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Over the past five years, under the leadership of President Richard J. Helldobler, big changes in how we teach and advise students are transforming the ways they build careers and impact our state. In so doing, William Paterson University is making its mark as a powerhouse of personal progress.
“As I reflect back on my first five years leading this wonderful institution,” says President Helldobler, “I am awed by everything that we have accomplished together on behalf of our students, grateful to all the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who power this dynamic community, and excited by what comes next as we continue to build a stronger William Paterson.”
From national recognition to a new image: Here are the top ways WP is making waves.
Meeting Personal and Workforce Needs as a Powerhouse in Adult Education
Right before the pandemic—when online learning moved to the forefront and scores of adults re-evaluated their careers—WP Online made its perfectly timed debut. Now offering 25 graduate degree program and 16 undergraduate degree programs along with graduate and undergraduate certificate programs, a competitive tuition cost, rolling admissions, six start dates per year, and a seven-week course delivery model, WP Online is optimally matched to working adults. Enrollment and demand have been increasing exponentially, placing William Paterson at the forefront in online graduate education. Currently, WP Online students make up one-third of the total WP student body.
Moreover, thanks to our new Center for Degree Completion and Adult Learning (DCAL), WP has several hundred adult learners taking undergraduate courses online and in person—adults who previously earned some college credit but no degree. DCAL leads the way in bringing New Jersey’s adult degree completers across the finish line with its rapidly expanding Credit for Prior Learning opportunities—honoring the professional skills and knowledge they bring with them. This includes providing course-equivalent credit for professional and military experience, examinations, and portfolios, thereby lessening the time and money adult completers need to invest in pursuit of their bachelor’s degree.
Guiding Students to Success with Innovative Programs
All first-year students now have an assigned Student Success Team—direct, consistent contacts including a financial aid counselor, professional adviser, and career coach—to guide and support them through graduation. As sophomores, their success team expands to include a faculty mentor from the students’ intended academic major.
“Our Student Success Team is at the heart of our approach to student support at William Paterson and distinguishes us from other universities,” says Miki Cammarata, vice president for student development. “Each student is paired with a personalized team of experts and mentors right from their first day of classes. This team-based approach creates custom and coordinated solutions for students’ needs, builds relationships, and ensures that every student has direct access to critical University resources and support.”
Additionally, recognizing that first-year students need specific advice and support as they transition to college, WP has built the Will. Power. 101 and 102 success courses into its first-year curriculum. Therein, professional advisors—assisted by peer mentors—teach first-year students how to succeed by covering such topics as study skills, time management, and choosing a major, while also introducing them to campus resources like the Writing Center, Science Enrichment Center, and Academic Success Center.
With new ways of supporting students, WP is increasing graduation rates and therefore, building pathways to better careers and higher salaries. We are contributing to a stronger New Jersey for all.
Building Leaders by Celebrating Diversity
In the past five years, WP has established the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Black Cultural Center, and Center for Latinidad to create physical spaces, cultural programming, and resources to strengthen support for and to celebrate the students who are changing the social fabric of New Jersey. WP prides itself on being a majority-minority institution, serving students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. We are recognized by U.S. News & World Report as having one of the most ethnically diverse campuses in this region of the country and are federally recognized as both a Minority-Serving Institution and a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Approximately 63 percent of WP students are students of color; 30 percent of them identify as Latino/a/x.. We are also nationally recognized by the Campus Pride Index for being an LGBTQ-friendly institution—with LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs, and practices—earning a score of 4.5 out of a possible 5 both this year and last. Moreover, about 40 percent of WP students are the first in their family to go to college. We are providing opportunities for everyone to succeed and creating the leaders of tomorrow who reflect the diversity of New Jerseyans today.
Creating Partnerships to Expand Learning Opportunities
The more WP partners with people beyond our campus, the more those people will choose WP for their higher education needs. For one, the University’s new building at 1800 Valley Road is primarily focused on public-serving initiatives, including the new Child Development Center that provides high-quality early education to preschool-aged children. WP has also dramatically grown its articulation partnerships with community colleges and dual-enrollment agreements with area high schools – creating about 45 new articulation partnerships just since 2020, with many more in the pipeline, and 21 new dual-enrollment agreements since 2019. This semester alone, there are more than 1,200 high school students taking a course for which they are receiving both high school credit and William Paterson credit. Overall, we are creating more pathways to a WP degree for more New Jersey families.
Making College More Affordable—and Accessible
William Paterson recently closed out a fundraising campaign for student scholarships with a total of $16 million raised—60 percent over the $10 million goal. In 2022, the University launched its Pledge4Success program, a four-year funding path for qualifying students that covers any tuition cost and fees not already covered by federal and state financial aid. For the fall 2023 semester, 186 new students and 196 continuing students embraced the Pledge4Success program. Additionally, WP’s third- and fourth-year students can benefit from a new financial aid program offered by the state, Garden State Guarantee, which will provide up to four semesters of free tuition for qualifying residents. “At WP, we're breaking barriers with a funding path that empowers deserving students to overcome the 'I can't afford college' mindset,’” explains Vice President for Enrollment Management George F. Kacenga. “We believe in making an outstanding university education not just accessible, but truly affordable.”
Crafting a Bold New Identity and Image to Bolster Our Growing Reputation
In fall 2023, the University launched a vibrant new marketing campaign to highlight elements of our new brand and identity, including the innovative support system we provide for students through the Student Success Teams, as well as career readiness, access and affordability, active learning, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Created in partnership with Ologie, a national marketing and branding agency that specializes in higher education, the new campaign evolves the University’s longstanding “Will. Power.” concept by positioning William Paterson as a “Powerhouse for Personal Progress” that is launching the workforce of the future. The campaign includes billboards and bus ads, along with a comprehensive range of digital advertising targeted to prospective undergraduate and graduate students, including adult learners. See more about WP’s new marketing campaign here.
Earning National Recognition
Since 2018, William Paterson University has risen 61 places on CollegeNet’s Social Mobility Index, placing us in the top 4 percent of colleges and universities nationwide in terms of how well we educate students from low-income backgrounds and graduate them into good-paying careers. Since U.S. News and World Report launched its own social mobility rankings in 2019, we have climbed 44 spots to no. 21 in our category of “mid-sized public regional” universities. The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings for this year also name us a Best Value school and place us tied at no. 5 for most diverse university in our region. Moreover, three of our undergraduate degree programs are now nationally ranked—nursing, business, and psychology.
“The greatest validation of what we do at William Paterson comes from the success of our graduates,” says President Helldobler, “and our climb in these national rankings matters to the extent that they reflect that success. Our top performance in terms of social mobility goes to the heart of our mission as a public university, and the rising prestige of our academic programs is a powerful signal to prospective students and families of the quality and value of a WP education.”
As for what comes next, President Helldobler points to several new initiatives now underway, which will yield positive outcomes in the years ahead, including: an updated University Core Curriculum which will provide every graduate with a social justice certificate in addition to their degree; an expanded offering of professional certificates and other alternate credentials to meet market demands; leveraging our position as a top producer of New Jersey nurses and our new School of Nursing to build stronger partnerships with the state’s healthcare systems, along with other new initiatives in the allied health professions; and focused strategies aimed at boosting the starting salaries of our graduates across all colleges and degrees.
“As we look to the future and leverage our success of the past five years,” President Helldobler continued, “we will work to build on the terrific momentum we have created and launch new programs and initiatives to continuously strengthen the University and improve the William Paterson experience for all our students.”
11/16/23
