Dr. Daniel P. Larson is President of Cayuga Community College, with campuses in Auburn and Fulton, N.Y.

Banned Books Week is here, and SUNY JCC has been doing all sorts of activities to celebrate, from putting up special displays to holding a Read Out in the library. But JCC wanted to do something a bit different this year that still managed to capture the spirit of Banned Books Week and how ludicrous it is that some of these books are repeatedly banned or challenged. They also wanted something that would translate well to social media, and that they could easily promote on their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Enter McSpacey, a private investigator with a hit TV show who’s come to JCC to find out who’s promoting these dangerous books to our kids, and what can be done to stop them. It’s a startling investigation that examines the students who read these books and the librarians who enable them. And it’s all happening right under our noses.

Dr. Daniel P. Larson is President of Cayuga Community College, with campuses in Auburn and Fulton, N.Y.

From their beginnings, community colleges in the United States have helped support the development of the middle class.  Now, countries around the world, such as India, China and those in the Mideast, are looking at the American community college model to expand higher education opportunities for their students, to create a more employable workforce and to build a middle class.  Cayuga Community College hosted a delegation of diplomats and educator this Spring from several Mideast countries interested in learning about alternatives in higher education and specifically about community colleges.  They want to find a model to educate all their citizens, not just the wealthy.  We found them to be engaged and open to the work we are doing here at Cayuga.

Our community college model is compelling as we provide high-quality education at an affordable price and accessible to all people.  We provide a strong foundation in liberal arts to those wishing to pursue four-year degrees or higher, and we offer degree programs to prepare career-ready workers in fields such as nursing, telecommunications, information technology, mechanical technology, and criminal justice.  At Cayuga, regardless of whether students are focused on career-technical training or on liberal arts, we promote academic excellence and challenge our students with rigorous coursework, hands-on projects, and opportunities to distinguish themselves inside and outside of the classroom.  Continue reading →