CCS to Celebrate Its 25th Anniversary of Providing Public Opinion and Community-based Research to the North Country

A quarter century ago, the leadership of Jefferson Community College, in collaboration with leaders of the local communities and organizations, created a community-based research institute, the Center for Community Studies (Center). The Center has provided community-based public opinion research and facilitated discussions of important community issues continuously since October 1999, including two annual regional surveys of the North Country community-a service to residents and a valuable resource for local leaders. Additionally, the Center conducts approximately five studies on behalf of local agencies and governments each academic year. Over 200 studies have been completed and published by the Center during these 25 years with students engaging in the research for virtually every study as a component of their applied learning college coursework.

The Center for Community Studies has been accepted into the Transparency Initiative of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), globally the leading public opinion research professional association.  The Center is an active member and participant in the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO), an association of approximately 60 colleges and universities in the United States that house and support survey research centers.  Jefferson Community College remains the only community college in the United States that includes a public opinion survey research institute that provides these types of research services. 

On Thursday, October 17, 2024, JCC will hold an evening celebration for the Center’s 25th Anniversary beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Robert R. and Jean S. Sturtz Theater. The public is welcome to attend. Admission is free thanks to JCC and the Northern New York Community Foundation. The evening will commence with presentations by past leaders of the Center highlighting the history and future of the Center and conclude with a live podcast. The event is open to the public.

Speakers include Center founders Dr. John W. Deans, retired college President, and Dr. Richard L. Halpin, Professor Emeritus, as well as former Center leaders Dr. Raymond E. Petersen, Professor Emeritus, Donald C. Alexander, Retired Executive Director of Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency and a founding former member of the Center’s advisory board, and current college President Dr. Daniel J. Dupee, II. Renowned pollsters John and Jeremy Zogby have had a relationship with the Center for Community Studies since its inception, and to conclude the evening they will complete a live-audience version of their popular podcast The Zogby Report: Real & Unscripted, which will include a question-and-answer segment whereby audience members may interact with the Zogbys directly. 

With the event taking place less than three weeks before the 2024 Presidential Election, the podcast and presentations are expected to generate a significant amount of interest among North Country residents. 

This edition of the Zogby Report is also serving as the kick-off event for the Center for Community Studies’ newly developed Civic Engagement Program, which in the future will host experts annually in various fields addressing emerging issues of interest to North Country residents.

For more information about the celebration or podcast, contact Joel LaLone, Director, Center for Community Studies, at jlalone@sunyjefferson.edu.

About the Center for Community Studies
Since 1999, the Center for Community Studies has completed hundreds of research surveys for the community and for private companies.  The Center ties professional knowledge from full-time faculty members to students learning statistics and mathematics to clients in the region who need data to solve real-world problems. We are the only local research entity, and we produce a lot of high caliber information. Jefferson Community College is the only SUNY community college to have such a research center. Visit www.sunyjefferson.edu/ccs to learn more.

About Jefferson Community College 
Established on November 7, 1961, Jefferson Community College was the area’s first institution of higher education. Supervised by the State University of New York (SUNY), Jefferson offers 50+ associate degrees, certificates and microcredentials for career preparation or transfer; local access to bachelor’s and advanced degrees through partner institutions; lifelong learning through workshops and seminars; business and industry training; and provides community-based research and a forum for the productive discussion of ideas and issues of significance to the community through the Center for Community Studies. Jefferson is accredited by the Middle States Association and currently serves approximately 2,500 students, including a significant number of service members and their families. Please visit www.sunyjefferson.edu for more information.