Creativity, Community Service and Flexibility: The Key Ingredients of the Watauga Campus of Caldwell Community College’s Culinary Arts Program By Kim S. Davis
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ining out drastically changed in 2020. However, many people are still going out or taking-out because everyone needs to eat, and a majority enjoy great food and desire a dining experience. Just as so many institutions and organizations have had to do during the pandemic, the Watauga County campus of Caldwell Community College’s Culinary Arts Director Keith Andreason and instructor Robert Back have re-structured their program of study to meet the evolving needs of the students and the industry. The recently mandated restaurant closures significantly impact the entire culinary industry including career preparation programs, and while future opportunities for students preparing to enter a culinary field are unclear, having trained employees will definitely be necessary for a recovery. There are several pathways to a career in the food industry and Caldwell Community College’s Watauga Campus provides exceptional individualized instruction and value through low-cost tuition as well as realworld career experience.
92 — Winter 2020/21 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Finishing Pastry in Baking Class
Re-Crafting Culinary Arts during COVID While many of the nation’s students are having to adapt to blended learning, Caldwell Community College’s Culinary Arts program has shifted their curriculum to ensure students are receiving direct hands on instruction for the most complicated skills early into coursework in case they need to transition to a virtual format if the pandemic necessitates. As Chef Robert explains, “I want to work with the students on harder projects and be there to give them advice as they implement the more complex skills.” Therefore, students begin with some of the more challenging tasks early on, such as charcuterie and pastries. If they must move to remote learning, he would then provide the ingredients for the students to take home and would develop videos depicting how to perform the skills. Students would subsequently submit photos or videos of their implementation for evaluation and feedback. Planning for the possibilities of an unusual year, the director and instructor developed logs to check out equipment, set up schedules for once-a-week pick up of material boxes and equipment, and budgeted for the remote learning option because virtual instruction of such
a skills-heavy curriculum costs more money. Additionally, while there is already a unit dedicated to food safety and sanitation, the adapted curriculum adds an even heavier focus on sanitation and safety. While culinary skills are the focus, soft skills are also a crucial component of the courses and work-ethic and responsibility are stressed and expected throughout the program. Attendance is a critical element; however, while there was a strict policy before the pandemic, students are now taught the importance of staying home if they feel sick. The Benefits and Value of a Community College Degree The two-year Associate Degree (AAS) in Culinary Arts offered at the Watauga Campus thoroughly prepares students in a professional lab setting, in close proximity to where they currently live and work, and the instructors are highly regarded industry professionals. For instance, Chef Robert Back is a graduate of the esteemed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY, and the recipient of the American Culinary Federation Chef of the Year Award. He trained under master bakers and elite chefs, including the White House head chef. Additionally he worked at West
