Cayuga nursing alumni and current students celebrate program’s 50th anniversary

Cayuga, Foundation Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Prestigious Nursing A.A.S. Program

Cayuga Community College and its Foundation marked five decades of excellence of the College’s Nursing program on Wednesday, celebrating graduates for the superb care they provide patients and thanking faculty for years of dedication.

Faculty, students, alumni, supporters, and other members of the community joined Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant and Cayuga County Community College Foundation Executive Director Guy T. Cosentino for the celebration at Emerson Park in Auburn. The celebration marked 50 years since Cayuga graduated its first nursing students.

College leaders said the program has grown into one of the best nursing associate degree options for students in the Northeast.

“For decades now, our Nursing program has maintained a standard of excellence that is second to none in preparing graduates to care for patients in our community,” said Dr. Durant. “Our faculty are experts with experience in an array of healthcare settings, our students are dedicated beyond belief, and our graduates in the field are making a difference in their patients’ lives. I couldn’t be prouder of everyone connected to our Nursing program and the roles they are playing in our community.”

“For five decades, Cayuga’s Nursing program has changed lives, not only for the students who have built meaningful careers, but for the patients, families and communities they have served,” said Cosentino. “The program’s extraordinary success is a testament to generations of dedicated faculty, students, alumni and donors who have shared a commitment to excellence. As we celebrate this milestone, we are incredibly proud of the program’s history and even more excited about the opportunities ahead for the next generation of Cayuga nurses.”

“The success of our Nursing program is a testament to the dedication of our faculty, the drive of our students, and the example set by our graduates. Students who graduate from our program have the training, expertise and commitment to care and advocate for their patients, and understand the essential role they play in our healthcare community,” said Nursing Division Chair Mary Driscoll. “We’re proud of the difference they make and the care they provide patients and their patients’ families.”

Cayuga’s program is consistently recognized in nursing and healthcare resources as one of the top nursing associate degrees. It welcomed its first class in 1974, prompted by the closure of a local hospital’s nursing program two years earlier. More than 1,950 students graduated from the program since the inaugural graduating class in 1976.

To meet a rising need for qualified nurses, the program expanded in 2007 to Cayuga’s Fulton Campus. Eventually the program on the Fulton Campus progressed to accepting 24 students every fall, with courses offered in the evening and on the weekend to accommodate students’ schedule needs.

Cayuga continued meeting the demand for trained healthcare professionals in 2025 when it announced the launch of the inaugural spring nursing cohort. Students entered the program in the Spring 2026 semester, completed courses through the summer term, and are now on track to graduate in 2027.

The program, which is recognized by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, has a well-documented history of graduates immediately identifying career opportunities and an excellent first-time NCLEX passing rate for graduates. In the past decade, 98 percent of graduates passed the NCLEX on their first try, including five years of a perfect passing rate.

Along with prioritizing patient care and advocacy, course instruction emphasizes professional standards and provides a variety of clinical settings for students to gain experience caring for patients of all ages. Courses encompass theoretical knowledge and clinical skills to enhance patient care, but also stress the need for leadership and communication skills and expertise in medical technologies to better care for patients in diverse healthcare settings.

For more details on the Nursing program, visit https://www.cayuga-cc.edu/admissions/process/nursing-admissions/.