Fall 2011 • Vol. 28, Issue 1 - Eagle Online - Niagara University

ON THE RIDGE
Nursing Is Back at Niagara University
8
The proud tradition of the Niagara nurse
has been renewed, thanks to the formal
approval the university recently received
from the New York State Department of
Education to offer two new nursing programs.
One, a four-year B.S. in nursing, will provide a
major in nursing to students entering NU as
freshmen or transfer students without any
specialized nursing background.
The other, an accelerated B.S. in nursing, will
admit those already holding a bachelor’s degree
or higher, and enroll them in nursing courses
on a concentrated, full-time track. The
accelerated program may be completed within
a 12-month timeframe.
“We are thrilled to expand the diversity of
programs that we are able to offer to those
special people who are interested in pursuing
nursing careers,” says the Rev. Joseph L.
Levesque, C.M., NU’s president. “Niagara
possesses an extensive history of excellence in
educating nurses, and nursing is a program that
aligns directly with our mission of serving those
most in need.”
Nursing at Niagara dates back to the
establishment of its College of Nursing in 1946.
e college graduated more than 3,500
professional nurses before closing in 2002 due to
a steep decline in market demand for nurses.
Graduates of the College of Nursing have
maintained very close ties to the university,
forming an alumni council and assisting with the
implementation of a degree completion program
that caters to students who are already registered
nurses. is program has been offered since 2006
and was accredited by the Commission on
Collegiate Nursing Education in 2008.
e new B.S. programs have been designed to
build upon the resources already in place and in
response to the critical shortage of nursing
professionals that is projected to continue well
into the future. e curricula for these programs
have been developed following guidelines
published by the American Association of
Colleges of Nursing, the New York State
Council of Deans and the most recent Institute
of Medicine report on nursing competencies.
ey will be offered through the Department
of Nursing, part of NU’s College of Arts and
Sciences. e four-year track will commence in
fall 2012 while the accelerated program will
begin in May.
“e demand for nursing education in Western
New York is at an all-time high,” says Dr. Fran
Crosby, a 1967 Niagara University graduate who
chairs the Department of Nursing. “Niagara’s
reputation and the loyalty of its alumni body
have served it well, especially once the RN-to-
B.S. program opened in 2006. Since word of the
state’s approval began to trickle out, we have
been really impressed with the quality of nurses
who have indicated interest in faculty positions
and are looking forward to this expansion.”
If you know of someone who may be interested in Niagara’s
nursing programs, contact the Admissions Office at
716.286.8700, 800.462.2111, or admissions@niagara.edu.