News Summary
SUNY Niagara has abruptly canceled its evening Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) classes just five days before the academic year begins, leaving students frustrated and scrambling for alternatives. Many students, including those who have invested significant time and money in preparations, find the switch to daytime classes incompatible with their work and commitments. The cancellation is attributed to a shortage of evening instructors, sparking concerns about the school’s communication and support for students balancing education with personal responsibilities.
Niagara Falls, NY – SUNY Niagara has made the controversial decision to cancel its evening Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) classes just five days before the start of the academic year, leaving students bewildered and disappointed. The abrupt cancellation has affected numerous students who have organized their schedules around the evening course offerings.
Students such as Felicia Nieves, who has invested nearly $9,000 in student loans, expressed frustration over the timing and the lack of viable alternatives provided by the institution. Nieves has taken the last three semesters of classes at SUNY Niagara, meeting course prerequisites and completing general education requirements while managing a full-time job and parenting responsibilities. The school only provided her with the option to switch to daytime classes, which is incompatible with her existing work commitments.
Another student, Luis Garcia, was equally dismayed upon learning of the cancellation days before classes were set to begin. He had altered his work schedule to accommodate the evening LPN program and had already spent approximately $400 on textbooks and educational materials. The timing of the announcement has left many students feeling as though their preparations for the new semester have been derailed.
The situation stemmed from staffing issues, as reported by SUNY Niagara’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maher Ghalayini. The cancellation of the evening classes was largely due to a number of evening instructors leaving for other opportunities, creating a sudden shortage of teaching staff just as the semester approached.
In response to the cancellation, SUNY Niagara has attempted to offer students options to transition to daytime or morning classes, with the majority able to make this shift. However, for students like Nieves and Garcia, the options presented do not align with their personal and professional commitments, deepening their dissatisfaction with the circumstances.
The institution has also pledged to provide refunds for class materials to those students who are impacted by the cancellation. For Nieves and Garcia, this gesture offers some relief, albeit not a solution to the broader issue they face in continuing their education in the nursing field.
Furthermore, Dr. Ghalayini has assured impacted students that the courses they have previously taken at SUNY Niagara can still apply toward other healthcare career opportunities or serve as prerequisites for future programs in practical nursing, indicating that their educational investments are not entirely lost.
As SUNY Niagara looks forward to the spring semester, the school is making efforts to hire new instructors to reinstate evening classes, signaling their commitment to expanding educational opportunities for current and future students.
This development raises significant concerns about scheduling difficulties and the adequacy of support provided to students, especially those balancing education with familial and employment responsibilities. Moving forward, stakeholders are likely to be attentive to improvements in communication and flexibility from the school to prevent similar situations in the future.
The cancellation of evening LPN classes at SUNY Niagara serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by educational institutions amid staffing realities and the importance of timely communication and alternatives for students in pursuit of their career goals.
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Additional Resources
- WKBW: Three Semesters Wasted
- Wikipedia: SUNY Niagara
- WIVB: Student Speaks Out
- Google Search: SUNY Niagara nursing program cancellation
- WNYPapers: SUNY Niagara Enrollment Up 11%
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Nursing
- KGN: SUNY Niagara Cancellation
- Google News: SUNY Niagara evening classes cancellation
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MILWAUKEE STAFF WRITER The MILWAUKEE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREMilwaukee.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Summerfest, Milwaukee Film Festival, and the Milwaukee Boat Show. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Visit Milwaukee, plus leading businesses in manufacturing and brewing that power the local economy such as Harley-Davidson and MillerCoors. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Wisconsin's dynamic landscape.
