000 credentials and served more than 298,000 individual students across all programs."

For CCC&TI retiree Sheila Burns, that impact was personal. Burns was one of the first students to enroll at the college and attended classes at the college's temporary site. She reflected fondly on her time at the college.

"I was the first one in my family to go to college. I came in the summer of 1966. I worked as a student employee and then in the fall, I enrolled in the Library Technology program and began working in the college library. At the time, it was just a small little room at Dulatown Elementary School in the Gamewell area," she said.

Burns continued her studies and her work but also made time to participate in campus life with fellow students. She was even named the first Miss Caldwell Tech in 1967.

Burns shared a few other insights into campus life in those early days, which included a college yearbook, called the ADVOCAT (an acronym for Adult Vocational and Technical) and the college newspaper, The Communicator. Burns said that for many of her fellow students, having a local, affordable option for higher education was life changing, according to the press release.

"There were so many here that year who were the first in their families to be able to go to college. CCC&TI provided us with an opportunity that we might not have had access to, otherwise," Burns said.

In 1968, Burns earned an associate degree as a member of the college's first graduating class and joined the college staff as a full-time employee. Burns spent the next 30 years working in the college's library and bookstore, retiring in 1998 as director of college stores. She remains active as a member of the college's Retirees Association and takes every opportunity to show her support of the college and to encourage others to do the same, according to the press release.

"Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is the best thing that's ever happened to this county! It provides so many opportunities for students to find a path to a worthwhile career. Support this college and keep it going," Burns said.

Over the years, the college has experienced tremendous growth in all areas including program offerings, partnership agreements with universities across the state, resources for students and much more, the press release stated.

Today, CCC&TI offers hundreds of programs to meet the area's higher education and workforce development needs. These programs include college transfer and applied science degrees, short term career training, professional development, customized training, high school equivalency and personal enrichment courses, according to the press release.

Poarch expressed his appreciation for that support and his excitement for the future at a recent event, according to the preas release.

"Thank you to everyone who had a role in the history of this institution," he said. "We can all be proud of the small part we've played in making life better for our students and the communities we have the privilege of serving. I can't wait to watch the next 60 years unfold!"

Several events to commemorate the college's 60th anniversary will be offered throughout the year, including community events on CCC&TI's campuses in Caldwell and Watauga counties, and a birthday bash for students in the spring and fall.

For more information, visit www.cccti.edu or call at 828-726-2200 (Caldwell) or 828-297-3811 (Watauga.).