NEWBURGH – On Friday, August 13, 2021 SUNY Orange and SUNY Empire State College jointly announced a new RN to BSN transfer program agreement-which fills a critical hole in a region where no previous public BSN options had existed-offering SUNY Orange nursing graduates and senior nursing students with an active RN license a direct pathway to an online bachelor of science in nursing degree at SUNY Empire.
Under the new partnership, interested SUNY Orange nursing graduates will automatically be enrolled in SUNY Empire State College’s BSN program and SUNY Empire will waive application fees. The partnership provides scholarship options and allows the transfer of 63 credits earned at SUNY Orange to SUNY Empire in order to reduce the time needed to complete the BSN program, saving students money over the course of their studies.
Collaborations like this are critical to the system’s SUNY for All program, which leverages all pieces of the system to provide high-quality, affordable education to all New Yorkers. It also underscores SUNY’s commitment to meeting the workforce challenge in the healthcare sector by training future generations of nurses who are greatly in demand throughout the state and nation.
Partnership students must have completed a degree in nursing and possess an active New York state nursing license. To support the collaborative agreement, SUNY Orange will provide SUNY Empire with dedicated office space on the Newburgh campus so that SUNY Empire may better serve the needs of students in the program.
Friday’s signing ceremony, co-hosted by SUNY Orange President Dr. Kristine Young and SUNY Empire Officer in Charge Dr. Nathan Gonyea, was held on the Newburgh campus of SUNY Orange and featured remarks from State Senator James Skoufis, Assembly member Aileen Gunther, and SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras.
Each year, SUNY Orange graduates approximately 100 students from its nursing program, with roughly two-thirds completing their studies in Middletown and the remainder matriculating on the Newburgh campus. The College’s nursing grads traditionally outpace in-state and national averages when it comes to first time pass rates on the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). During 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, 97.7 percent of SUNY Orange nursing grads passed the NCLEX on their first attempt.
Across the United States, employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 15 percent from 2019 to 2029 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Across New York State, employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 23 percent from 2018 to 2028 (New York State Department of Labor Long-Term Occupational Employment Projections). Approximately 35% of these positions will require a bachelor’s degree (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce).
State Senator James Skoufis said, “This is a truly great day for prospective students and the nursing field writ large. When Kris Young and I spoke about establishing a four-year nursing degree program at SUNY Orange back in 2020, we got straight to work. The college’s new transfer agreement will enable local nursing students to seamlessly achieve advanced nursing degrees, a win for Orange County and a win for healthcare providers all over this region. I thank Kris, SUNY leadership, and the SUNY Empire team for seeing this through and helping to build healthcare capacity right here in the Hudson Valley.”
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