William Paterson University Annual Report 2020

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Annual Report

Board of Trustees Michael A. Seeve Chairperson John Galandak Vice Chairperson Robert Guarasci Secretary Zachrey V. Barr (Student Trustee) Lourdes Cortez Kendall Godfrey (Student Trustee) Frederick L. Gruel Kevin Lenahan ‘90 Bradley L. Neilley ‘80 Linda A. Niro ’76 William J. Pesce ‘73 Joseph M. Velli ‘80 Deborah K. Zastocki, PhD President Richard J. Helldobler, PhD, ex officio Shelley Bannister, Chief of Staff to the President and Board of Trustees

President’s Message The best people make the best of tough times!

I have been so humbled by the resilience and mutual support that the entire William Paterson community has exhibited throughout the past several months. Students are persisting, faculty and staff are adapting to remote and hybrid teaching and work in a way that will make us a better University moving forward, and our alumni and friends are rallying to provide record levels of support for William Paterson. That resilience will surely continue to be tested for some time, but this pandemic will eventually end. When it does, we will be a stronger University.

We can already see proof. More than getting by, William Paterson has been getting on with the important work of educating our students, as the many stories of student success, academic excellence, community outreach initiatives, unique learning opportunities, and other stories of excellence and affordability you’ll find in this report attest. Last year in this space, I wrote about the then new first-year experience program, known as Will. Power. 101, which joins all freshmen in cohorts that take required courses and workshops together to help them bond and acclimate to college life. Our goal in launching the program was to increase retention, and I am pleased to report that it is having the desired impact. The number of last year’s freshmen who returned this year increased 3.7 percent, year over year. This outpaces national norms, and our goal is that this increase will be just the beginning.

This year also saw the timely debut of WP Online.

The new platform launched with 18 fully online degree programs in business, education, and nursing. Its early success in exceeding enrollment goals is validation that students are looking for easily accessible, quality degree programs that fit their busy schedules. In addition to helping grow our overall enrollment, our experience with WP Online will help us improve online instruction across the University, where it will continue to play a growing role in every student’s education.

Two prestigious publications have recognized William Paterson’s success in improving the lives of our students. U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 “Best Colleges” includes a list of top performers on social mobility, that is: how well schools

graduate students with exceptional financial need. William Paterson ranks no.

38 of 176 regional universities in the northern U.S.—jumping 27 spots from last year’s report.

William Paterson was also recently recognized in Washington Monthly’s 2020 Master’s Universities Rankings—a unique ranking based on an institution’s contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service. William Paterson ranks no. 125 out of nearly 400 four-year institutions nationwide that offer master’s degrees.

As a majority-minority serving institution, William Paterson has a leadership role to play in advancing equity and social justice in our society.

The most effective way we can do that is continuing to improve the environment for diversity and inclusion for our entire community right here on campus. In 2019, we opened the Center for Diversity & Inclusion and the Black Cultural Center. This year, diversity and inclusion was a focus of our summer professional development series for staff, and I have made it an institution-wide priority for the 2020-21 academic year.

Through initiatives like a Diversity Council, Community Dialogue Series, President’s Diversity Lecture, participation in the nationally recognized University of Southern California Equity Institute, and the production of a Campus Climate Report, we will strengthen our commitment to ensuring that William Paterson is a place where all faculty and staff can succeed professionally, and where every student gets the best education we can deliver. We are grateful to everyone who helps support this vital mission.

Richard J. Helldobler, PhD, President William Paterson University

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I.

Academic Excellence

The University provided wide-ranging support for students and faculty to ensure successful completion of the 2020 spring semester and summer sessions following the pivot to remote teaching and learning in mid-March 2020. The University conducted workshops on best practices for online teaching, in collaboration with the Center for Teaching Excellence, as well as technology training and support for faculty teaching online, such as expanded access to a variety of online platforms for course delivery and online teaching toolkits and resources. To support students, the University instituted a computer loan program for those in need of technology for remote learning, as well as provided numerous digital resources and support pertaining to online learning and academic advising. The David and Lorraine Cheng Library continued to provide support through a virtual chat reference service, virtual research consultations, and tutorials on services and access to the library’s online databases, ebooks, and streaming videos.

Academic Initiatives and Highlights During the 2019-20 academic year, the University significantly expanded its academic offerings with a number of new programs including undergraduate, graduate, certificate, and adult degree completion.

In early summer 2020, the University launched an ambitious new platform, WP Online, offering 10 new, fully online degree programs.

Eight additional programs were added for fall 2020.

These 18 new online options in education, nursing, and business are designed to serve working professionals and provide students with additional educational opportunities beyond the University’s campus-based programs. Students can complete their degree in as few as 12 months, online and on their own time, while maintaining full-time employment and fulfilling personal responsibilities.

The programs offer six start dates per year and courses that run every seven weeks. Education degree programs include the master of arts in 2

higher education administration, and two versions of a master of education in educational leadership, one of which includes New Jersey certification opportunities. The online nursing programs include the registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing (RN to BSN) for nurses who have completed their associate’s degree and are licensed as a registered nurse, four versions of a RN to master of science in nursing (MSN) degree, and four post-master’s certificate programs for those who already hold the MSN. In addition, the University is offering six master of business administration (MBA) degree programs. In addition to the broad-based general MBA, students can pursue five specialized online MBAs with concentrations in marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, human resource management, and accounting. Initial enrollment was encouraging, with 110 students enrolled during summer 2020, and 366 students enrolled for the first fall 2020 session, exceeding the enrollment goal by by more than 65 percent.

For undergraduates, a new bachelor’s degree in medicinal biochemistry is the first at an area institution focused on the medicinal and clinical aspects of biochemistry. Students in the program will gain cutting-edge research and problem-solving skills that will make them well-prepared to excel in An athletic training lab

medicine, dentistry, pharmaceutical science, forensic science, neurobiology, and other healthcare areas.

An accelerated bachelor of science in sport medicine/master of science in athletic training program was developed in response to changes mandated by the program’s accrediting agency, the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. Under this new “3+2” program, students earn a bachelor of science in sport medicine in three years, and a master of science in athletic training

in two years. Students who begin the program but decide not to pursue the master’s in athletic training can seek careers or graduate education in fields such as exercise physiology, physical therapy, or sport management.

A new master of science in finance and financial services responds to the growing demand for well-trained senior finance and financial planning professionals. The twin-track program is unique, offering curriculum aligned with industry standard professional certification for students who wish to obtain either the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) or Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)

Professor David Nacin, mathematics, and students

designations. The 30-credit program can be completed in 15 months or one calendar year.

Also launching in fall 2020 is a new master of science degree in applied mathematics. Students will have the option to choose a degree concentration in applied statistics or discrete mathematics. The program is designed with working professionals in mind, accommodating part-time students with evening, weekend, and hybrid courses, and provides preparation for careers in fields such as scientific research and development, data analytics, operations research, and financial analysis, as well as further study at the doctoral level.

The University also established new certificate programs on both the undergraduate and graduate levels that provide coursework in specific topics of interest to students in a variety of fields. Examples include certificates in creative writing, cultural competence, and genealogy and family history on the undergraduate level; jazz pedagogy, Orff Schulwerk, teaching STEAM, business foundations, and 16 additional business specialty topics on the graduate level; and post-master’s certificates for

nurse administrator, director of school counseling services, and student assistance coordinator.

In addition, two new alternate route certification programs, in English as a second language and career and technical education, were developed in response to New Jersey’s current shortage of teachers with such expertise.

A new “3+1” agreement with Mercer County Community College (MCCC) allows MCCC students to complete the first three years at MCCC en route to a William Paterson bachelor’s degree. This innovative agreement covers potential majors in a number of fields including English, psychology, disability studies, computer science, liberal arts, and health professions. Under this new agreement, MCCC students can complete three years—up to 90 credit hours—at Mercer before transferring to William Paterson for a final year to complete a fouryear degree.

The University also signed “3+1” agreements with Passaic County Community College, County College of Morris, Sussex Community College, and Essex County College that allow their students to complete the first three years on their campuses en route to a bachelor’s degree in nursing at William Paterson.

A peer review panel reaffirmed the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) accreditation of the undergraduate and master’s-level business programs of the University’s Cotsakos College of Business for the next five years. This is the third time the programs of the Cotsakos College of Business have been reaccredited since initial accreditation in 2005, putting it among the only five percent of business schools worldwide to earn this prestigious accreditation.

William Paterson’s master’s degree program in speech-language pathology has been ranked 13th in the nation by GradReports.com, based on graduates’ median salaries one year after graduation versus their median college debt. The program’s ranking is based on data collected by the U.S. Department of Education.

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In February 2020, the University was named a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the 20192020 academic year. Each year, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces the top-producing institutions for the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.

Three faculty scholars from William Paterson University were the recipients of Fulbrights for 2019-2020. Nicole Davi, environmental science, received an award to Professor Nicole Davi, conduct research on tree environmental science rings from high-altitude sites in Colombia. Her project will contribute toward an understanding of climate variability and dynamics in the region. Davi will collaborate with Colombian scientists at EAFIT University’s Department of Earth Sciences and Universidad EIA to identify research sites and develop tree-ring chronologies using a novel low-cost method. David M. Freestone, psychology, was awarded a Fulbright to conduct research at the Universidade Federal do ABC in Sao Paulo, Brazil focused on developing and Professor David Freestone, psychology testing a new experimental design to study how animals learn time intervals, as well as develop and teach a graduate-level cognitive science course. Gabe Tiande Wang, sociology, was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Distinguished Chair Award in the Social Sciences to teach at Ren Min University of China in Beijing, as well as give public lectures and continue his research on population policies and their implementation in China and India Professor Gabe Wang, and on a cross-cultural sociology comparison between the United States and China which are expected to result in forthcoming books. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, their awards were extended to 2021.

William Paterson University now boasts a total of 35 Fulbright U.S. Scholars.

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On September 9, 2020, the University celebrated the 10th anniversary of the University’s Center for Chinese Art. The Center is the first nonprofit center for Chinese art in the United States that aims to academically promote cultural and artistic exchanges between the two countries. This milestone was marked by a special program and reception in honor of the exhibition, Lines Crossing: Contemporary Chinese Printmaking, in the University Galleries. Guests included Ping Huang, Consul General, Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China; Zhiyuan Cong, William Paterson professor of art and the Center’s founding director; and many others who played a role in establishing and supporting the Center. The anniversary was covered by ICEPNTV, a Chinese American news outlet, which ran a comprehensive, half-hour segment on the celebration event.

The University’s annual monthlong showcase of faculty and student academic scholarship, Explorations 2020: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Expression, scheduled for April 2020, was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Honors College and College of Education presented their research through online sessions, while other presentations were posted online. A complete listing of abstracts was published in a comprehensive booklet published at www.wpunj/osp/explorations.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences presented its eighth annual multidisciplinary conference, “My Ancestors’ Crimes, Not Mine,” in October 2019. The event focused on the topic of historic injustice, exploring what responsibility people in the present have for dealing with the consequences of actions by their predecessors.

Khalilah Brown-Dean, political science professor at Quinnipiac University and author of Identity Politics in the United States, gave the keynote speech,

Khalilah Brown-Dean, keynote speaker, at the eighth annual The speed selling competition multidisciplinary conference at the 2017 National Sales Challenge

“Lessons from the Past, Prospects for the Future: Reconciling the Peril and Promise of American Democracy.”

The Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales in the Cotsakos College of Business held its 13th Annual National Sales Challenge in November 2019.

More than 100 students representing 36 universities from across the country, as well as Douglas College, McMaster University, and Ryerson University in Canada, participated in the event, which featured an intense series of selling competitions and workshops.

Work continued on the University’s Middle States Self-Study in preparation for William Paterson’s Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) reaccreditation site visit during the 202021 academic year. The self-study process requires the University to take a critical look at its programs, processes, and accomplishments and to identify institutional priorities for the next eight years.

Under the leadership of associate provosts Sandra Hill and Jonathan Lincoln, more than 60 members of the campus community, including faculty, staff, and administrators from all divisions at the University, have been involved since the spring 2019 semester in working groups organized around Middle States standards for accreditation. A draft of the selfstudy document has been produced for final review during the fall 2020 semester.

Faculty News and Achievements The University’s faculty of teachers/scholars continued to make a significant impact on their disciplines during the 2019-20 academic year.

Faculty received or were nominated for 237 awards, honors, and fellowships; produced 450 books, book chapters, conference proceedings, and articles in journals, and 140 artistic artifacts/events including performances, productions, and exhibitions; and gave 328 lectures, presentations, and workshops at academic conferences and other settings.

Aileen Torres, professor of psychology, was recognized as one of two statewide winners of the New Jersey Psychological Association’s Dr. Stanley Moldawsky Mentor Award for 2020. The award recognizes exceptional leadership in the form of “enduring and exemplary contributions to mentoring new psychologists and/or

graduate doctoral level students.” Professor Torres was nominated for the award by fourthyear clinical psychology doctoral student Keshani Perera, MA ’20. Torres serves as chair of Perera’s doctoral dissertation.

Professor Aileen Torres, psychology

Darlene Russell, a professor in the University’s College of Education, received two prestigious accolades. Russell, who teaches undergraduate and graduate English methods, literacy, and educational leadership courses, was named the Educator of the Year by the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English NJCTE). The organization annually recognizes one exceptional and experienced English/language arts educator whose activities have significantly and widely impacted New Jersey English language arts education. As the NJCTE 2020 award Professor Darlene Russell, recipient, Russell was education subsequently honored by the Governor’s Awards in Arts. Each year, awards are presented to approximately 20 educators and 80 students; leaders are selected for their exceptional commitment and contribution to arts education.

Lily Prince, professor of art, received the highly prestigious international Pollock-Krasner grant award for her lifelong commitment and achievements in the field of painting. She was among 121 artists and not-for-profit organization award recipients announced for the 2019-20 grant cycle. The award is determined by distinguished jurors who serve anonymously on the committee of selection, which reviews applicants’ submissions and advises on artistic merit. The committee is composed of museum officials, artists, patrons, and critics, and demonstrates a cross-cultural expertise in judging contemporary art from all over the world.

Prince’s abstract landscape paintings are considered by art professionals to be unique and significant in their contribution to the world of contemporary painting.

Kara Rabbitt, associate provost and former dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was named an American Council on Education 5

(ACE) Fellow for the 2019-20 academic year. She was one of 39 fellows selected from across the country following nomination by the senior administration of their institutions and a rigorous application process. Rabbitt spent her fellowship year at Sonoma State University in California.

Marina Budhos, professor of English, was one of 36 writers awarded a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in creative writing. Nearly 1,700 eligible applicants Professor Marina Budhos, submitted writing samples, English which are anonymously reviewed by a panel for demonstration of artistic excellence. Budhos will use the grant award to support her adult novel-in-progress, Liberty Park.

Lucia McMahon, professor and chair of history, discussed the unsung heroines who contributed to reforms that led to women’s suffrage, as part of a series of talks in Wayne honoring the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment. The talks were sponsored by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities Public Scholars Project, which provides public humanities programming for local community organizations throughout the state.

Harry Maisch IV, PhD, adjunct professor of environmental science, discovered teeth belonging to a new species of fossil stingray in southwest Arkansas. The specimens date back about 60 million years, a Professors Martin Becker and very important time in geologic Harry Maisch IV, environmental science history: right after the mass extinction of dinosaurs. Maisch, who named the new fossil species Hypolophites beckeri for his colleague and mentor on campus, Martin Becker,

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professor of environmental science, wrote an article on his discovery that appeared in the internationally recognized Journal of Paleontology.

David Nacin, professor of mathematics, who often uses puzzles to introduce new concepts to his students, released his first book of puzzles, featuring nine different types of puzzles he created that are spins on the popular Sudoku game. The book, Math-Infused Sudoku: Puzzle Variants at All Levels of Difficulty, was published by the American Mathematical Society.

Nicholas Hirshon, assistant professor of communication, received the 2019 David L. Eshelman Outstanding Campus Adviser Award from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). The Professor Nicholas Hirshon, award, initiated in 1978, communication is presented annually to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the campus chapter for which he or she serves as SPJ adviser. Hirshon serves as adviser to the University’s campus chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists, which he and 11 students founded in fall 2017. He also received the 2019 “Transformative Teaching of Media and Journalism History Award” from the History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

An animated short film, The Spirit Seam, by Ashley Gerst, assistant professor of art, was accepted into more than 40 film festivals worldwide and won more than a dozen awards, including Best Animation at the Art Forum Festival of the Moving Image in October 2019, Best Short Animation at American Filmatic Arts in January 2020, and the Audience Award at Anima Pix 2019. She was also named co-leader of Women in Animation’s New York City chapter.

An installation by Julie Nagle, assistant professor of art, “Slumber Underground: Interspecies Burrow,” is featured in the exhibition Inside Art, on view at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. The work is based on scans of a groundhog’s tunnels. Made of bird and wasp nests, rattan, and other materials, the crawl-in burrow contains small felt sculptures of soil bacteria. Nagle also held residencies at

the International Studio and Curatorial Program, Brooklyn, New York, and Swale House on Governor’s Island, New York.

Peter McGuinness, professor of music, was named a finalist for Best Rising Male Jazz Vocalist in Peter McGuinness, music the 2019 Downbeat Magazine Readers Poll. McGuinness is a Grammy Awardnominated composer/arranger and award-winning jazz vocalist.

Michael Laughlin, professor of kinesiology, received the NJAHPERD Higher Education Teacher of the Year Award from the New Jersey Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. Recipients of the annual award must demonstrate creative and/or innovative teaching in a collegiate health, physical education, recreation, or dance program, promote professionalism among his/her students through advisement and/or mentorship, and provide service to the profession through leadership, research, grants, presentations, and/or publications.

Madhuri Mukherjee, languages and

Madhuri Mukherjee, associate professor of languages and cultures, journeyed nearly 9,000 miles in September 2019 to Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Robb Rehberg, professor of kinesiology and an Athletic Trainer Certified spotter with the National Football League, was charged with spotting potential injuries to athletes on the field during Super Bowl LII in Miami, Florida in February 2020.

During the 2019-20 football season, his fourth working as a medical spotter with the NFL, Rehberg was appointed to a brand-new position in the League: coordinator of Athletic Training Certified spotters. As such, in addition to his regular role as a spotter at New York Jets home games, Rehberg travels the nation meeting with the medical spotters assigned to other cities’ home teams.

Nadine Aktan, professor of nursing, Bruce Diamond, professor of psychology, and Martin Becker, professor of environmental science, were recognized as the recipients of the 2020 Faculty Excellence Awards. Aktan received the 2020 Faculty Award for Excellence in Service; Diamond received the 2020 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Expression; and Becker received the 2020 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Head volleyball coach Sandy Ferrarella ’75, already the all-time winningest coach in New Jersey Athletic Conference history, added another milestone achievement when she collected career win number 700 on September 7, 2019. Ferrarella, who retired Coach Sandy Ferrarella ‘75 on May 1, 2020, spent 41 seasons at William Paterson, where she guided her teams to 20 seasons of at least 18 wins and three conference championships. She finished her career ranked 15th all time in Division III women’s volleyball victories with 709.

After a 40-year career as one of the nation’s most accomplished Division III softball head coaches, including the last 25 seasons at William Paterson, Hallie Cohen, head softball coach, announced her retirement effective February 1, 2020.

Cohen, who finished her career ranked 10th all time in Division III softball coaching victories (855-503-5), produced an impressive list of accomplishments at William Paterson. She is the school’s all-time leader in victories (660Coach Hallie Cohen 348-4), guided William Paterson to four NJAC Tournament championships, and secured two NCAA Tournament East Regional titles to advance to the Championship Finals as one of the country’s top eight teams.

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Grants to Support Academics During the 2019-20 academic year, the University received more than $16.7 million in support from federal, state, and local government sponsors, an increase of 152 percent over last year, and the largest amount in new awards the University has ever received. In addition, the University received 41 new awards, the highest number since 2012.

Grants supported faculty and academic initiatives in a variety of areas, ranging from individual faculty research and projects to programs focused on education and outreach, providing significant resources that support the University’s role as a comprehensive institution in its region and state. A significant portion of this year's funding was related to support from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. For the first time, the University’s Department of Nursing received a grant for $650,000 from the U.S. Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to provide scholarships to disadvantaged students beginning with the fall 2020 semester. The HRSA scholarship program aims to promote diversity in health care by providing awards to benefit students from disadvantaged

Nursing students in the nursing simulation lab

backgrounds with demonstrated financial need who are enrolled full-time in a nursing or health profession program. The University is eligible to receive future funding for up to five years.

William Paterson also was awarded a five-year, $1 million Scholarships-in-STEM grant from the National Science Foundation to support students majoring in mathematics and computer science through scholarships and mentoring. Through the

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grant, the University intends to enroll three cohorts of low-income, academically talented A student discusses science research during a symposium on campus students as mathematics and computer science scholars and support them with scholarships. It will also work to improve year-over-year retention rates for mathematics and computer science scholars who are first-time, fulltime, first-year, or transfer students, as well as improve graduation rates. The funds also will support a research study that investigates the relationship between college retention for lowincome students and strength-based, culturally responsive mentoring. The proposed project will refine the recruitment pipeline of females into the target STEM majors, which will increase enrollment and consequentially increase the number of underrepresented STEM graduates entering the workforce. The project team includes Jyoti A. Champanerkar, professor, mathematics; Paul von Dohlen, professor, mathematics; Cyril S. Ku, professor, computer science; Weihus (Daisy) Liu, assistant professor, computer science; Djanna Hill, professor, teacher education and chair, community and social justice studies; and Venkat Sharma, dean, College of Science and Health.

Sreevidya Kalaramadam, associate professor of women’s and gender studies, and Rajender Kaur, professor of English, were awarded a 2019-20 Fulbright-Hays Group Study Abroad grant of nearly $100,000 for their project, “Integrating South Asia and Diversity in New Jersey Classrooms: The Roots and Routes of Ethnic Communities.” As part of the grant, Kalaramadam and Kaur will lead a group of 14 educators, including teachers from New Jersey schools and William Paterson University students and faculty, on a four-week travel abroad to selected places in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The grant is designed to help educators in New Jersey, home to the third largest immigrant population in the country, with the challenges and opportunities in integrating the teaching of South Asia, the region comprising the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, within their classrooms.

The New Jersey Department of Education awarded $199,278 to the College of Education to provide a new Career and Technical Education Teacher Preparation Program designed to prepare more highly qualified teachers to support New Jersey’s growing career and technical education programs. Through the grant, the University has launched an alternate route teacher preparation program beginning in fall 2020.

Wartyna Davis, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Gladys Vega, professor of languages and cultures, were awarded $85,000 by the Paterson Public Schools to offer a bilingual teacher endorsement program for a cohort of 20 teachers in the Paterson Public Schools.

Professor Holly Seplocha, early childhood education, received a $560,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Education for the GrowNJ Kids Ratings Project to continue to implement the rating and monitoring system for early childcare and education centers that participate in Grow NJ Kids, New Jersey’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System.

Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Executive Director Carmen Ortiz received a $35,028 grant from the N.J. Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to support the Winter Program, which helped address the academic advancement or enrichment of EOF renewal students during the recent Winter Session.

Professor Jennifer Di Noia, public health, received a $77,420 grant from the National Institutes of Health for the WIC-Based Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating Professor Jennifer DiNoia, sociology Among Low-Income Mothers program, which continues to expand her previous work with WIC services and farmers markets to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income families, particularly pregnant women.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) continued its externally funded work to support new businesses in Paterson and Passaic County.

The SBDC received a significant CARES Act award to expand services to small businesses struggling due to COVID-19.

II.

Student Success

The University quickly and effectively provided technological and other resources as it transitioned to support student success in an online environment during the pivot to remote learning. Academic and administrative units throughout the campus used platforms such as teleconferencing, videoconferencing, email, telephone, and virtual chat to provide services to students including academic advisement, registration, tutoring, and financial aid consultations, among others.

The University’s Office of Admissions created and implemented online events to engage prospects and their influencers via virtual open houses for undergraduate and graduate students, virtual campus visits, and virtual programs for accepted students.

The institution also joined with nine other New Jersey four-year public universities and colleges to launch a statewide Initiative, NJ Come Home, encouraging New Jersey students who attend school out of state to return home to complete their degrees. In addition, the program provides students with the opportunity to be involved in service activities focused on revitalizing and rebuilding local communities following the pandemic.

Enrollment and Degree Completion Highlights During the 2019-20 academic year, the University launched effective new initiatives designed to increase student retention while guiding students toward more timely graduation. Implementation of the University’s new First-Year Experience program, including the program’s innovative weekly Will. Power. 101 workshop, demonstrated encouraging gains for the fall 2020 semester.

The University’s new programs led to a 3.7 percent increase in the one-year retention rate for first-year students, from 69.3 percent to 73 percent, 9

from fall 2019 to fall 2020. In addition, the other key performance indicators for these first-year students showed improvements, including the percentage of students with a declared major, from 85.8 percent to 91.2 percent, the percent of students in good academic standing, from 83.3 percent to 90.6 percent, average credits earned, from 24.8 to 26.5, and the percentage with a grade point average of 3.0 and above, from 41.9 percent to 56 percent.

The innovative, multifaceted program combines structured academic and student support services and is designed to guide new students as they build the skills to balance their University coursework with other activities and responsibilities. A weekly student success workshop, Will. Power. 101, provides personal direction to help students navigate college, including study skills and test-taking, financial planning, campus technologies, and development of an academic plan. In addition, all incoming first-year students are assigned to their classes as part of a cohort—a group of students who will take the same three to five classes together—providing them with the opportunity to build a social network. The program aims to bolster student retention while guiding all students onto a path to timely graduation and career success.

For the third year in a row, the six-year graduation rate remained steady at 55.4 percent, slightly more than the 55 percent rate for the previous cohort, and again surpassing the national average for similar institutions. The University’s four-year graduation rate increased by 4 percent to 36.4 percent, the secondhighest rate on record and just slightly short of the 36.8 percent rate achieved two years ago. With this year’s increase, the institution has made gains in six of the past seven years toward its goal of meeting and surpassing the national average of approximately 37 percent for four-year graduation at public universities.

The coronavirus pandemic presented challenges for fall 2020 enrollment. Overall headcount was below targeted goals, primarily due to a decrease in the number of first-time, full-time students. However, there were modest gains in graduate enrollment, largely due to the early success of WP Online, as well as in second-degree and post-baccalaureate certification enrollment.

The University also began a new initiative in fall 2019 to provide grants to incoming first-year students from lower-income families to make up the difference between federal and state aid and tuition so that they 10

can attend without incurring any additional costs. Titled Pledge 4 Success, the program makes up the difference between what a student receives if eligible for full New Jersey TAG and federal PELL grants, and what he or she owes in tuition and fees. This means that a student who is eligible for full state and federal grant support will not need to pay any additional costs toward tuition. Housing, books, and other expenses are not covered. When fully implemented, based on current costs and student demographics, the University expects more than 1,000 William Paterson students will benefit from the new Pledge 4 Success program.

More than 100 students from four high schools— Passaic High School, Paterson Eastside High School, Paterson JFK SET Academy, and Passaic County Technical Institute—participated in the University’s dual enrollment program during the 2019-20 academic year. These programs allow high school students to enroll in select undergraduate general education courses and receive both high school and college credits. During the 2020-21 academic year, Kearny High School, Kinnelon High School, and Pequannock High School will join the program.

Student Honors In 2019-20, William Paterson continued to provide opportunities for students to participate in undergraduate research and other scholarly and creative activities with faculty, as well as in a variety of civic, extracurricular and athletic activities, earning numerous honors and accolades.

William Paterson’s Department of Biology was accepted as the home for the newest chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, a more

The charter for the newly established chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta honor society

than 90-year-old national honor society for students pursuing careers as healthcare practitioners. The new chapter provides students, especially those in the department’s premedical professional track, with opportunities for on-campus presentations by current practitioners, scholarship opportunities, and industry-specific community service projects, among others. Fourteen undergraduate biology majors were among the inaugural class of inductees. Inducted students include: Alan Aboud, Saul Abreu, Steven Bambico, Jannat Begum, Mark Bodnar II, Joseph Croce, Ali Hasan, Ma Veronica Holganza, Jessica Lindemann, Michael Mangual, Elika Moallem, Carly Perrotta, Karisa Quimby, and George Vega.

College of Business, comprised the William Paterson team competing against the best sales students from 36 other schools across the nation and abroad. Cohen also Matthew Cohen took fourth place among the top ten sales challenge champions, and Moskal ranked tenth in the speed selling competition. Their team ranked fifth among the top ten sales team champions. The event is judged by business executives from around the country who also serve as sponsors.

Angelica Briggs ‘16, MA ’20, who earned a master’s degree in clinical and counseling psychology, received a $10,000 fellowship through the American Psychological Association Minority Angelica Briggs ’16, MA ‘20 Fellowship Program.

The STAY fellowship (Services for Transition Age Youth) is designed for master’s-level ethnic minority students whose prior experience and career goals suggest they will positively contribute to the mental health service needs of ethnic and racial minority youth and their families.

Sekinat Kuku, who is pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology, received the New Jersey Psychological Association Graduate Student Research Award.

Kuku has been conducting Sekinat Kuku research under the mentorship of professor Aileen Torres on the psychological symptoms in Black and Latinx parents or caregivers who find out their children have been sexually abused.

MBA students in the Cotsakos College of Business worked with Giannella’s Bakery in Paterson, a client of William Paterson University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and one of 13 businesses recognized for their growth and success at the 17th annual NJSBDC Small Business Growth Awards in December. The students conducted a thorough audit of the company’s web pages and social media content.

They developed recommendations for the website, customer acquisition, retention and expansion, web analytics, and a mobile app. They also made digital branding strategy recommendations for the company’s newly acquired retail establishment, the New Venice Bakery in Garfield.

Junior Matthew Cohen won first place in the speed selling competition in the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales 13th Annual National Sales Challenge held on campus in November. Cohen and Claudia Moskal, a senior, both majoring in professional sales in the University’s Cotsakos James Hook ‘18

Michele Boyle of Pompton Plains, a senior majoring in financial planning, was awarded a $5,000 TD Ameritrade Institutional NextGen Scholarship.

Boyle was among 12 talented students from across the country chosen for the scholarship.

Michele Boyle

In addition, Boyle and Morgan Nover, a financial planning major, were each awarded the Diahann W. Lassus Scholarship that allowed them to attend the 11

National Association of Personal Financial Advisors fall 2019 conference in Chicago. Both students participated in a roundtable discussion on “The Competitive Advantage on Diversity and Leading Inclusively,” and attended several educational sessions for the financial advice industry.

Financial planning students Zach Merring, Evan Smith, and Sabir Ghanim, all members of William Paterson’s Financial Planning Club, attended the Schwab Impact 2019 conference for financial advisors in California in November 2019. The students, accompanied by Tao Guo, assistant professor of economics, finance, and global business, networked, participated in panels, and attended educational sessions.

William Paterson was one of 30 schools invited to attend TD Ameritrade’s National LINC (Learn, Inspire, Network, Collaborate) Conference 2020 for registered investment advisors, held in January 2020 in Orlando, Florida. Two students from each institution attended the conference. Michele Boyle and Gianfranco Gonzales Lopez, financial planning majors and active members of William Paterson’s Financial Planning Club, attended the conference. They were accompanied by Lawrence Verzani, assistant professor of economics, finance, and global business.

William Paterson University received a gold seal for achieving a student voting rate between 40 percent and 49 percent in the 2018 midterm elections at the 2019 ALL IN Challenge Awards Ceremony held by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a group committed to increasing college student voting rates.

Junior Laryssa Durschlag, a communication major, was one of 290 students from the United States and Laryssa Durschlag Mexico and one of only three in New Jersey to receive the 2020 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellows Award for civic engagement. Campus Compact is the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement. Durschlag has served the William Paterson University and local communities by participating in more than 50 12

University-coordinated civic engagement activities.

As a founding member of WP’s Changebuilder Program, created in cooperation with NJ Campus Compact, she also organized activities that encourage students to follow her example of service. As a result, she was awarded the New Jersey Campus Compact Changebuilder Scholar Award for her volunteer work on behalf of the campus Pioneer Food Pantry, where she has served since 2018.

Art student Michelle Krasowski, who in spring 2020 was enjoying her first semester as a transfer art student, especially her Printmaking I class with Professor Eileen Foti, is a great example of the resourcefulness of our students. She adapted to remote learning by taking to the internet to learn how to build her own printmaking press, which she assembled in her garage so she could continue making art during the switch to remote learning.

Wes Whitelock ‘20

Wes Whitelock ’20, who graduated with a bachelor of music degree in jazz studies, performed in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2020 virtual gala, “Worldwide Concert for Our Culture.” Whitelock played guitar in the concert’s first selection with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Legendary jazz trumpeter and composter Wynton Marsalis—artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center—also performed on the piece, a premier of a new arrangement of Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite.” The concert, aired to guests by invitation only on April 15, and later publicly posted to YouTube, has amassed more than 144,000 views.

Briana Valente ’20 was selected as a Survivor Ambassador for the American Heart Association.

Having survived open heart surgery at age 21 to correct a birth defect which had gone undetected her entire life, she shared her story of survival at the organization’s Virtual 2020 Northern NJ Go Red for Women Luncheon.

Ashanae Gordon ’20, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, will pursue a PhD in biology at Rutgers University in Newark through the AGU (American Geophysical Union) Bridge Program, which aims to bring more women and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into advanced geoscience studies. The Bridge Ashanae Gordon ‘20 Program supports students through the graduate school application process, pairs them to appropriate institutions and faculty mentors, and provides professional development opportunities, among other services.

Ninety-seven student-athletes maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of least 3.0 while attending William Paterson for a minimum of three semesters. The University also inducted its seventh class into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national student-athlete honor society for juniors and seniors who have a minimum 3.4 GPA. Women’s soccer player Marisa Adelman garnered her second straight New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year award. She also earned a spot on the All-NJAC First Team for the fourth consecutive season.

Marisa Adelman

Men’s soccer player Jordan Saling earned a selection to the NJAC Men’s Soccer First Team.

Softball player Vanessa Archibold earned her second straight selection to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 2 First Team.

William Paterson field hockey players Nicole Goitiandia, Hope Addlesberger, Megan Hoopes, Alicia Mitchell, and Victoria Perlroth were honored

as 2019 Zag Field Hockey/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III Scholars of Distinction. The entire field hockey team was also again recognized for its academic excellence, garnering its eighth consecutive Zag Field Hockey/ National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III National Academic Team Award.

William Paterson football placed six players on the AllNJAC team led by first-team honorees freshman running back Terrique Riddick, senior linebacker Andrew Anthony, and junior tight end William Frese.

Riddick and classmate Devyn Blount were named the conference’s offensive and defensive players of the year, Terrique Riddick respectively. Riddick capped off his freshman year by being honored as the ECAC Division III Offensive Rookie of the Year.

William Paterson junior baseball player Steven DiGirolamo was acknowledged as one of the nation’s most accomplished student-athletes when he was selected to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Baseball Academic All-America Third Team. Named to the 2019 and 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 First Teams, DiGirolamo was a member of the 2019 American Baseball Coaches Association Mid-Atlantic All-Region Second Team, D3Baseball.com Mid-Atlantic All-Region Second Team, All-ECAC First Team, and All-NJAC First Team. Inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, DiGirolamo has been a Dean’s List student every semester as a finance major, and earned a spot on the 2018-19 Academic All-NJAC Honorable Mention list.

Baseball player Vin Dorio and field hockey player Nicole Goitiandia garnered spots on the 2019-20 NJAC All-Academic First Team, leading a list of 80 William Paterson honorees. The 80 academic allconference selections mark the most ever for the Pioneers. Senior softball outfielder Vanessa Archibold and junior men’s swimmer Joey Croce were secondteam selections, while 76 other Pioneers received honorable mention laurels.

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III.

Unique Learning Opportunities

Faculty, staff, and students found ways to give back during the pandemic. Five January 2020 nursing graduates—Breana Afonso, Annika Alviar, Nour and Yasmine Dhagastani, and Charles Luisa—volunteered at the Passaic County COVID-19 drive-through testing site located on the University’s campus beginning in March 2020, along with adjunct nursing professors Apollo Bernardo and Daniel Huq. In addition, the University faculty and staff stepped up to assist local healthcare facilities early in the pandemic. The nursing department loaned two beds from a nursing lab in University Hall to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood to help meet the need for Annika Alviar ‘20, Charles Luisa ’20, and Breana Afonso expanded capacity. The '20 at the testing site department also donated personal protective equipment, including gloves, surgical masks, and bouffants to Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff; gloves to Passaic County’s drive-thru testing site; isolation gowns and bouffants to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson; and isolation gowns to Valley Home Care in Paramus.

The kinesiology department and athletics department donated gloves to Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains. The College of Science and Health donated gloves to A hospital bed from a nursing lab, bound for Valley Hospital the William Paterson University and North Haledon Police Departments, whose officers were working at the drive-thru testing site on campus.

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Civic Engagement The University continued to offer a full slate of opportunities for students focused on learning beyond the classroom, including activities focused on civic engagement, development of leadership skills, and other experiential academic and co-curricular programs.

As part of an ongoing University initiative to meet the needs of diverse groups on campus, the University opened in September 2019 a new Center for Diversity and Inclusion on campus designed to promote cultural awareness, knowledge, and inquiry among all students. Under its auspices, a new Black Cultural Center also provides space, resources, and advocacy for black student success. Yolany Gonell, a higher education administrator with more than 15 years of leadership and vision in the areas of diversity and inclusion, social justice education, leadership development, and other student development areas, serves as the Center’s inaugural director.

The ribbon-cutting for the Center for Diversity and Inclusion

Both centers provide additional opportunities for educational programs and support, with emphasis on identity, intersectionality, cultural competence, bias, and racial trauma. The Centers successfully piloted multiple new initiatives, including a student support group in collaboration with the Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center on racial trauma and microaggressions; the creation of the framework for a new Social Justice Leadership Badge as part of the Campus Activities, Service, and Leadership Pathways Badge; a visibility campaign celebrating diverse students; and numerous partnerships with faculty and other departments across campus. The Centers effectively pivoted student programs remotely, offering a webinar on xenophobia in the wake of COVID-19 and facilitating three virtual Courageous Conversations intergroup dialogues for students.

In partnership with the Women’s Center and Pride Alliance, the Center produced the inaugural Lavender Graduation Ceremony to celebrate the accomplishment of 19 William Paterson LGBTQIA+ identified students. The ceremony attracted 300 views on William Paterson’s YouTube channel and was later selected as one of 12 broadcasted online as part of the national Lavender Graduation Ceremony celebration spearheaded by Campus Pride and PFLAG National, two of the largest and most prominent national organizations that advocate for LGTBQIA+ people, allies, and their families.

For the second year, students who completed at least three of the five digital badges were eligible for the WP LEADS Honor Society; 29 students completed the requirements. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, virtual opportunities were provided for completion of all badges, and a virtual recognition ceremony was held for WP LEADS Honor Society.

The Center also partnered with alumna Dr. Michelle Shelton, founder of the University’s E.B.O.N.Y. student organization, and of the non-profit organization The Word on the Move, to produce six student-centered “Talking Points” podcasts.

William Paterson continued to be an active leader in the civic engagement organization New Jersey Campus Compact. Campus Activities and Student Leadership staff served on the conference committee for the first New Jersey Campus Compact statewide student conference, which 20 University students attended. Through New Jersey Campus Contact, the University hired an AmeriCorps participant to supervise the Changebuilders Program, designed to encourage students to contribute 40-plus hours each of service. Sixty-six students participated in the Changebuilders initiative during the 2019-20 academic year.

The University hosted several annual civic engagement activities drawing hundreds of student participants including Pioneer Service Ventures, MLK Day of Service, 9-11 Day of Service, fall Civic Engagement Week, Green-A-Fair, and numerous voter registration drives. While the coronavirus pandemic required the cancellation of many inperson civic engagement events during the second half of the spring semester, the University pivoted to provide virtual civic engagement activities, including opportunities to complete the civic engagement badge, which students can attain if they participate in a number of civic engagement activities. During the 2019-20 academic year, 1,205 students participated in at least one civic engagement activity, a decrease of 26.8 percent from the previous year due to pandemicrelated cancellations. This year, 139 students completed the civic engagement badge, a 22 percent increase over the previous academic year.

The Public Health Club with donations for New Jersey Reentry

Numerous student organizations continued their civic engagement efforts. For example, students in the University’s Public Health Club collected clothing, toiletries, and non-perishable food donated by the campus community for the New Jersey Reentry Corporation, a nonprofit group that helps formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. This was the second year the group conducted the drive, which connects students with the importance of civic engagement.

During the 2019-20 academic year, almost 1,800 students were involved in clubs, organizations, and club sports, an increase of nearly 25 percent from the previous year. Such membership often leads to greater social and intellectual engagement through leadership opportunities and social and educational programs, as well as connections with faculty and staff advisors, who often serve as mentors. During the coronavirus pandemic, Campus Activities and Student Leadership staff helped student organizations transition to virtual meetings and engagement opportunities.

A Civic Literacy Initiative launched in the Cheng Library last year expanded with additional workshops and programming. Events included “From Voting Rights to Governing: Women Rise to Power,” featuring a documentary screening and discussion led by political science professor Wendy Wright; a Census Awareness workshop; voter registration outreach; and 15

a Voting 101 workshop. Students who participated in the events were able to earn digital badges through the WP LEADS program. Through the initiative, the library also offered webinars for alumni on topics such as protecting children in a digital world and on how to become informed voters.

Academic Offerings Throughout the University, students had the opportunity to use skills learned in the classroom in practical situations they may experience in their careers.

The Paterson Falls Fair organized for third-graders from Paterson

Twenty-one seniors in the College of Education pursuing degrees in elementary education presented a Paterson Falls Fair on campus for a group of 31 third-graders from School 12 in Paterson. The event provided the children with an opportunity to learn about their city’s history and for the teachercandidates to practice their pedagogical methods.

The WP seniors engaged the third-graders in a series of multidisciplinary activities, which included role playing as prominent historical figures from the city, using its chief textiles of silk and cotton to create “clothing,” and constructing their own mini, working waterwheels to mimic the wheels at Paterson’s Great Falls—a major force in the industrial development of New Jersey. The Fair was tied to the third-graders’ curriculum, as well as the University students’ curriculum, aligning with elementary education courses in social studies methods, science methods, literacy and learning, and arts methods. Professors Elizabeth Brown, Alison Dobrick, Laura Fattal, and Julie Rosenthal observed the students in action and recorded excerpts of their interactions on video.

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William Paterson's award-winning student-run radio station, WPSC 88.7 FM Brave New Radio, broadcasted live from the Guglielmo Marconi Museum in Bologna, Italy, in celebration of World Radio Day 2020 on February 13, 2020. The historic, three-hour live broadcast originated from the actual room in which the Italian physicist Guglielmo Marconi first developed a system of wireless telegraphy in 1895 which formed the basis for modern-day radio. Communication professor Robert Quicke, who hosted the event, was joined in Italy by Sebastian Escobar ’15, station manager of WPSC-FM, who served as co-host. Alyssa Robbins, a William Paterson senior majoring in broadcast journalism and on-air talent for WPSC-FM, conducted interviews on site during the broadcast. Among those was a live interview with Giovanni Emanuele Corazza, president of the Marconi Foundation.

Biology professor Sonya Bierbower teamed up with the University’s College of Education to bring more science to local schoolchildren. Through its professional development network of more than 50 area schools, College of Education staff identify local science teachers in need of a guest-presenter, and Bierbower assigns her students to the task. Bierbower and the College of Education have also been welcoming middle school and high school class trips to campus. Bierbower’s students provide tours of her lab, and teach the young visitors about the work done there through various age-specific activities.

Other Significant Opportunities for Students The University continued to provide a wide array of programs designed to help students achieve career success following graduation.

The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute again expanded its efforts to pair successful alumni and local business community professionals with select undergraduate students. During the 2019-20 academic year, the institute arranged 266 mentor/mentee matches, up from 254 matches the previous year, and 200 matches the year prior. Forty-one percent of the mentors were alumni.

The Career Development Center launched a new career management portal, Handshake, for the 2019-20 academic year. This initiative significantly expanded student access to available positions—for

IV. William J. Pesce ’73 and students at a Pesce Family Mentoring Institute event

example, 3,204 internships were posted to Handshake compared to 748 posted in the previous portal system, an increase of more than 300 percent. In addition, 9,068 jobs were posted to Handshake as compared to only 1,823 jobs posted in the previous portal, an increase of almost 400 percent.

In addition, numerous events were offered during the academic year, including an Etiquette Dinner attended by 100 students that was a collaboration between the Center and all five academic colleges.

Staff continued to provide programming tailored to the specific needs of the colleges, as well as events in collaboration with the Alumni Association such as webinars on resume writing and transferable skills.

Nearly 100 undergraduate and graduate students attended the fifth annual Cotsakos College of Business Crux of Industry Niche (COIN) Boot Camp in summer 2019. The four-day intensive business boot camp provided students with the opportunity to meet and interact with leaders from the metropolitan area’s top industry sectors. Fifteen accomplished professionals, most of whom were alumni, discussed the inner workings of their industry, their firm, and their own personal career path.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences held its second annual career readiness program, “Aspire,” tailored to students with liberal arts majors, in August 2019. Designed to provide students with real-life preparation for the workforce, the event featured discussions on topics such as career competencies, networking, and developing a personal brand.

Alumni including Blair Bravo ‘95, chief executive director, Morris Habitat for Humanity and a member of the College’s Dean’s Advisory Board, Melissa A. Honohan, senior manager, Alliance Advocacy, and Lorena Ramos, regional manager, Toyota Motor North America, were among the speakers.

Community Outreach

The University continued to serve the community during the coronavirus pandemic. Under the auspices of Gov. Murphy’s Executive Order addressing New Jersey’s mitigation strategies for COVID-19, William Paterson was designated by Passaic County officials as a drive-through testing location for COVID-19 for Passaic County residents. The testing took place in Parking Lot 6 adjacent to the Sports and Recreation Center, and University police officers were stationed at several locations to facilitate traffic and provide access to the campus for faculty, staff, and students. Members of the University’s nursing faculty, as well as students and alumni, participated in the all-volunteer initiative. The testing center was operational from March 25 through June 20, 2020; during that time, more than 15,000 residents were tested.

School of Continuing and Professional Education The School’s Pre-College Youth Programs, which experienced significant growth in summer 2019, continued to expand as new courses were added to WP Saturday University in fall 2019 and spring 2020. These courses were near completion when the campus closed and pivoted to remote learning in March 2020, and others finished online to minimize the impact from COVID-19.

For summer 2020, the Pre-College Summer Youth Programs pivoted to offer a new array of online courses due to COVID-19 restrictions regarding in-person courses on campus. More than 100 new online courses replaced the in-person curriculum, and 249 students enrolled in an eight-week schedule of half-day classes. These online courses now provide an expanded curriculum for the School’s fall 2020 17

WP Saturday University, a benefit while restrictions continue for fully in-person courses.

Plans for Interstudio Viaggi (ISV) to bring international high school students to the campus, where they would stay in the residence halls for six weeks of summer English as a second language courses and American cultural experiences, were cancelled for summer 2020 due to the pandemic.

ISV has requested a renewed three-year agreement for summers 2021 to 2023, and is working with the School and key William Paterson participating departments on details.

The School’s non-credit professional certifications and nationally recognized stackable credentials were off to a good start in the beginning of academic year 2020-21, but the regional economic impact during the pandemic created extraordinary challenges for adults seeking career advancement or job changes. With the cancellation of in-person courses and conferences, the School successfully expanded online certification programs and strengthened collaborations with business and community partners to keep relationships strong and create new course offerings for the present and future. New school district partnerships for professional certifications aligned with high school career and technical education programs provided new sources of revenue and strong foundations for future growth.

The new Adult Degree Completion Program launched in spring 2020 with the first cohort for the major in health studies; a program in communication studies was added in fall 2020. Both pilot cohorts started small, and are now poised for growth. In addition, marketing initiatives regarding the program led to many adult learners registering to complete their degrees in several other majors. The School is now working to support the implementation of a more flexible degree completion option, including the fall 2021 launch of a new major for adult learners in leadership and professional studies designed to benefit a broad range of degree-seekers who are currently working in or seeking professional supervisory and managerial positions. The School is identifying infrastructure changes that will help to streamline processes for returning adult learners, including recruiting, admission, advisement, credit for prior learning experiences, and registration processes. In addition, marketing efforts are now

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targeted specifically to adult completers during the 2020-21 academic year with the support of strategic funds for digital marketing. To provide the specialized advisement needed for adult learners, liaison advisers have been assigned for each academic major, also supported by strategic funds.

Alumni Engagement The Office of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association worked to create and implement engagement opportunities designed to build and strengthen the University’s alumni community of more than 80,000 graduates. Strategies and programs were delivered that sought to foster alumni connections through philanthropy, volunteerism, engagement experiences, and communication.

President Richard Helldobler (third from left) with alumni at Homecoming

The University welcomed alumni, family, and friends for a full slate of Homecoming and Family Day activities on October 5 and 6, 2019.

Saturday events included a pre-game tailgate The crowd at the Homecoming football game

Basketball coach Erin Shaughnessy Monahan ’91 and BriAnna Lucas ’13, inductee, at the Athletic Hall of Fame Touchscreen unveiling

and a Homecoming carnival with food, game booths, prizes, and amusements leading up to the Homecoming football game against The College of New Jersey. The halftime festivities included the announcement of the President’s Cup winner and the honoring of the Athletic Hall of Fame inductees and members. Other activities included a women’s soccer game and a student showcase. A new Athletic Hall of Fame touchscreen was unveiled on Saturday, followed by the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday. Throughout the fall, pre-game tailgates were hosted at all home football games to celebrate school spirit and Pioneer pride.

The alumni program quickly shifted to deliver virtual and digital engagement opportunities during the pandemic to continue providing a sense of connectivity. Among the highlights were virtual lifelong learning opportunities, career resources, increased email communication and social media presence, the creation of virtual campus Zoom backgrounds, the relaunch of the virtual alumni book club, and faculty talks and panels featuring faculty and staff who delivered virtual programs on interesting research and hot topics.

for alumni to meet and connect with fellow Florida alumni along with President Helldobler and other University leadership. Other key activities included alumni gatherings around sporting events such as a New York Yankees game and a New York Jets game, the annual Summer Bash at the Jersey shore, and the annual Pioneer Society Alumni events in Florida

luncheon for those who graduated 50 years ago or more. Fourteen webinars were presented on a variety of topics. Thirty-two percent of alumni event participants were first-time attendees.

The alumni social media platforms also continued to provide alumni with the opportunity to engage and connect with the University and each other. A total of 32,148 social media users interacted with the alumni social channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The Yankees alumni event

Alumni continued to serve in key meaningful volunteer roles, such as membership on the Alumni Executive Council, Young Alumni Council, 50th Reunion Committee, and College advisory boards.

Many graduates connected with students by speaking in a class, serving on a panel, participating in a career fair, and/or serving as a mentor.

In addition, a wide range of activities were held throughout the year to connect graduates with one another and their alma mater. Regional activities in Boca Raton and Sarasota, Florida, provided a chance

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V.

Excellence and Affordability

The University had a very successful year in terms of fundraising as the institution continued to raise funds for its scholarship campaign in support of student success. Total assets of the William Paterson University Foundation reached $33.3 million, an increase of 14.3 percent over last year. The total assets of the Foundation have more than doubled in size in eight years.

The ribbon-cutting for Skyline Hall

Academic Zone Master Plan and Facilities Upgrades Students enjoy one of Skyline’s The University common areas community celebrated the opening of Skyline Hall, the newest residence hall on campus, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 12, 2019.

Designated for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the building houses 282 students, with rooms arranged in semi-suites for four students featuring two double rooms and a shared bathroom arranged in clusters on each floor. Community areas include a modern oversized kitchen, social lounges with televisions and gaming areas, group and private study areas, a meeting room, and a classroom. As part of the University’s longstanding commitment to sustainability, the building features energy-efficient windows and LED lighting, and interior finishes such as paint and flooring are environmentally friendly. More than 100 trees have been planted adjacent to the building.

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The ribbon-cutting for 1800 Valley Road

A ribbon-cutting was also held for the University’s recently purchased office building at 1800 Valley Road. The 56,000-square-foot building, situated on 11 acres adjacent to the University’s building at 1600 Valley Road, was purchased for $1.75 million through funds set aside for capital improvements; no operating funds were used.

When the renovation is completed, the building will provide much-needed space for a range of revenuegenerating programs including programs of the School for Continuing and Professional Education, as well as for adult education and high school dual enrollment initiatives.

To support the pivot to hybrid and hyflex learning for fall 2020, all classrooms and most instructional labs were equipped with web cameras and microphones. In addition, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and Zoom were institutionally licensed to support formal and informal instruction and learning. Cisco room kits were installed in eight learning spaces to allow for conference room-style meetings. In addition, the video switcher was replaced in one of the Hamilton Hall TV studio control rooms. A technology upgrade was also instituted for the University Commons Ballrooms with completion expected by December 2020.

The University continued its full recycling program efforts as part of its overall sustainability initiative. In 2019, through its single-stream recycling program, the University recycled 925 tons of aluminum, cardboard/paper, scrap metals, plastics, glass, and wood. This total included 383 additional tons of construction materials. Other recent energy conservation initiatives include the elimination of trays in the dining hall and the installation of filtered water bottle fountains throughout campus, including residence halls, for

students, faculty, and staff who wish to use re-fillable bottles. Energy-efficient technologies have reduced electrical consumption by more than 30 percent and natural gas consumption by nearly 50 percent since 2000.

Fundraising The Office of Institutional Advancement raised $8.61 million in cash and commitments during the 201920 fiscal year, including a significant and generous naming commitment from Dr. Dorothy Hennings, a friend of the institution and the sister of the late Dr. Barbara Grant ‘54, professor emerita of curriculum and instruction.

As of June 30, 2020, more than $16 million has been raised toward the overall scholarship campaign goal of $10 million, exceeding the University goal by 60 percent.

Since 2010, the scholarship endowment has increased 225 percent. More than 600 scholarships were awarded with nearly $1.1 million in available scholarship funding.

Among individual gifts for scholarships was a $1 million grant from The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation in support of students with demonstrated financial hardship. This is the second seven-figure grant from The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation; the initial $1 million scholarship grant in 2015 precipitated the William Paterson Scholarship Campaign. In addition, the University received significant bequest intentions from alumnus and retired William Paterson professor Mark Kozaki and alumnus Peter Chabora in support of scholarships. The institution also received $100,000 from the estate of Beulah and Samuel Krivin to support the already established Martin Krivin Scholarship. Alumna Louise Theiller and her husband Charles continued to provide generous funding for their endowed scholarship in biotechnology. The Oritani Bank Charitable Foundation established a generous endowed scholarship for students from Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, and/or Essex counties. Board of Trustees member and alumnus Brad Neilley also established an endowed scholarship. These were among the many individuals and organizations that established annual and endowed scholarships during the 2019-20 academic year, bringing the scholarship campaign to a successful close. Scholarship support will continue to remain a priority for the University.

As the pandemic unfolded, the division quickly expanded its efforts to solicit donations for the

Student Emergency Support Fund, which provides direct support to currently enrolled students to help meet critical, immediate needs. Many students or their family members have lost their jobs and need help with paying the rent, buying groceries, or paying medical bills.

This fund has been supported by gifts totaling more than $100,000 from alumni, friends, and members of the William Paterson community. In addition, $40,000 from the William Paterson University Foundation’s scholarship fund and $15,000 from the Alumni Association were earmarked to this fund. To date, nearly 1,100 students have submitted applications for support, with the average amount awarded per student approximately $285.

The Foundation also voted to increase the interest allocation on the endowment and earmarked $182,000 for student emergency needs. A portion of this funding supported the Pioneer Incentive Grant Program established and annually supported by the Alumni Association, which provides funding for students with 90 credits or more who find themselves with emergency need in combination with the inability to pay the entirety of their bill. Through this program, the University was able to assist these students by providing awards from $500 to $1,000.

In addition to the many scholarships established in 2019-20, William Paterson garnered generous support for programs and initiatives from several foundations. Grants from The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation totaling $385,000 supported initiatives in the College of Education. The University also received a renewal grant of $100,000 from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to support the College of Education’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Framework for Teaching Across Disciplines Program. The Russell Berrie Foundation provided 21

grant funding totaling nearly $30,000 to support the Cotsakos College of Business’s National Sales Challenge Boot Camp.

Due to the pandemic, the Foundation’s 30th Annual Legacy Gala was postponed to April 2021. In celebration of the centennial anniversary of women’s right to vote, the honorees will be: Lauren Locker ‘79, founder, Locker Financial Services; Kathleen Waldron, president emerita, William Paterson University; Sandra DeYoung, retired interim provost, retired dean, and professor emerita of nursing, William Paterson University, Lourdes Cortez, member of the University’s Board of Trustees and president and CEO, North Jersey Federal Credit Union; and The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation, represented by its co-founder and board member, Marilyn “Mickey” Taub.

Employee Development Building on the success of the inaugural summer learning and development program in 2019, the University held a seven-week program during summer 2020. The program was centered around the theme Growth Mindset in a Learning Environment, and part of the University’s overall focus on using challenges as an opportunity to learn, adjust, and grow. Two-hour professional development workshops were offered online during July and August; all participants were required to attend a facilitated discussion workshop on Growth in a Learning Environment. The program provided opportunities in four areas: cultural growth, institutional growth, individual knowledge growth, and personal growth.

social mobility—that is, how well schools graduate students with exceptional financial need. The University jumped 27 spots from last year’s report. William Paterson ranks in the top nine percent of 1,458 institutions in the country in the 2019 Social Mobility Index, created by CollegeNet to measure the extent to which a college or university educates more economically disadvantaged students at lower tuition and graduates them into good-paying jobs. William Paterson also was recognized in Washington Monthly’s 2020 Master’s Universities Rankings—a unique ranking based on an institution’s contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service. The University ranked 125 out of nearly 400 four-year institutions nationwide that offer master’s degrees.

In addition, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University at number 8 of the same 176 northern regional universities in the category of “campus ethnic diversity,” which identifies colleges where “students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from racial or ethnic groups different from their own.”

Public Recognition The University continued to expand institutional identity and visibility through a variety of activities, including notable speakers and events, and by achieving positive media coverage on a variety of platforms.

The University is among the national leaders in helping students climb the socioeconomic ladder while continuing to gain recognition for its positive impact on students who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 edition of Best Colleges, William Paterson was ranked 38th of 176 regional universities in the northern United States in terms of 22

President Helldobler, Secretary Smith Ellis, Gov. Murphy and WP students

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and then Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis visited William Paterson in February 2020 for a roundtable discussion with President Richard J. Helldobler and four students focused on the topic of higher education affordability. At the event, the governor proposed a new program, Garden State Guarantee,

that would allow low-income students to receive two free years of tuition at New Jersey’s four-year public colleges and universities. The governor chose to hold the program at William Paterson due to implementation of its Pledge 4 Success program, which fills the gap between awarded aid and tuition and fees for first-year students with adjusted gross household incomes of $45,000 or less.

President Richard Helldobler spoke with a number of media outlets regarding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on public higher education.

This included an interview with WCBS 880 NewsRadio for its “In Depth” podcast on “College in the Covid Age.” He also spoke to NJ Spotlight for its story, “How the Pandemic Has Transformed the College Experience and Could Transform It Even More.” In addition, he spoke with NJTV for two stories: “The Pros and Cons of Online Learning for Higher Education," and “Colleges and Universities Face Budget Shortfalls Amid Coronavirus.”

William Paterson University’s new residence hall, Skyline Hall, was one of 13 construction projects across New Jersey to receive the 2020 New Good Neighbor Award from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. The award recognizes the best and most exciting commercial and industrial development projects in the state. Winners, who were featured in the July 2020 edition of New Jersey Business magazine, were chosen based on economic benefit, job creation, architectural merit, and community involvement.

In recognition of its ongoing commitment to becoming a fully green institution, William Paterson received a 2020 Environmental Leadership Medal from The Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey. The University was honored during an awards ceremony designed to highlight organizations for their leadership in areas from recycling and green building design to energy conservation and community impact.

For the tenth year in a row, William Paterson was recognized in the Guide to Military Friendly Schools, honoring those institutions that are implementing best practices and policies to recruit, develop, and support student veterans, with the goal of providing them the tools they need to successfully move into the next chapter of their lives.

The William Paterson University Galleries celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding with a special exhibition of works on paper by the late New Jersey social-realist artist Ben Shahn, the namesake of the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts where the galleries are located. The World Through My Eyes: Celebrating the Legacy of Ben Shahn, on view from September through December 2019, showcased Ben Shahn’s works from the University’s art collection as well as loans from public and private collections. The Galleries also launched an online database in September 2019 to celebrate its noteworthy exhibition history. The first digitized records include the first 40 exhibition catalogues and 40 works of art from the permanent collection that were on view in the fall 2019 exhibitions.

The 40th season of the Distinguished Lecturer Series featured Thomas Friedman, a multifaceted foreign affairs journalist at The New York Times, author, and recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes, who spoke on December 3, 2019. Friedman discussed the opportunities and challenges that profound accelerations, including technology and connectivity, pose for society, as well as for individuals, businesses, and governments. A lecture by the playwright, actor, and educator Anna Deavere Smith, scheduled for March 2020, was postponed due to the pandemic and rescheduled for October 2020.

President Helldobler and DLS speaker Thomas Friedman

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Learmonth spoke to USA Today about children and social distancing and to WNYC about the impact of isolation on the brain.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the University held a virtual commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 on May 26, 2020, providing recognition for the more than 2,400 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students who earned degrees. The

The Chinese Oriental Performing Arts Group

The Chinese Oriental Performing Arts Group, China’s premier music and dance troupe, presented “National Beauty,” a performance of traditional Chinese music and dance, on December 11, 2019. The program, presented at part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the University’s Center for Chinese Art, featured songs and dances created by famous Chinese artists in the folk-art style unique to China, music performed on traditional Chinese instruments, and performances by acclaimed Chinese singers.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annette Gordon­ Reid and University of Virginia historian Peter Onuf marked the 35th anniversary of the Abram Kartch Thomas Jefferson Lecture with a program on November 14, 2019. Gordon-Reid and Onuf, both past speakers in the series, gave a joint lecture titled “Thomas Jefferson and American National Identity: A Dialogue” to an audience of more than 400 students and teachers from approximately 15 New Jersey high schools.

Faculty members in several disciplines were in demand by media outlets around the world looking for expert insight into a variety of topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, biology professor Miryam Wahrman spoke about the importance of hand washing to the BBC, parents.com, and businessinsider.com. Public health professor Corey Basch discussed safety tips for grocery shopping with NJTV, Parents, and WCBSTV. Nursing professor Leo-Felix Jurado wrote an opinion piece for NJ.com championing the role of immigrant nurses and asking for recognition of their contributions and legislation to aid them in the profession. Nursing professor Nadine Aktan spoke to Chasing News to discuss the proper way to wear a mask. Psychology professor Amy 24

In-person Commencement on Wightman Field

prerecorded ceremony, which featured a keynote address by then New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis, as well as remarks

by President Helldobler and Michael Seeve, chair of the Board of Trustees, among others, included individual slides dedicated to each graduating student. In August 2020, as promised to students, when state regulations permitted larger outdoor gatherings, the University held a series of small, in-person outdoor ceremonies on Wightman Field on campus. The livestreamed ceremonies, limited to 150 graduates and two guests each, and organized by the University’s five colleges, student majors, and degree level, gave the graduates the opportunity to cross the stage and be recognized by family and friends for their achievements.

President Helldobler and graduates

About William Paterson University William Paterson University is a public comprehensive university with nearly 10,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered by five academic colleges: the Arts and Communication, Cotsakos College of Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Health.

Its 380-acre wooded campus is located in suburban Wayne, New Jersey, just 20 miles from New York City, adjacent to 1,200 acres of wetlands and woodlands, and only three miles from the historic Paterson Great Falls.

The University offers a wide range of learning opportunities in its classrooms, laboratories, and studios, and throughout the campus, as well as at various off-campus locations. William Paterson’s faculty members provide a valuable blend of accomplished scholarship and practical, applied

experience. Among the University’s faculty are 35 Fulbright scholars and recipients of numerous other awards, grants, and fellowships. Students benefit from individualized attention from faculty mentors, small class sizes, and numerous research, internship, and clinical experiences.

The institution’s 80,000 alumni can be found throughout New Jersey, the nation, and the world, using their William Paterson degrees and experiences as a springboard to professional accomplishment and personal growth. They are leaders in the arts, business, health care, sports, entertainment, the media, and education. They are public servants, artists, musicians, teachers, scientists, television personalities, authors, politicians, crime fighters, and entrepreneurs. Their achievements reflect the University’s mission and commitment to preparing graduates for success in their careers, communities, and lives.