September 15, 2025

Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,

I hope everyone’s semester is going well as we enter the second half of September. 

We all watched or read about the violence that erupted last week on the campus of Utah Valley University, which took the life of political activist Charlie Kirk. While Kirk exercised his First Amendment rights, he was a provocative figure within the political discourse, with many supporters and detractors. However one viewed him, we must agree that violence is never the answer if we are to preserve this right, which is fundamental to a free and just democracy and was enshrined specifically to protect the kind of speech that many are likely to find objectionable. May we now work together to seriously consider how we might engage in constructive discourse around divisive issues, so that the fundamental rights and truths enshrined in our founding documents are lived experiences on our own campus. 

Looking at enrollment, as of Sunday, Fall 2025 enrollment stands at 10,085 students, a 1.45% increase over this time last year. Main Campus enrollment is 5,836, trending 1.90% behind last year, while WP Online enrollment is up 6.44%, year-over-year. Continuing student enrollment totals 6,468, which is 3.06% ahead of last year overall. Main Campus continuing student enrollment is 3,826, a slight (0.03%/1 student) decline from this time last year. On the new student side, applications are up 10.22%, and acceptances are up 11.13%, compared to last year. First-year enrollment currently stands at 961, slightly behind expectations, largely due to delays in visa appointments impacting international student arrivals. Nonetheless, overall new student enrollment is up 0.62%, year-over-year. Friday was Census I, so any further enrollment gains this semester going forward will mainly come from WP Online, Session II and new Dual Enrollment students, who will all be in by Census II. 

A reminder that this Saturday, September 20 is Communiversity Day. I hope you can join us in Parking Lot 2, starting at 10:30 a.m. for a pre-game tailgate and then at 1:00 p.m. in Wightman Stadium, as our Pioneer football team takes on Salve Regina. It will be a day for all divisions and colleges to be represented and welcome students, alumni, and friends to campus for some socializing, good food, and the game.

The Division of Human Resources is launching ONE HR, an important new development in how it serves our employees and partners. Effective today, September 15, HR will transition to one centralized point of contact at HumanResources@wpunj.edu. This new model replaces multiple HR email addresses (Payroll, Benefits, Learning & Development, Talent Acquisition) with a single, unified address. Every inquiry will now be received, tracked, and routed directly to the right HR professional—reducing confusion, cutting response times, and improving accountability. Watch your inbox for further details from HR later today.

This week’s WP: We are Proud – Congratulations to the Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy team for Friday's Latin Alumni Celebration. It was an amazing success, a sold-out event packed with alumni from 1980's to 2025 who found community in EOF, O.L.A.S., Spanish Club and our Latin Greek Organizations. The joyous evening provided alumni with an opportunity to reconnect with one another and reengage with WP while also honoring Associate Vice President for Student Development Francisco Díaz '86, MA '88 and Executive Director, EOF and Academic Achievement Carmen Ortiz '88, M.Ed. '90, for their life-changing impact on generations of students. We also celebrated the visionary founders of our WP Latin Greek organizations, which continue to create community, belonging, and deep impact. Thanks to AVP Roy Garcia ’99, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy Kim Galvez '20, and Senior Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy Specialist Courtney Como for their great work.

Have a great week.