MCC Daily Tribune
SUNY Awards $3.2 Million to Expand Enrollment for Programs Leading to Nursing Careers
SUNY announced during National Hospitals Week and Nurses Week the first round of grants from its Nursing Emergency Training Fund to expand campus healthcare programs for in-demand nursing careers. Over $3.2 million was awarded amongst 17 campuses, creating 1,500 more spots for nursing students, a projected 12 percent increase in enrollment. Another $1.6 million is planned to be distributed for additional programs to expand enrollment in nursing degree programs further. At some SUNY campuses the applicant pool for nursing degree programs can exceed enrollment capacity by a hundred or more seats.
Healthcare employment opportunities are projected to grow at a rate of 16 percent—faster than all other occupations through 2030. During her State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul set an ambitious goal to grow the state’s healthcare workforce by 20 percent over the next five years. As part of that goal, SUNY campuses are working to increase enrollment capacity amongst its medical programs. SUNY graduates about 10,000 health professionals each year.
“New York needs even more nursing heroes, and I am proud that SUNY campuses are making Governor Hochul’s vision a reality,” said SUNY Interim Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley. “I extend my congratulations to our first campus awardees for developing innovative proposals to increase their enrollment capacity. I also thank the Governor and legislators for investing in SUNY and making opportunities like this possible.”
Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick said, “I am delighted that SUNY is leading the way in meeting the growing need to expand our healthcare workforce. This funding will open up desperately needed capacity in SUNY’s nursing programs, allowing our campuses to train more talented nurses. I applaud Governor Hochul and SUNY for keeping public higher education at the forefront as we train the next generation of our healthcare professionals.”
Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “The importance of qualified, capable healthcare professionals has never been more apparent. The Nursing Emergency Training Fund will serve as a pipeline for students pursuing careers in an expanding field of great need. The additional new openings will provide a well-trained work force. This demonstrates SUNY’s commitment to reversing declining enrollment and meeting the needs of underserved healthcare professions.”
All SUNY campuses with nursing programs were eligible to submit proposals for one-time grants of up to $250,000 from the SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund. The winning proposals included plans to expand the number of spaces available in nursing programs.
Those campuses awarded today include SUNY Adirondack, Alfred State College, SUNY Broome, University at Buffalo, Columbia Greene Community College, SUNY Delhi, Dutchess Community College, Finger Lakes Community College, Fulton Montgomery Community College, Hudson Valley Community College, Jefferson Community College, Nassau Community College, Onondaga Community College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Rockland Community College, and Upstate Medical.
Innovative Strategy Examples
A joint proposal with Upstate Medical and Onondaga Community College offers students a path from an associate degree to bachelors, as well as a doctor of nursing practice (DNP), a critical pathway to solving a shortage of nursing instructors nationally. Upstate and Onondaga will share faculty as part of the partnership, which is projected to increase enrollment and graduation rates at Upstate by 10 percent in the first year. At Onondaga, the campus projects a 50 percent increase in spots for students in the licensed nursing to registered nursing program.
Nassau Community College and SUNY Empire State College also have a partnership where Nassau students earn their associates and then move on to SUNY Empire to complete their bachelors. In Nassau County, healthcare is the number one private employer. With the grant, Nassau Community College projects it can increase enrollment by 25 percent as it hires new faculty to be able to offer additional day and evening courses, as well as simulation labs. The campus will also incorporate new virtual reality learning tools.
At Fulton Montgomery Community College, this award will expand simulation equipment within its training labs to be able to increase enrollment to serve more students. The campus has a waitlist for students, and the funding is expected to increase capacity to allow a 12.5 percent increase in enrollment for Fall 2022, and 25 percent increase by Spring 2023. Still more campuses proposed to bolster academic support to help students succeed, like SUNY Delhi, which will create weekend boot camps and intensive online courses as students work toward a degree. Beginning with the Fall 2022 semester, SUNY Delhi projects that 300-500 students will have access to additional training.
Rosanna Yule
Government and Community Relations
05/12/2022