Gaston College thriving despite pandemic obstacles

Ted Hall
·2 min read
John Hauser, president of Gaston College, spoke recently to Belmont Rotarians and members of the Rotary Club of Pignon, Haiti, who participated virtually in the local club meeting. Forging a bond between the two clubs is one of the goals set for this Rotary year by Belmont Rotary President Whitney Norton.
John Hauser, president of Gaston College, spoke recently to Belmont Rotarians and members of the Rotary Club of Pignon, Haiti, who participated virtually in the local club meeting. Forging a bond between the two clubs is one of the goals set for this Rotary year by Belmont Rotary President Whitney Norton.

A nationwide shutdown and a global pandemic didn’t stop Gaston College from achieving major accomplishments during John Hauser’s first two years as college president.

Hauser, who was appointed president on June 1, 2020, recounted some of the achievements during a presentation to the Belmont Rotary Club recently. They include:

  • Cementing a history-making partnership between a community college (Gaston College) and a major university (N.C. State).

  • Partnering with CaroMont Health on a guaranteed employment program that greatly increased the number of Gaston College nursing graduates who stay here and work at CaroMont.

  • More than tripling in one year the number of students studying cyber security and defense.

  • Announcing plans to build a 41,000-square-foot Fiber Innovation Center on the Kimbrell Campus in Belmont that will increase the number of national and international companies using the Textile Technology Center for research, leading to new breakthroughs in fiber development.

  • Launching the college’s first athletic program with teams (branded as the Rhinos) in baseball, softball, basketball, cross country and women’s beach volleyball. The baseball team was undefeated (15-0) in its first month of play, was ranked No. 2 in the country and finished its first season as No. 1 in the region. In the process, the college renovated the old Sims Legion Park in Gastonia to serve as its home field.

  • Winning three national awards for branding, marketing and rebranding.

  • Reversing a five-year downward trend in enrollment with a projected increase this fall.

With so much already accomplished, what’s next for Gaston College? Hauser says information may be announced soon on exploring options for student housing on campus.

Hauser’s first community college experience was as a student, earning an associate degree from Surry Community College. His bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology is from UNC Charlotte, his master's in education, training and development is from N.C. State University and his doctorate in educational leadership is from Appalachian State University.

He came to the Gaston College presidency after more than 30 years in the N.C. Community College System, most recently as president of Carteret Community College. Previously, he spent 20 years at Wilkes Community College in a variety of leadership roles, including vice president.

Belmont Rotary Club, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025, meets for lunch and a program on local topics each Wednesday, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., at the Home2 Suites by Hilton in Belmont. Guests interested in learning more about local businesses and issues and how Rotary serves the community are welcome. For more information, visit www.belmontrotaryclub.com.

Ted Hall is a member of Belmont Rotary.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston College thriving despite pandemic obstacles