March 21, 2022
Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,
Welcome back to those of you who were away over Spring Break, and I hope everyone had a great week, whether you spent it on campus or off.
As promised in my March 7 message, I want to update you on the matter of our campus mask policy. While things are continuing to trend in the right direction, overall, many members of our community traveled out of the region over the break, so it makes sense to keep our current policy in place for at least the next two weeks as a way to prevent a local spike in cases.
A reminder that the current status of orange (substantial) means masks are required of the vaccinated for academic instruction and recommended in all indoor settings and large outdoor gatherings. For the exempt/unvaccinated, masks are required in all indoor settings, as well as for large outdoor gatherings.
I again encourage everyone who is eligible to get a Covid vaccine booster shot, which is the best way protect yourself, your family, and your community against the virus. You can take advantage of another campus vaccine clinic, which will be held in Lot 5, behind the Cheng Library, this Thursday, March 24th, from 12:00-3:00 p.m. Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines and boosters will all be available. The clinic is available to all New Jersey residents, and no appointment or insurance is required. Just bring a photo ID. Click here for more information.
I encourage everyone to participate in some of the many wonderful events planned as part of William Paterson’s Asian Cultural Celebration, starting with tomorrow’s kickoff event featuring performances and food at 12:30 p.m. in the University Commons Multipurpose Room and followed by a 2 p.m. Holi Festival performance on Zanfino Plaza. The WP Asian Cultural Celebration recognizes, appreciates, and celebrates the vibrant and diverse culture and history of Asian Americans through presentations, workshops and performances. These efforts are made possible through the contributions of students, faculty, and staff in the Asian Cultural Celebration Planning Committee, and I want to thank all the members for their work on what promises to be a great series of events, which will continue through April 7th. Check out Pioneer Life for all the details.
Last week, you all received an invitation to purchase tickets for the WP Foundation’s 31st Annual Legacy Award Gala on April 27th at The Grove in Cedar Grove. I encourage everyone who’s able to support student scholarships by participating in what promises to be a wonderful event, where we will honor Dr. Jean Levitan as Distinguished Faculty/Staff, Rich Geraffo ’89, VP at Amazon Web Services, as Distinguished Alumnus, and Winthum, a CPA and advisory firm, as Distinguished Organization. Click here to purchase tickets and learn about other ways to support this great event and our students.
Also, a reminder that I will be holding Office Hours for faculty and staff this Wednesday, March 23rd at 12:30 p.m. in University Commons, Room 211, so please join me to ask any questions or discuss any topics of concern about WP.
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This week’s WP: We are Proud – Students Joselito Paz, a senior, and Zahraa Fardos, a sophomore, spent part of their Spring Break volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne, where they worked with K-4 students to create artistic and educational wall murals. Their work was aided by Kimberly Pena ’21, AmeriCorp NJCC Changebuilder Coordinator for Campus Activities, Service and Leadership, and Boys & Girls Club Program Director Gladys Pirruccio, a 1999 graduate of WP. Thanks to Joselito and Zahraa for their good work and continuing William Paterson’s proud traditions of volunteerism and community engagement.
With just over a month and a half until the end of the semester, there are many busy and exciting days ahead for our University community. Have a great week.
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Sincerely,
Richard J. Helldobler, Ph.D.
President
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