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Office of the President

December 16, 2024



Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,


It was great to see so many of you at last week’s Holiday Reception in Hobart Manor. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and I trust you all enjoyed the event.


With the close of a Fall semester in which we made many enrollment and retention gains, we are looking to keep up the momentum and build on our collective good work. Looking ahead to Spring 2025, main campus domestic applications are up 7.4%, and new enrollment is tracking 6.22% ahead of last year. New Spring semester international applications exceeded 2,000 for the first time ever, and first-time, full-time deposits for this population are up 36.67%, at 41. Bear in mind that many international students wait to successfully pass the visa interview before paying a deposit or enrolling in classes. Anticipating this Fall’s new students becoming continuing students once their Fall grades post, main campus enrollment is 8.67% away from goal. Continuing WP Online enrollment is 30.26% away from goal, a gap which we anticipate will close quickly as students elect into either one or both Spring sessions.

This week’s WPWe are Proud – With the close of a busy and successful Fall semester, I’d like to make this week’s “We are Proud” into an “I am Proud.” I am proud of all of you and the great work you do on behalf of our wonderful students. It is not easy, but it is so very worthwhile. Thank you all for everything you do for our students and William Paterson! If you haven’t yet seen this year’s festive and fun holiday greeting video, which features some of those students, please check it out here.


This is my final scheduled communication of the semester. I will send my next bi-weekly update email on Tuesday, January 21, following the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday break and before the Spring semester begins on Thursday, January 23. As Human Resources has previously communicated, the University will be closed from Wednesday, December 25, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025, reopening on Thursday, January 2, 2025. I hope you all have a restful holiday break, including time with family and friends, and I look forward to seeing you all in 2025!

Sincerely,

Richard J. Helldobler, Ph.D.
President
Office of the President | 973.720.2222 | president@wpunj.edu