Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing and Excelsior College Expand Educational Access

ALBANY, NY (06/10/2008)(readMedia)-- Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing in New York City has entered into an articulation agreement with Excelsior College in Albany, NY, which will offer graduates of the school an opportunity to continue their nursing education beyond an associate degree. This agreement between Phillips Beth Israel and Excelsior College, a world leader in distance education, provides the 300 students currently enrolled at Phillips Beth Israel and its 4,000+ alumni to enhance their career opportunities by earning advanced degrees.

“Nurses work many different schedules that often make attending on-site programs difficult,” said Janet Mackin, RN, EdD, Dean of Phillips Beth Israel. According to Dr. Mackin, approximately 70 percent of students at Phillips Beth Israel are planning to pursue advanced education within three years after graduation. “We want to give them as many options as possible,” the Dean said. “Excelsior's accredited and nationally recognized programs will allow our students flexibility in pursuing their BSN degree.” She also believes that nurses at the school’s parent hospital, Beth Israel Medical Center, will be interested in pursuing advanced degrees with this flexible option.

Through this agreement, credits earned in Phillips Beth Israel's associate degree programs will be recognized by Excelsior toward its bachelor’s and master's programs in nursing. In addition, graduates of the New York City nursing school will be able to earn their advanced degrees while maintaining work and family obligations by completing Excelsior's programs at a distance. All of Excelsior's nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). In addition, its School of Nursing has been designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing.

“We are excited about this collaboration with Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing,” said Excelsior College Provost Dana Offerman. “Excelsior is all about removing obstacles that may prevent working adults from continuing their education. Through this agreement, Phillips Beth Israel students and alumni will be able to pursue a bachelor’s degree and beyond by taking our online courses, and through independent study and the use of our college-level proficiency examinations."

Phillips Beth Israel (http://www.futurenursebi.org) was chartered by the New York State Board of Regents in 1904 as Beth Israel Training School for Nurses. In 1985, the school was renamed Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing in honor of its benefactor, Seymour J. Phillips. The School, located at 776 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, awards an associate degree in nursing, and has educated more than 4,000 nurses. It is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).

Excelsior College (www.excelsior.edu) is an accredited, private, nonprofit institution that focuses on the needs of working adults. Its primary mission is to increase access to a college degree for adult learners by removing obstacles to their educational goals. Excelsior's unique strengths lie in its acknowledged leadership in the assessment of student knowledge. It does so by providing working adults multiple avenues to degree completion that include its own online courses and college-level proficiency examinations, and the acceptance of credit in transfer from other colleges and universities.

Founded in 1971 and located in Albany, N.Y., it is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Its School of Nursing is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), and has been designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. For two years in a row it has been named as the Best School of Nursing for Men by the American Assembly for Men in Nursing. It is also home to the Tau Kappa Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing.

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