WCU Stories      February 2, 2023

By Brooklyn Brown

Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown and Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont Community College, met Thursday, Feb. 2, to sign a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions that guarantees admission to WCU for all Central Piedmont graduates who satisfy certain requirements.

The memorandum launches the Catamount Connection Program. The program’s purpose is to create a direct pathway for Central Piedmont graduates to acquire an affordable and accessible four-year degree from WCU. As Deitemeyer announced, “Central Piedmont is excited and proud to partner with Western Carolina University to provide our students a direct-entry admissions pathway to the university.”

Brown said she wants to ensure that students from Central Piedmont have immediate access to the affordability and quality of WCU. “It is so critical for students to see that if they want to go to a four-year college, but went to a two-year college, they have a pathway for that four-year institution,” Brown said. “Western Carolina University is an NC Promise school; the affordability is there and, of course, the quality is always there. There are great advantages for us to have this memorandum of understanding, given that we are a quality four-year institution.”

Deitemeyer is equally thrilled to provide WCU as an option for their graduates. "We know our students will be well-prepared here and well-cared for at WCU,” she said. “In Cullowhee, they will enjoy challenging classes, a beautiful campus and a learning environment that fosters exploration, innovation and excellence. This program represents a wonderful opportunity for Central Piedmont students."

Students who wish to participate in the Catamount Connection Program must satisfy the following conditions:

• Be a currently enrolled student at Central Piedmont in a degree-seeking capacity;
• Submit WCU application for admission and records by WCU deadlines
• Submit application fee or waiver and fulfill all commitment action steps
• Be in good standing at Central Piedmont and other institutions attended
• Demonstrate good citizenship and conduct
• Earn and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 at Central Piedmont and a minimum GPA of 2.20 in their most recent term
• Earn an associate’s degree from Central Piedmont in a college transfer program or in an applied program for which an articulation agreement exists
• Enroll at WCU within one academic year (within the next two regular terms [fall/spring semesters] of completion of the associate’s degree).

For more information about how to transfer to WCU, visit https://www.wcu.edu/apply/undergraduate-admissions/transfer-students/index.aspx.

For more information about applying to Central Piedmont Community College, visit https://www.cpcc.edu/admissions/start-your-application.