|
March 31, 2025
Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,
With a little more than six weeks left in the semester and approximately seven weeks until Commencement, a reminder that tomorrow, April 1, is the deadline for faculty and staff to register for the May 20 undergraduate ceremony at Newark’s Prudential Center and the three May 22 graduate ceremonies in our campus Sports and Recreation Center. As a reminder, faculty are required to attend at least one Commencement ceremony (undergraduate or graduate). If you haven’t already done so, please click here to register now to help ensure successful events for our graduates.
Turning to enrollment, as of Friday, overall Spring 2025 student enrollment has increased by 6.4% compared to last year (Main campus is up 1.91%, and WP Online is up 12.97%). New student enrollment is up 8.24%, First time-Full time (FTFT) enrollment is up 31.03%, transfer is up 2.67%, and new graduate student enrollment has grown by 2.38%. Continuing student enrollment is up 6.24%, year-over-year. A reminder that Census II is tomorrow, April 1.
Looking ahead to Fall 2025, FTFT domestic student applications are up 4.63% compared to this time last year (8,458), and acceptances have increased by 4.88%. International student metrics are also showing positive trends, with 2,017 international FTFT applications. While international enrollment indicators remain strong, we are mindful of the potential impact that recently announced EducationUSA furloughs, travel restrictions, and visa processing delays may have on our ability to convert these applicants into enrolled students for Fall 2025. Overall, new domestic student applications for Fall 2025 have increased by 5.88%, with acceptances up 5.28%. We are excited to host our 'Will. Power. Day' this coming Saturday, April 5, when we will welcome to campus students admitted for this fall and their families. Registrations for the event are up more than 11% over this time last year at this time.
There is a lot of great news all around campus, and now there is a new way to catch up with some of the highlights. The PowerCast is a new, short audio digest in which I share some recent headlines and why they are important for William Paterson. If you missed the inaugural March 20 episode in your inbox, you can listen to it here. A special thanks to Vice President Stuart Goldstein and his Marketing and Public Relations team, especially Bob Verbeek and Ashley Villarreal, as well as IRT Audio Technician Dante Portella, who expertly produced the audio segment. Watch your inbox for a new episode in the coming weeks.
I’d like to remind everyone of some key upcoming events. This Thursday, April 3, the Enrollment & Budget Forum and Tuition & Fees Hearing will be held at 12:30 p.m. in the Cheng Library Auditorium. Please join us in Hobart Manor later that day, from 4:00-5:30 p.m., for First Thursday.
On Thursday, April 24, William Paterson will participate in National Bring Your Child to Work Day. This year’s theme is, “For a New Generation,” and we are looking for inspiring role models like you to help shape an unforgettable experience for the children. Please click here to indicate how you would like to be involved in the day’s planning and activities. And if you plan to bring your child to campus, please click here to RSVP.
That evening, we will host the 34th Annual Legacy Award Gala, sponsored by the William Paterson Foundation, at The Grove in Cedar Grove. The event will honor Greg Makowski ’81 as Distinguished Alumnus, Dawn Alexander Makowski ’80 as Distinguished Alumna, Bill Duffy as Distinguished Faculty/Staff, and Valley Bank as Distinguished Organization. Please click here to see how you can support the event, which benefits student scholarships.
Student scholarships also got a boost thanks to a series of recent Florida alumni and friends events in which William Paterson hosted many of the 4,000 WP alumni living in the state. At receptions in Sarasota and Boca Raton, as well as smaller gatherings and individual meetings around the state, I shared highlights of all the great things happening on campus. Along the way, our alumni showed their Pioneer Pride by making generous gifts to the Florida Alumni Endowed Scholarship. Thanks to Vice President of Advancement Pam Ferguson, AVP for Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy Roy Garcia, and Director of Major Gifts Wren DiGisi for organizing the visit and to our ACE Fellow, Dr. Ralitsa Akins, for traveling from her home institution, the University of West Georgia, to join us.
| 
