Dr. Lisa Vollendorf Named President of SUNY Empire State College
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The SUNY Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Lisa Vollendorf, Interim Provost and Chief Academic Office at the University of Northern Colorado, President of SUNY Empire State College.
Vollendorf, who was selected after an extensive national search, will be SUNY Empire’s sixth president since its founding in 1971. Her official start date will be announced soon.
“I am both honored and excited to join SUNY Empire State College as its next president,” said Vollendorf, of her new appointment. “I believe deeply in SUNY Empire’s mission of meeting students where they are to help them achieve their educational needs. I thank the SUNY Board of Trustees, SUNY Empire, and the presidential search committee for putting their trust in me. I look forward to working with the SUNY Empire college community to advance the vital work already underway, find new and innovative ways to serve today’s diverse population, and support the faculty, staff, and alumni at the heart of this amazing institution.”
Dr. Nathan Gonyea, who has served as Officer in Charge at SUNY Empire since December 2020, will remain in that role until Vollendorf arrives to ensure a smooth transition.
“The announcement of Dr. Lisa Vollendorf’s appointment to President of SUNY Empire State College comes at a critical and opportune time for the college,” said Gonyea. “We are developing new programs and initiatives, and we are leading nontraditional higher education in new and exciting areas at a national level. We look forward to our next chapter with great hope and optimism. There is significant, yet exciting, work to be done. Dr. Vollendorf’s vast higher-education experience and her enthusiasm for SUNY Empire’s unique place within the SUNY system make her an excellent choice. On behalf of SUNY Empire State College, I extend a warm welcome to Dr. Vollendorf.”
CCNE Grants Accreditation to SUNY Empire’s Master’s Program in Nursing
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has granted 10-year accreditation to SUNY Empire State College’s master’s program in nursing, a recognition that reinforces the program’s quality and integrity.
CCNE accreditation is a nongovernmental peer review process that helps ensure a nursing program meets nationally recognized standards of excellence. It signals that a nursing program optimally prepares its graduates for the workforce.
SUNY Empire’s graduate nursing program offers two specialty tracks, Nursing Education and Nursing Administration. SUNY Empire’s BSN program, which received CCNE accreditation in 2015, is due for its next accreditation visit in 2025.
This important accreditation comes amid a growing demand for nurses across the nation and in New York State. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 11 million additional nurses are needed to avoid further shortages in the healthcare industry. Employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a rate of 15 percent – faster than all other occupations – through 2026. According to the American Journal of Medical Quality, there will be a shortage of more than 39,000 registered nurses in New York by 2030.
The accreditation further enhances opportunities recently created by the State University of New York establishing a $3 million SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund, which will help SUNY campuses expand program capacity so more students can enroll.
