June 1, 2026

Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,

Congratulations to the William Paterson University Class of 2026 and to all of you for helping them earn their degrees and for celebrating their success at three wonderful Commencement ceremonies!

More details are in the “We are Proud” item, below, but first, fall 2026 recruitment and registration activity continues to track largely in line with our expectations, while reinforcing that our primary focus has shifted from application generation to student conversion, yield, and melt prevention. Domestic first-year applications stand at 9,354, representing 94.5% of our 9,900-application goal. We have 945 deposited domestic first-year students toward our Main Campus goal of 1,050. While deposits remain slightly behind last year's pace (-3.18%, or 31 students), we continue to see positive engagement from admitted students and remain encouraged by recent registration activity. Graduate deposits continue to perform well, up 7.46% over last year, while transfer deposits are essentially flat.

Our work is increasingly centered on yield and melt mitigation. Early results from these efforts have already generated additional deposits, while ongoing outreach through CollegeVine and other channels continues to identify students who are still actively considering William Paterson. Overall, fall 2026 enrollment stands at 6,186 students. Continuing enrollment is stable, with Main Campus degree-seeking continuing enrollment slightly ahead of last year and Main Campus undergraduate full-time continuing enrollment up 3.38% (85 students). As we move further into the summer months, continued campus-wide support of registration, student outreach, and engagement are essential to sustaining momentum, reducing melt, and achieving our fall 2026 enrollment goals.

A reminder that the Summer Learning Kickoff for staff is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24 at 8:00 a.m. in the Shea Auditorium. I look forward to seeing you there, and keep an eye out for email from Human Resources for additional details on the Summer Learning series.

This week’s WP: We are Proud – Thank you all for helping us put approximately 3,700 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees into the hands of William Paterson graduates over the course of two campus Graduate Commencement ceremonies and an Undergraduate Commencement ceremony at the Prudential Center, and a special thanks to everyone who helped make those events a collective success. It’s also worth noting that our graduating class included 26 current William Paterson employees, who received two bachelor’s degrees and 24 graduate degrees, demonstrating our commitment to continuous learning and employee development.

A special thanks to members of the Commencement Committee (Loretta Mc Laughlin Vignier, Mary Beth Zeman, Kaitlyn Howarth, Maira Padula, Patrick Ryan, John Sullivan, George Kavak, and Claudia Chavez), under the leadership of Associate Vice President Francisco Diaz and Professional Services Specialist Michele Martin of Student Development, as well as all those from across campus, including many enthusiastic volunteers, who showed our graduates and their guests the kind of caring support that truly characterizes the William Paterson experience. I would like to especially recognize the teams in Instruction & Research Technology, Marketing and Public Relations, Office of the Registrar, Student Development including University Police, Physical Plant Operations, Office of the Provost, Institutional Advancement, the Associate Deans, and the President’s Office, who all played vital roles over many months to plan, prepare, and carry out three successful ceremonies.

In addition to N.J. Senator Benjie E. Wimberly’s honorary degree, other Commencement ceremony highlights included: the debut of our 25- and 8-foot inflatable Pios, which were big hits; Dr. Miki Cammarata’s receipt of the President’s Medal; the processing of members of the 50^th Alumni Class of 1976; Dr. Cyril Ku, professor of computer science, Dr. Balmurli Natrajan, professor of anthropology, and Dr. Danielle Wallace, associate professor of Africana-world studies, were recognized as recipients of the 2026 Faculty Excellence Awards; and our transition from the mace to the new University Orb as the symbol of authority and stewardship vested in the President by the Board of Trustees. I was honored to inaugurate this beautiful new tradition on behalf of the Office of the President, and I am grateful to the William Paterson University Foundation Board for the gift of the orb.

Having wrapped up the Spring semester and Commencement, I will take a break from sending this bi-weekly update email for the summer. I will resume sending it on Monday, August 17, which marks our return to a normal, five-day work week ahead of the Fall semester. I will continue to communicate important news with you as warranted, outside of that schedule.

Until then, enjoy your summer, and be well.