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May 18, 2026
Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,
After a busy semester, Graduate Commencement week is here, and Undergraduate ceremonies will follow next week. For Wednesday’s two ceremonies at Wightman Stadium, at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., we are looking forward to everyone’s’ involvement and support. The forecast currently calls for highs in the 90s and rain later in the afternoon, so please prepare accordingly. We will look at the detailed forecast tomorrow morning and notify you promptly in the event of any change in plans, including a potential shift to the May 21 rain date. For now, though, I look forward to joining you all in celebrating our graduates this Wednesday, May 20.
Turning to enrollment, Fall 2026 recruitment and registration activity continues to track largely in line with our expectations for this point in the cycle, while also reinforcing that significant work remains ahead in the areas of first-year conversion and melt prevention. Domestic first-year applications currently stand at 9,296, representing 93.9% of our 9,900 application goal, with 604 applications remaining to reach target. We currently have 910 deposited domestic first-year students toward our Main Campus goal of 1,050. While deposits remain slightly behind last year’s pace (-2.15%, or 20 students), recent enrollment activity indicates that first-year enrollment is now beginning to accelerate following the launch of new first-year registration activity. Transfer and graduate deposits continue to perform well, with transfer deposits up 5.42% and graduate deposits up 5.25% compared to last year. Our work is now increasingly centered on yield and melt mitigation efforts. Active initiatives include enhanced financial aid outreach and net-cost comparisons, targeted admitted student engagement, expanded counselor meetings and campus tours, and the strategic review of waitlisted students.
Overall, Fall 2026 enrollment currently stands at 5,666 students. Continuing enrollment trends remain encouraging, with overall continuing enrollment up slightly over last year and Main Campus degree-seeking continuing enrollment up 1%. With the conclusion of the academic year behind us, continued campus-wide support of Summer and Fall registration, student outreach, and engagement will remain essential to sustaining momentum and achieving our enrollment goals.
Many of you have noticed architects and contractors touring campus buildings with our administration and physical plant operations folks. You should expect to see more of them in the coming weeks and months as they gather the necessary information to help us decide which areas will go where in the Fall as part of our decision to sell the 1600 Valley Road property and bring the Cotsakos College of Business and the College of Education back to the main campus. Please be assured that we will communicate with you when decisions have been made about where different areas will be relocated to, and what that will mean for the entire campus community. No decisions are yet being made where individuals will go, only areas. Timing of our decisions will depend on when the building sells, as well as other logistical factors. Let me assure you that no major construction work is currently planned related to the move, and no one will have their offices or departments moved without plenty of notice.
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