May 4, 2026

Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,

Thank you to everyone who participated in meetings and the open forum with the three Vice President for Student Development finalists over the past two weeks. We are fortunate to have a deep pool of qualified finalists, which is a testament to the appeal of William Paterson University and all the good things happening here. Over the next week, I will have further meetings with some key stakeholders, review the feedback provided by the community on each candidate, and work with the search consultant on reference checks, before deciding to whom we will extend an offer. If all goes well, I hope to be able to share news later next week of our next leader for this important role. Stay tuned.

Turning to enrollment, as of Sunday, we have 4,838 students registered for the fall. This represents a 6.87% decrease compared to this time last year, largely due to the timing of new student enrollment activity, which is just getting underway for Fall 2026. Continuing enrollment is trending positively, up nearly 1% overall, including a 0.66% increase among Main Campus degree-seeking students. Main Campus graduate full-time registration also remains strong, currently 6.88% ahead of last year. As we approach the end of this semester, continued focus on supporting student registration will be critical to sustaining this momentum.

On the incoming class, domestic applications total 13,326, up 3.55% over last year, with first-year applications at 9,196, a 2.84% increase. We have 882 deposited domestic first-year students, 8.09% ahead of last year at this time, which represents the highest May 3 deposit count in at least six years. On April 25, we hosted a Spring Open House with 337 families in attendance, including 130 admitted students. Many of those students had already committed to William Paterson, and an additional 20 chose to deposit on-site, highlighting the impact of connecting with students and families in person.

Yield for our incoming cohorts will be central to meeting our enrollment goals, and campus-wide engagement in these efforts remains essential.

This week’s WP: We are Proud –  Our campus had an extra degree of youthful energy on April 23, as 115 children of faculty and staff—accompanied by 77 employee parents and guardians—joined us for our second annual celebration of National Bring Your Child to Work Day.

Organized by the Division of Human Resources under the leadership of Vice President Allison Boucher-Jarvis, this year’s event saw a 35 percent increase in participation, reflecting growing enthusiasm across our University community. Congratulations to Tensa Thomas, Director of Human Resources Operations; Christina Janos, Assistant Director of HR Operations; and all of the program coordinators and volunteers for their good work planning a day of engaging activities that combined hands-on learning, career exploration, and community-building. And thanks to all the parents, guardians, and – of course – Pioneer children who participated, making for a great day for all! 

With the Spring semester ending next week, this will be an especially busy period through the end of the semester and up to Undergraduate Commencement on May 28. Let’s help all our students to finish strong and then celebrate our graduates like only WP can do!