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August 12, 2024
Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,
With the summer schedule now ended, I hope everyone enjoyed the final weekend to include the summer Friday off. Beginning today, staff and administrators return to our regular Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. schedule. Last week also saw the close of the Summer Professional Development series, and I want to thank Deborah Ackerly, Director of Talent Acquisition/Employee Learning & Development others across HR team for hosting another successful season. Thanks to everyone from divisions across the University who led a session and to all of you for your engaged and thoughtful participation. Based on surveys and word of mouth, I know that the series provided valuable training on a variety of topics to participants across campus. To offer just one example, feedback indicated that 80% of respondents were “Very Satisfied” with the July 24 workshops. To help HR enhance future summer learning and development programs, please provide your recommendations by clicking here: Summer Development Overall Feedback & Recommendations.
Turning to enrollment, as of last Thursday, overall enrollment for Fall 2024 stands at 8,841 students, which represents a 5.9% increase over this point last year. Main campus enrollment stands at 5,604 students for Fall 2024, which is a 0.6% increase over last year at this time. Continuing student overall enrollment of 5,828 is 3.7% ahead of last year, with main campus continuing students currently at 3,674, which is 5.6% behind last year. We need an all-out push across campus directed at helping re-enroll this population, as failing to meet this particularly critical enrollment goal will have a disproportionately negative impact on the budget. New student applications are up 16.1%, and accepted students are up 15.4%. There are currently 1,046 first-year students enrolled, which is 15.8% ahead of last year's number. Overall, new student enrollment for Fall 2024 is up 12.4%.
In other news, I am pleased to share that William Paterson has earned a place as part of the FirstGen Forward Network, recognizing our collective commitment to improving experiences and advancing success of first-generation college students. The FirstGen Forward Network—which partners with higher education, business, the public sector, and others to catalyze first-generation student success in education, careers, and life—selects colleges and universities through an application process. The network will allow members of the University community to participate in monthly workshops, networking, and professional development opportunities centered on sharing knowledge and resources tied to the success of first-generation college students, who make up approximately 40 percent of our student body. Congratulations to Vice President of Student Development Miki Cammarata; Executive Director of EOF & Academic Achievement Carmen Ortiz; Associate Director of EOF Paulaska Ramirez, who led WP’s successful application process; Assistant Director of EOF Amina Mostafa; and Assistant Director of the Career Development Center Sonia Wilson, all of whose good work has opened this great new opportunity for William Paterson.
The Workday Pioneers are being reengaged to create a Workday wish list of items to enhance the Workday experience and make it more efficient and user-friendly for the William Paterson community. Starting in September, the group will begin compiling a list to prioritize and create an action plan. Once this action plan is created, the Workday Pioneers and administrative users will ensure that these priorities align with needs, determine what and how to communicate, and decide what requires improved configuration or additional staff training. Thanks to everyone involved for their commitment to making the Workday user experience the best it can be for their colleagues.
You can submit feedback now through the William Paterson Workday Feedback form , which will enable the Workday Pioneers to spend time communicating changes that have been made and to prioritize the remaining items. Thank you all for your participation and commitment to enhancing the Workday experience.
In recognizing another successful Summer Jazz Workshop, my July 29 communication didn’t adequately credit the driving force behind the program, its Director and Professor of Jazz Studies Tim Newman. Tim’s leadership has made the workshop and the Summer Jazz Room, for which he serves as Producer, marquis events on campus each summer, which have rightly earned a reputation in the field as preeminent educational and performance series. Thanks also to May Chabayta, Administrative Assistant in the Music Department, for supporting both series, as well as – for the Summer Jazz Workshop – Jon DiFiore, adjunct faculty in music and Assistant to the Director, and College of Education Dean Amy Ginsberg. For their good work on the Summer Jazz Room, thanks to Al Schaefer, Director of Operations; Carrie Rubino, Box Office Manager; and Tom Dwyer, Stage Manager, all in the Shea Center for Performing Arts; Craig Woelpper, Marketing and Grants Manager, University Performing Arts; and Nadia Esposito Di Marcantonio, Graphic Designer, Marketing and Public Relations.
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