William Paterson University Annual Report 2019

2019

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

President’s Message At William Paterson, we are bringing a relentless focus on student success to bear on every aspect of the University. Over the past year, we have launched new academic programs, academic and social support systems, and financial aid programs, all aimed at attracting students with great potential, getting them on the right track, and helping them maintain momentum toward a life-changing college degree.

Our new first-year experience program, Will. Power. 101, joins all freshmen in a cohort that takes required classes and workshops together. From the beginning, we have been hearing stories of deeper social and academic engagement by program participants, and we are confident that—after it has been running for a while—the numbers will back them up.

To keep the incidental, but very real, costs of college from being an impediment to students staying in school, we recently launched Pledge 4 Success. For eligible students, we pledge to fill any gaps between awarded aid and tuition and fees. In return, students pledge to meet a series of academic goals. Pledge 4 Success will help more students graduate with less debt. We think it will help convince more high school seniors and their families that they can overcome financial road blocks and get a great college education.

Each of these initiatives is, in its own way, an answer to the very important question that underpins all our work: if student success is defined by retention and graduation, what supports or systems are needed—and what barriers must be removed—to help these students be successful and, ultimately, earn their degree? We expect to have many more answers, and implement many more solutions, over the coming years.

William Paterson is growing in many ways, including physically. Our newest academic building, 1800 Valley Road, is conveniently adjacent to our 1600 Valley Road campus and will provide us with abundant space for new and existing programs, as well as new, revenue-generating initiatives. More than a physical expansion, this new building represents an expanded way of thinking about ourselves as an institution in terms of what kinds of programs we offer and how we seek out new, sustainable sources of income to reduce our dependency on tuition and fees.

In addition to our School of Continuing and Professional Education, the 56,000-square-foot building will house our adult completer, job training, and other programs. Also calling 1800 Valley Road home will be the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the newly formed Cannabis Research Institute. This new Institute will meet a very timely need in the policy arena by providing evidence-based scientific and economic information on topics related to cannabis, as well as opioid drugs and other substances. The move to this new space will give both of these research centers the opportunity to accelerate their growth and impact.

Another area of growth is our academic program offerings, where we are adding new programs and revising existing ones to meet market demand.

We launched New Jersey’s first bachelor’s degree in disability studies, an innovative new multidisciplinary program that will meet the growing demand across all industries for professionals who understand the needs of those with disabilities. The University added three new 4 + 1 programs in the areas of biology, biotechnology, and criminology. Students in these programs can earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years. Other new programs include new master’s degree programs in materials chemistry—the only one of its kind in New Jersey—and applied business analytics. William Paterson is now the only institution in New Jersey, and one of only a handful nationally, to offer a concentration in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) in its master of education in curriculum and learning. Soon to launch are a master’s in finance and financial services and an accelerated bachelor of science in sport medicine/master of science in athletic training.

The most important question we can ask as a University is, are all these changes having the desired impact on our goal of increasing student success? To get a more accurate, real-time answer, we instituted a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which measure everything from headcount and graduation rates to revenues and philanthropic support. These KPIs are helping us see what’s working and what’s not, so we can respond accordingly. I am proud that the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) has recognized our efforts to better measure institutional outcomes by giving William Paterson its Best Practices Award. The University also received CIANJ’s Environmental Leadership Award in recognition of our many efforts to create a green, sustainable campus.

These awards, like all the accomplishments that you will read about in this William Paterson University Annual Report 2018-19, are a testament to the hard work and dedication of all our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends. We are grateful to everyone who plays a role in the success of this University and, ultimately, the success of our students.

Richard J. Helldobler, PhD, President William Paterson University

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I.

Academic Excellence

Academic Initiatives and Highlights During the 2018-19 academic year, the University continued to expand its academic offerings with new academic programs on both the undergraduate and graduate levels in a variety of fields that meet workforce and industry needs.

Launching in fall 2019 is the innovative bachelor of arts degree in disability studies, developed in response to growing demand across all industries for professionals who understand the needs of those with disabilities. The first in New Jersey, and also among the first 20 undergraduate degree programs in the country, this multidisciplinary program proactively explores the nature and meaning of disability as a social construct instead of a medical deficit, and will examine laws, policies, culture, and history as a way to de-stigmatize disease, illness, and impairment across all areas of society.

The University also became one of approximately 165 institutions worldwide with an actuarial science program. The interdisciplinary major, housed in the Department of Mathematics in the College of Science and Health, includes required courses in accounting, finance, and economics taught through the Cotsakos College of Business. Designed to meet an expected increased demand for actuaries, the program will prepare students for the required exams of the Society of Actuaries.

A new interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree in urban science and society provides a focused exploration of cities and urban communities, an important area of study with more than 80 percent of the U.S. population living in urban areas.

Majors can choose from among 50 courses in 10 different academic departments. The program will collaborate with the University’s Paterson Metropolitan Region Research Center and includes options for field research projects, internships, and community-based learning.

The University also initiated three accelerated 4 + 1 programs, providing students with opportunities to earn a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The new programs are the bachelor of science in biology/master of science in biotechnology; the bachelor of science in 2

biotechnology/master of science in biotechnology; and the bachelor of arts in criminology and criminal justice/master of arts in applied sociology.

Also slated to launch in 2020 are two newly approved programs: the master’s in finance and financial services and an accelerated bachelor of science in sport medicine/master of science in athletic training.

The University’s master of education in curriculum and learning program is now offering an innovative concentration in STEAM, which adds the arts to K-8 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instruction. William Paterson is the first and only institution in New Jersey, and one of only a few universities nationwide, to offer STEAM education at the graduate level.

Professor Bhanu Chauhan's chemistry students

The new master’s degree in materials chemistry, the only degree of its kind in New Jersey, and the new master’s degree in applied business analytics, which addresses the growing demand for well-trained business intelligence and analytics professionals, both launched in fall 2018 and enrolled full cohorts of students.

The year proved significant for the master’s program in applied sociology, which became the first in the northeastern United States to receive full accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of Programs in Applied and Clinical Sociology (CAPACS). The accreditation from CAPACS, affiliated with the American Sociological Association, is continuous for five years starting September 1, 2018.

In addition, the master of education programs in clinical mental health counseling and school counseling were awarded continuing accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling

and Related Education Programs through October 31, 2020. This status is granted to programs that substantially meet the requirements for accredited status.

The University expanded its efforts to serve as a resource to help inform policy and practice through research with the formation of a Cannabis Research Institute designed to provide evidencebased scientific and economic information on topics related to cannabis, as well as opioid drugs and other substances. The Institute is comprised of a dozen University faculty and staff from a range of academic disciplines who conduct basic, clinical, and public health research, as well as analyze data to inform policy makers, provide information for drug-related counseling, and inform curricula.

Under the direction of Rahi Abouk, associate professor of economics, finance, and global business and a specialist in health economics, the Institute will serve as an incubator for collaborative research projects and curriculum.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences presented its seventh annual interdisciplinary symposium, "When We Speak: Sex, Power, and the #MeToo Movement," in October 2018. The event focused on how power affects gender roles and sexual behavior in public and private spaces.

Julianne Malveaux, a labor economist, noted media writer and commentator, and former president of Bennett College for Women, served as the keynote speaker.

Her Excellency María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, delivered the spring 2019 Tinker Lecture at the University, speaking about “The United Nations: Multilateralism, Democracy, Immigrant Her Excellency Maria Fernanda Rights, and Gender Espinosa Garcés, president of the U.N. General Assembly, speaks on campus Equity.” Garcés, a native of Ecuador and only the fourth woman to serve as president of the United Nations, provided a critical perspective on the political and economic crisis in Venezuela, U.S.-Mexico relations, and other issues of global

importance such as Brexit. The program was supported by a grant from the Tinker Foundation, which promotes the development of an equitable, sustainable, and productive society in Latin America and seeks to enhance understanding in the U.S. of Latin America and how U.S. policies may impact the region.

A panel on gun safety, “After Parkland and Sandy Hook: Where Do We Go From Here,” was held in November 2018. Among the panelists were Taylor Morales and Macey Wonacott, two

Professor Joann Chow moderates a panel on gun safety

students who lived through the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, as well as representatives from the Newtown Foundation and the Newtown Action Alliance, the New Jersey State Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America; and the Haledon Police Department.

The event served as the lead-in to the University’s theatre production of 26 Pebbles, a play based on the testimony of Newtown, Connecticut community members.

The University’s Department of Public Health presented a panel discussion on criminal justice reform, “Moving Beyond the Bars," in April 2019 in commemoration of National Public Health Week. The speakers included John Bunn, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and now, as the founder of A Voice for the Unheard, donates books to prisons to increase literacy rates, and Nerika Jenkins, a 2018 William Paterson graduate who spent 11 years behind bars as a result of her then-boyfriend’s drug dealing and is founding a non-profit, A Woman’s Worth, to help incarcerated women transition back into society. In connection with the event, students, faculty, and staff collected more than 500 books that were donated to A Voice for the Unheard.

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performances of the Pirates of Penzance staged by the Department of Music.

The ribbon-cutting for the Digital Liberal Arts Collaboratory

As part of its efforts to promote teaching, research, and scholarship across the liberal arts, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences opened a Digital Liberal Arts Collaboratory in the Atrium on campus.

The laboratory, launched at the end of the fall 2018 semester, provides space, equipment, and support for digital projects. Features include 3D scanners and printers, software for developing two- and threedimensional video games and computer simulations, access to Geographic Information System (GIS) and cartography software, software to enhance accuracy and creativity in writing, digital speech analysis, reference management for papers and research, as well as web design and desktop publishing.

A poster session during Explorations 2019

Explorations 2019: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Expression was held from April 2 through May 2. This annual event, which celebrated its 20th year, provides an opportunity to present work resulting from student/faculty interaction, student hands-on research, and other creative activities. This year’s month of activities included presentations and posters by undergraduate students, master's students, and faculty as well as Honors Research Week, the 13th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, the Spring Writer’s Conference, a variety of lectures in various disciplines, and 4

The Cotsakos College of Business hosted its 12th annual Russ Berrie Institute National Sales Challenge in November 2018. Approximately 120 college students representing 40 universities from across the country, as well as from Douglas University and McMaster University in Canada and Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland, participated in the event, along with 82 executives from 17 sponsor companies. This annual event provides the University with an opportunity to showcase its nationally recognized sales education program and facilities.

Faculty News and Achievements The University’s faculty of teachers/scholars continued to make a significant impact on their disciplines during the 2018-19 academic year. Faculty received or were nominated for 281 awards, honors, and fellowships; produced 537 books, book chapters, conference proceedings, and articles in journals and 195 artistic artifacts/events including performances, productions, and exhibitions; and gave 489 lectures, presentations, and workshops at academic conferences and other settings.

Nicole Davi, professor of environmental science, received a 2019-20 Fulbright Scholar Award to conduct research on tree 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 novel low-cost methods. She will also work with undergraduate and graduate students in the field and the laboratory.

Also receiving a 2019-20 Fulbright Scholar Award was David Freestone, an assistant professor of psychology. He will conduct research at the Universidade Federal do ABC in Sao Paulo, Brazil focused on developing and testing a new experimental design to study how animals learn time intervals. He also will develop and teach a graduatelevel cognitive science course there.

Kara Rabbitt, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2019-20 academic year.

Theis speed competition the 2017 National Challenge She oneselling of 39 fellowsatselected fromSales across the country

following nomination by the senior administration of their institutions and a rigorous application process.

Rabbitt is spending her fellowship year at Sonoma State University in California.

Professor Rahi Abouk, economics, finance, and global business

Rahi Abouk, associate professor of economics, finance, and global business, received the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Charles C. Shepard Science Award in the Prevention and Control Category for his research study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Abouk was the lead author for the study titled, “Association of U.S. State Implementation of Newborn Screening Policies for Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) with Early Infant Cardiac Deaths.” He and his research colleagues were honored for helping to prevent and control an important challenge to public health.

Jazz studies director Bill Charlap was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work as an artist, arranger, and co-producer on the 2018 album by Tony Bennett and Diana Krall, Love Is Here to Stay.

The album was nominated in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category. “S'Wonderful,” a song from the album, was nominated in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category. Charlap, who joined William Paterson University in 2015, won a Grammy in 2016 for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, a collaboration with Tony Bennett.

Dante Portella, an audio technician in broadcast and production services at the University, served as sound engineer for Lansing McLoskey’s oratorio Zealot Canticles: A Musical Plea for Tolerance, which won a Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance.

Jamsheed Akrami, professor of communication and one of the world’s foremost experts on Iranian films, released a two-DVD set, Iranian Cinema Before and After the Revolution, which compiles a trilogy of his feature-length documentaries. The trio includes

Friendly Persuasion (2000), The Lost Cinema (2007), and A Cinema of Discontent (2013), as well as a short film, A Walk with Kiarostami (2003).

Jay Foley, assistant professor of chemistry, was one of 24 scientists nationwide named as recipients of the 2019 Cottrell Scholar Awards presented by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the country’s first foundation dedicated wholly to science. He was the only recipient at a college or university in New Jersey. The Cottrell Scholar Awards provide $100,000 to each recipient identified as a leader in integrating science teaching and research at a top U.S. research university or a primarily undergraduate institution. Foley studies how energy flows through molecules and nanostructures.

Anti-Science and the Assault on Democracy: Defending Reason in a Free Society (2018), a book edited by Michael J. Thompson, professor of political science, and Gregory R. SmulewiczZucker, a doctoral candidate in political science at Rutgers University, was one of three books recommended by editors of Scientific American in the December 2018 issue. The book is a collection of original essays by experts in political science, the hard sciences, philosophy, history, and other disciplines as they examine contemporary anti-science trends, and make a strong case that respect for science is essential for a healthy democracy.

Brenda Marshall, professor of nursing, was among nine exceptional psychiatric-mental health nurses selected to receive a 2018 American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) award.

Marshall received the Award for Excellence in Research for her work to examine the best ways to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, a significant barrier to treatment.

Maya Chadda, professor of political science, was appointed by the Council on Foreign Relations to serve on its U.S.-India relations study group, comprised of top experts from the public and private sectors. The group focuses on the current state of the nations’ relationship, cooperation on defense and trade, and the readiness of the U.S. and India to respond to the rise of Chinese power. Chadda, a renowned scholar and published 5

researcher specializing in international relations and Asian politics, also serves on the Council’s Joint Task Force on South Asia.

Leo-Felix M. Jurado, professor of nursing, received the prestigious Mary Anne Rooney Essence of Nursing Award Professor Maya Chadda, political science presented by New Jersey Consortium Sigma Theta Tau International, the nursing honor society, for his exemplary leadership and mentorship to others in the profession of nursing. Jurado was nominated by Anoush Kalachian '16, a BSN graduate of William Paterson.

Three William Paterson professors were selected

by NJBIZ for its Vanguard Series: Leaders in Higher Education article on faculty who have made significant contributions to their fields in the past year. Faculty selected were Cris Beam, English, who recently published a highly acclaimed book about empathy; Bhanu Chauhan, chemistry, who helped to spur development of the University’s master of science program in materials chemistry; and Jim Samuel, marketing and management, who helped to develop the new master of science in applied business analytics.

Ringing Changes: 50 Years of New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, a documentary by Payton MacDonald, professor of music, premiered on campus in November 2018. The documentary chronicles the development and five-decade history of the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, in residence at William Paterson University.

Lisa Warner, associate professor of elementary and early childhood education, received an appreciation award from the Newark Board of Education for “sharing valuable expertise that empowers mathematics educators to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics” in their school district. Warner received the award in January 2019 at the K-12 Mathematics Leadership Conference in Newark, where she was the opening plenary speaker for more than 630 teachers, principals, and administrators. She spoke on the topic, “Learning and Understanding in Mathematics: Results from a Longitudinal Newarkbased Professional Development Project,” which focused on current best practices for teaching mathematics to K-12 children.

Vivek Agnihotri and Sharon Puchalski, assistant professors of nursing, were named as March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Finalists in the categories of Women’s Health and Pre-Hospital, Emergency and Critical Care, respectively.

Sheetal Ranjan, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice, spoke about the urgent need for feminist criminological scholarship to drive public policy when she delivered the opening remarks at the Congressional Briefing, “Translating Research to Policy: Improving Justice for Women and Girls,” held in Washington, DC in October 2018. Ranjan is chair of the Division on Women and Crime, a unit of the American Society of Criminology.

Jorge A. Arevalo, associate professor of marketing and management, served as co-chair of the 2018 Professional Development Workshop, which won the award for Best Professional Development Workshop in the Management Education and Development division of the Academy of Management program. The workshop represented phase I towards a three-year research project which aims to explore, examine, and increase the study of impacts of Sustainability in Management Education (SiME) integration.

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A photograph by Professor Robin Schwartz of rescued foxes

Photographs of rescued foxes from fur farms

by Robin Schwartz, professor of visual arts and a renowned animal photographer, were featured in National Geographic. A 2016 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, Schwartz photographed the foxes as part of her Guggenheim Fellowship project.

Tom Heinzen, professor of psychology, with coauthor Wind Goodfriend, assistant dean of graduate studies at Buena Vista University, received

Professor Zhiyuan Cong, art, with his painting, “Song of the Phoenix: Paper Money Delivered to the West”

a 2019 Most Promising New Textbook (College) award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association for Social Psychology (first edition, Sage Publishing). The book uses brief, entertaining case stories to illustrate the historical context and evolution of major theories within the field of social psychology.

Kathleen Odell Korgen, professor of sociology, received a 2019 Most Promising New College Textbook award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association for Sociology in Action (first edition, Sage Publishing), coauthored with Maxine P. Atkinson, professor of sociology at North Carolina State University. The book includes contributions from four William Paterson students in the “Sociologists in Action” section.

Michael Rees: Synthetic Cells, an exhibition created

by Michael Rees, a sculptor and professor of visual arts, was featured at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey through December 31, 2019.

Rees’s oversized sculptures challenge viewers to question how the boundaries of our physical and digital experiences are converging.

Vivek Agnihotri, professor of nursing, received a 2019 Diva and Don award for advancing healthcare in New Jersey presented by the New Jersey State Nurses Association's Institute for Nursing.

Agnihotri, a clinician, educator, and advocate for the profession, has held multiple positions as a critical care staff nurse, nurse epidemiologist, and nurse practitioner. He promotes the significance of evidence-based practice at the bedside, and is devoted to teaching and translating science into clinical practice and public policy.

Zhiyuan Cong, professor of art, is one of 74 finalists in an international art competition governed by the China Culture and Arts Council, and organized by the China National Academy of Painting and the National Art Museum of China.

More than 335 drawings from China and 42 additional countries were originally submitted for the prestigious competition. His painting, “Song of the Phoenix: Paper Money Delivered to the West,” documents the history of paper money.

Dely Po Go, adjunct professor of nursing, received a 2019 Diva and Don Award for advancing healthcare in New Jersey presented by the New Jersey State Nurses Association's Institute for Nursing. Go is the founder and owner of Nursing Network LLC, where she has served as president for nearly 20 years.

In recognition of their distinguished service to the University, the following retired faculty were awarded emeritus status by the Board of Trustees: Edward B. Weil, anthropology; Lance S. Risley, biology; Joann L. Chow, communication; Sambhu Nath Basu, economics, finance, and global business; Kevin James Walsh, educational leadership and professional studies; Stephen W. Hahn and Charlotte Nekola, English; John W. Livingston, history; Virginia G. Overdorf, kinesiology; Cesar Perez and Leonard Presby, marketing and management; Gary Kirkpatrick, music; Julie Bliss, nursing; Michael L. Principe, political science; Thomas E. Heinzen, psychology; Jean E. Levitan, public health; Maboud Ansari and Vincent N. Parrillo, sociology; Arlene Scala, women’s and gender studies; and Yvonne Roux and Robert Wolk, Cheng Library.

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Grants to Support Academics During the 2018-19 academic year, the University received more than $6.6 million in support from federal, state, and local government sponsors. In addition, the University received 41 new awards, the highest number since academic year 2015-16.

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.

Professors Martin Becker and Michael Griffiths, environmental science

The National Science Foundation awarded a threeyear, $250,000 grant to Michael Griffiths and Martin Becker, professors of environmental science, to lead a multi-university research project, “Collaborative Research: Biogeochemical Fingerprinting of the Megatoothed (“Megalodon”) Shark: A Dual Study in Thermophysiological Evolution and Seawater Chemistry.” Griffiths, a geochemist and paleoclimatologist, and Becker, a paleontologist, will use the chemistry of ancient shark teeth to reconstruct shark body temperature and dietary behavior, as well as seawater chemistry dating back 15 million years. Collaborating with the University’s researchers are academics from Rutgers University, UCLA, University of California Merced, and DePaul University.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded $190,000 to Kara Rabbitt, dean of the College of the Humanities and Social Sciences, and faculty members Stephen Shalom, political science, Keumjae Park, sociology, and Carrie Hong, educational leadership and professional studies, for a project focused on strengthening the University’s international studies with foreign language 8

offerings in Middle East studies and Korean studies.

“Expanding Vistas: Global Contexts, Local Lives” will enhance language instruction in Arabic and Korean, both significant languages in northern New Jersey, support development of a new Korean studies minor within the existing Asian Studies Program, and provide summer study abroad programs.

Professor Jennifer DiNoia, sociology, received a prestigious $310,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health to test an education and intervention initiative geared to low-income pregnant and postpartum women served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

Professor Rahi Abouk, economics, finance, and global business, and David Powell, a senior economist at the Rand Corporation, were awarded more than $460,000 from the National Institutes of Health for their project, “Can Mandatory Electronic Prescriptions Reduce Opioid Abuse?” The project will research whether mandated electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) helps to reduce inappropriate opioid use, abuse, and overdoses.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a $625,000 grant to Professor William Kernan, public health, for his project to help reduce the incidence of teen alcohol and marijuana use in the City of Passaic.

Kernan, research director for United for Prevention in Passaic County, housed at William Paterson, will lead a coalition including representatives from the city mayor’s office, school board, police department, and department of human services, along with the Lindsay Meyer Teen Institute.

The National Endowment for the Arts awarded a $20,000 Art Works grant to the University Galleries to support a site-specific installation and exhibition by artist Marion Wilson that will connect watershed research with the visual arts and provide STEAM education for underserved populations.

Bernadette Tiernan, executive director of the School of Continuing and Professional Education, received multiple awards totaling $263,000 from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development to support programs that provide training assistance and certification for managers and employees of New Jersey businesses in a range of fields.

II.

Student Success

Enrollment and Degree Completion The University has established new programs and practices with the potential for improving student success going forward given the enrollment headwinds many institutions are seeing nationwide.

While the results for the fall 2019 headcount and full-time first-year retention were below targeted goals, the University increased its enrollment of graduate students and improved on its goals for continuing students.

As part of its efforts to bolster student retention while guiding students toward more timely graduation, the University is instituting an innovative new First-Year Experience program in fall 2019 for all incoming students designed to help them as they balance school, family responsibilities, and often a job. This multifaceted program of structured academic and student support services will 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. All incoming first-year students will be 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.

Many of the classes will be three days a week in a block schedule, thus giving students more ability to plan the time they need to dedicate to their classes, a job, and family responsibilities, as well as participate in clubs, organizations, and sports.

The University is also launching a new initiative beginning in fall 2019 that will provide grants to incoming first-year students that make up the difference between federal and state aid and tuition so that they can attend without occurring 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. Pledge 4 Success supports incoming first-year students who are New Jersey residents and are eligible for New Jersey TAG and federal PELL funding. 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.

To assist new student-athletes’ transition to the University, the Department of Athletics developed the Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) program for implementation in fall 2019. Seventeen University student-athletes who have exhibited academic and athletic excellence and exceptional leadership qualities throughout their time at William Paterson were selected to provide peer advice and support for new student-athletes during the 2019-20 academic year.

The six-year graduation rate remained steady at 55.3 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 fell slightly to 32.4 percent. This decrease reverses a five-year trend of gains as the institution works to move closer to the national average of approximately 37 percent for fouryear graduation at public universities.

In fall 2018, the University adopted a testoptional policy for students seeking admission as of fall 2019, joining more than 1,000 leading colleges and universities across the country that have implemented such an admissions policy. Students may now choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their admissions application. The policy does not apply to applicants seeking admission to the University’s nursing and communication disorders degree programs, students who wish to be considered for merit-based scholarships, or those who wish to be considered for selection to William Paterson’s Honors College. The revised admissions protocol takes a holistic approach that focuses primarily on high school performance and the rigor of a student’s high school academic coursework.

While not required, students may submit supporting documentation that highlights individual talents, interests, and achievements.

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Student Honors In 2018-19, William Paterson University students continued to actively 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 accolades and honors.

William Paterson was accepted as a new member of Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences, based on the exceptional quality and quantity of the University’s student and faculty research in the social sciences track of the University’s Honors College. William Paterson students who are invited to join the local chapter will have the opportunity to attend regional, national, and international conferences. They may be invited to present their senior capstone projects from their major or their honors research thesis findings.

Four William Paterson students received awards for their outstanding posters displaying their research findings at the 10th Annual Garden StateLouis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (GSLSAMP) Conference held in October 2018 and hosted by Rutgers University. The award-winning students and their mentors included Kristina Hayek, environmental science, and Professor Martin Becker; Veronica Holganza, biology, and Professor Jaishri Menon; Leslie Trigoura, chemistry, and Professor Yalan Xing; and Maria Katrina Holganza, biology, and Professors James Arnone and Yalan Xing.

Shaydaih Williams, a junior majoring in public health with a minor in health studies, was one of 262 students in the nation and one of only three in New Jersey to receive the 2019 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow Award for civic engagement.

Williams received the award for showing her strong commitment to the ideals of Campus Compact, a national coalition of nearly 1,000 colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education.

William Paterson University’s student-run radio station, WPSC-FM 88.7 won the 2018 Marconi Award for Noncommercial Station of the Year from the National Association of Broadcasters. The Marconi Awards honor radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in broadcasting; WPSC-FM was one of five finalists in the nation and the only station in the Northeast nominated for the award. In addition, the station won the New Jersey Student Radio Station of 10

Brave New Radio celebrates its 2018 Marconi Award for “Noncommercial Station of the Year”

the Year Award from the New Jersey Broadcasters Association and was a finalist for Best College Radio Station in the U.S. in the annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards.

Four graduate students in English presented their research about online tutoring and its use in writing centers at the 35th annual conference of the Northeast Writing Centers Association in March 2019. Katia Arco, Morgan Bonanno, Kristi Polidore, and Eric Scholz made the presentation, “Running with the Devil: A Holistic Analysis of Tutor.com and the Local Writing Center."

Meagan Trozzo and Michaela Campo

A William Paterson student team, Michaela Campo and Meagan Trozzo, won first place overall in the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales 12th Annual National Sales Challenge held on campus in Novemer 2018 competing against the best sales students from 40 other schools across the nation and abroad. This is the second time a William Paterson team has won the overall competition.

In addition, Campo was the first place winner in the speed-sell final and took third place in the role play final round. Trozzo took second place among individual overall winners. The event is judged by business executives from around the country who also serve as sponsors.

Hamdeh’s employment platform uniquely targets students from ages 16 to 25 who are seeking employment or internships, and matches them with employers who have difficulty filling those entrylevel positions.

Walter Gorra, MM ‘19

Walter Gorra, a 2019 graduate with a master of music degree in jazz composition and arranging, won the prestigious Downbeat Magazine Graduate Student Jazz Award for Original Composition for Small Ensemble for his original work, “Bandwidth.”

The Downbeat awards, in their 41st year, honor the achievements of today’s top high school and collegiate jazz students and their teachers.

A record 30 Honors College students attended the Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference in April 2019. All 30 students had research papers or posters accepted to this competitive regional conference. The interdisciplinary Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference highlights student research from across the Northeast region.

Financial planning students Schoenstani Gil and Adrian Rodriguez were among 63 financial planning students from 30 colleges and universities who attended TD Ameritrade Institution’s annual investment advisor conference, National LINC (Learn, Inspire, Network, Collaborate) 2019, held in February 2019.

Ashley Ismailovski ’17, a William Paterson MBA student, presented a 2018 Professional Development Workshop that won the award for Best Professional Development Workshop in the Management Education and Development division of the Academy of Management program. The workshop represented phase I towards a three-year research project which aims to explore, examine, and increase the study of impacts of Sustainability in Management Education (SiME) integration.

Onyeka Anyanaso, a 2019 graduate who majored in biology, was accepted to the Peace Corps as a maternal and child health promoter in Zambia.

Anyanaso was as a Peer Health Advocate and Peer Academic Leader during her time on campus, and she also volunteered off-campus with the New Jersey AIDS Society.

The William Paterson Jazz Orchestra at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola

The William Paterson University Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Professor Pete McGuinness, and two jazz ensembles under the direction of Professor Bill Charlap, performed at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 1, 2019, before a sold-out audience.

Onyeka Anyanaso ‘19

Mojahed Hamdeh, a senior majoring in finance and professional sales, won first prize in William Paterson’s 8th annual Pitch Tank Competition for “Employ Me!,” an app that connects entry-level potential employees to employers James Hook in ‘18 their area.

Seniors Jonathan Hommes, Maria Velarde Ku, and Robert Wolfe, all financial planning majors, comprised one of eight teams chosen from more than 20 university teams nationwide to compete in the Financial Planning Challenge final round at the Financial Planning Association’s 2018 annual conference.

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William Paterson University percussion students Joseph Butz, Alex Cichocki, Jon Dabie, Elise McAloon, Brendan Orfan, Anthony Salimbene, and Elizabeth Tieu attended and performed at the McCormick Marimba Festival at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida in January 2019. Payton MacDonald, professor of music, is the director of the percussion ensemble.

The 2018 field hockey team

The William Paterson field hockey team earned the ZAG Field Hockey/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III National Academic Team Award. The award recognizes programs that earned a team grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the fall semester of the 2018-19 school year.

Senior volleyball middle hitter and softball infielder Christine Griffith was recognized by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women as the recipient of William Paterson’s 2019 Woman of the Year Award. She was honored at New Jersey’s 27th annual awards luncheon in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day on February 3, 2019 at Seton Hall University.

William Paterson University’s Bowling Team, a club sport, was one of 16 top teams in the country to qualify for the nationals in Dayton, Ohio in April 2019. This is the fourth year in a row the William Paterson team qualified for the nationals.

The campus television station program WP Sports Desk won the Best Video Sports Program for the second year in a row at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards. In addition, the station was a finalist for Best College TV Station, Best Video News Report, Best Video Comedy Program, Best Variety Program, Best TV Talk Program, Best Use of Graphics, and Best Use of YouTube.

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III.

Unique Learning Opportunities

Civic Engagement During the 2018-19 academic year, the University continued to support transformational opportunities for students including civic engagement, development of leadership skills, and experiential academic and co-curricular activities beyond the classroom.

The University continued to offer a wide variety of civic engagement-focused academic courses as part of the University Core Curriculum, which requires new undergraduate students to complete such a course as part of their degree. During the 2018-19 academic year, 2,219 students completed 32 different civic engagement courses that span a wide variety of academic disciplines in each of the University’s five colleges.

William Paterson partnered with New Jersey Campus Compact to launch the Changebuilders Project, a new venture designed to increase the number of first-year students engaged in service learning and volunteer projects in their local communities. Through the partnership, the University hosts an AmeriCorps Changebuilder Coordinator who serves as a liaison between New Jersey Campus Compact and the University and helps to create opportunities for new college volunteers. Maria Pagan, a 2018 graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, was named as the inaugural Changebuilder Coordinator, and worked with the staff in the Office of Campus Activities, Service, and Leadership (CASL) to create new civic engagement opportunities with the goal of identifying dedicated students who would become consistently engaged, work to create their own opportunities, and encourage others to participate. During its first year, 45 students were recruited to the program; many students have become Orientation and club leaders and serve as ambassadors for civic engagement activities.

Overall, CASL offered 116 civic engagement activities, resulting in 11,116 hours of community

service. The Pioneer Life Digital Badge Program, which provides students with the means to track their leadership and civic engagement activities, increased 56 percent over the previous year, with 5,657 students enrolled in the program; 490 students completed the badge. In addition, 336 students completed the Pioneer Leadership Institute, a foundational program for first-year students grounded in a social change model.

New community partners included the Elks Developmental Center in Paterson, the Paterson PAL, Real Dog Rescue in Oakland, the Passaic County Community College Day Care Center, and CUMAC, an organization that fights hunger in Paterson, Passaic County, and northern New Jersey.

The Student Government Association and CASL joined together for a DoGoodAthon, offering students a large-scale civic engagement activity in fall 2018.

Students were able to participate in 10 different civic engagement activities providing donations to local organizations and charities. The Passaic County Women’s Center was on hand to talk to students about volunteer opportunities with their organization and various training available to them to become advocates for women in the local community.

The annual Suicide Prevention Walk in April 2019 drew close to 350 students, faculty, and staff who joined together to promote suicide prevention awareness.

Students participate in the Alternative Spring Break experience

The University again offered students Alternative Spring Break experiences. Thirteen students and seven University staff spent three days at YMCA Camp Linwood MacDonald, where they worked in the wood shop to create life-size games for campers and assisted with trail restoration, among other activities. The trip also included sessions in safe space training, goal setting, and bystander

intervention, as well as two alumni speakers. For the first time, students were offered a local spring break opportunity, volunteering at a rehabilitation center, which drew more than 20 students.

On February 16, 2019, 67 students participated in the Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service, rescheduled from January due to inclement weather. They served in a variety of on-campus and off-campus activities including meal and care packaging on campus, interacting with patients at a local rehabilitation center, and assembling and distributing meal packages with Paterson Cares.

Students kicked off the fall 2019 semester with Pioneer Ventures, which drew more than 200 students who committed a full day of service to one of seven different organizations including Rise Against Hunger, the Hillside Community Food Bank, and the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park.

Academic Offerings Many William Paterson courses offer students the opportunity to apply the skills that they learn in the classroom to situations they may experience in their careers.

Christi Kline ’19 and Clint Mautz ’19 study fossils found on campus

Undergraduate student researchers Christi Kline ’19 and Clint Mautz ’19 worked with Professor Martin Becker, environmental science, and Harry Maisch IV, adjunct professor of environmental science, to document the discovery of fossil nautiloids—squidlike animals found in ancient seas—on the William Paterson campus and beyond. They joined the faculty members as co-authors of an article in Paleontologia Electronica that described nearly a decade’s worth of research on the project, including finding the source of the fossils in upstate New York.

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Communication professors Lori Ramos and Diana Peck, WPSC-FM station manager Sebastian Escobar, and 10 students traveled to Puerto Rico for a winter session 2019 service learning course, Community Radio in Vieques. The faculty and students continued work with WPSC-FM’s sister station, Radio Vieques 90.1-FM, a relationship that was forged in January 2018 when nine students traveled there to help restore the station which was ravaged by Hurricane Maria in September 2017. The students and faculty conducted interviews for stories about how people on Vieques are recovering from the devastation.

Fourteen students enrolled in the spring 2019 honors section of Modern European Social History, taught by Professor Krista O’Donnell, history, complemented their study of social movements and activism in Europe with a spring break trip to Berlin, Germany, where they visited museums and key sites of historical importance around the Greater Berlin area, included the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, and the German History Museum.

Students in an environmental science class, Soil and Water Analysis, taught by Professor Jennifer Callanan, worked on a water quality project for Packanack Lake in Wayne. Students took water samples from the lake and conducted a variety of tests in the lab, including an analysis of copper accumulation in the lake sediment from copper sulfate treatments used for decades to control algae. The class prepared a report for the lake’s water quality committee and also made a presentation to the community.

William J. Pesce ’73 with mentee Aashish Andrew

The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute continues to grow, expanding its efforts to pair successful alumni and local business community professionals with select undergraduate students. During the 2018-19 academic year, the Institute matched 254 mentor/ mentee pairs, up from approximately 200 matched the previous year and 150 matches the year prior.

Approximately two-thirds of the mentors were alumni.

The Career Development Center held a variety of events during the academic year, including a fall career and internship fair, three part-time job fairs, and an education job fair, as well as walk-in resume reviews, mock interview sessions, an etiquette dinner and fashion show, and an event on how to create a personal brand. Special networking events were held for the Cotsakos College of Business, including a business networking event and a “meet the firms” event for accounting and finance majors. Other special career-focused events included an alumni art panel, a public relations job fair, and a site visit at Sony Music for music business students.

Other Significant Opportunities for Students In addition to providing students with a high-quality education in the classroom and important research, civic engagement, and other learning opportunities, the University remains committed to providing additional support in achieving career success following graduation.

The Cotsakos College of Business held its fourth annual Crux of Industry Niche (COIN) Boot Camp in summer 2018. The week-long workshop for students featured 17 accomplished professionals, many of them alumni, who discussed the inner workings of their industry, their firm, and their own personal career path. Approximately 100 students attended the program, which included an emphasis on entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.

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The Aspire career readiness program

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences launched a career readiness program, Aspire, tailored to students with liberal arts majors, in August 2018.

The program, developed to provide students with real-life preparation for the workforce, offered participants the opportunity to explore their career interests and goals, as well as connect with University alumni and industry leaders, and included a trip to ADP’s Roseland headquarters.

IV.

Community Outreach

IV. Community Outreach During the 2018-19 academic year, William Paterson University offered a variety of programs and events that highlighted the institution’s significant role in the community on the local, regional, and state levels.

The School of Continuing and Professional Education was among the first higher education institutions to be awarded a $459,307 grant for Growing Apprenticeships in Nontraditional Sectors (GAINS) from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Office of Apprenticeships. The School now oversees development and implementation of two registered apprenticeship programs in close collaboration with employer partners in key industry sectors: Certified Medical Assistant in healthcare and Computer Systems Analyst in information technology/ cyber security. These apprenticeship programs combine classroom/lab training and mentoring with work experience and on-the-job-training for a total of 30 registered apprenticeships (15 apprentices in each cohort). Employer partners are actively engaged in every step of these registered apprenticeship programs to help insure employee success, including apprentice selection, curriculum oversight, “soft skills” identification, and providing continuous feedback for improvement on the job.

Successful completion of each program results in the nationally recognized professional licenses and certifications specific to each position.

The School’s Pre-College Youth Programs enrolled 2,107 middle and high school students in summer 2018. Summer residential programs reached 957 students, including 926 international high school students from its expanding partnership with Interstudio Viaggi (ISV). Students from Italy and other European countries lived in the campus residence halls, enjoyed campus recreational and dining facilities, participated in field trips to New York City, attended ESL courses, and joined local students in William Paterson Pre-College Summer Youth Program enrichment classes. In summer 2019, the third year of the ISV partnership, about 600 high school students from Italy participated.

Students in the Summer Youth Robotics Program

ISV’s marketing director also visited the campus, interviewing and recording students, collaborating with the University’s marketing and public relations department to create social media vignettes, and generating website materials highlighting the University campus experience.

In 2019, Pre-College Summer Youth Programs grew to almost 1,000 students from grades four to high school in an expanded variety of courses and activities during June, July, and August. The sixweek Summer Life on Campus program, an exciting full-day schedule of education, recreation, and field trips, continues to expand as a popular option for students in grades four to eight in northern New Jersey. Strong partnerships with Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in local school districts led to growth throughout the year in the School’s Saturday University program as well as additional summer programs with Passaic High School, the Paterson School District, Hackensack middle and high schools, Benway High School, and on-site courses during the school year at Passaic High School. The Passaic High School student cohort expanded to 78 students who attended college-credit courses, as well as new professional certification courses that prepare students for careers in high-demand industry sectors.

The School’s proposal for new adult degreecompletion programs for nontraditional students was approved and a new associate director was appointed. This professional degree completion program is designed for working adults to fast-track their progress in cohorts with course schedules set for convenient access. Courses will be offered online, as hybrids (in class and online), and on weekends; the program will also include new approaches to assessment of prior learning and competency-based learning.

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A new partnership was created with UCEDA Institute, Inc., a regional company specializing in language training courses. UCEDA established an office within the School on site at 1600 Valley Road and successfully conducted ESL courses for the regional community. With the selection of the new associate director for international programs in the Division of Enrollment Management, UCEDA has moved its office to the Admissions suite in Morrison Hall and will join enrollment management in targeted international student recruiting in fiscal year 2020.

The University’s 5th Annual Cyber Security and Big Data Analytics Symposium was held on April 24, 2019. The event focused on critical information about cyber crime protection against ransomware, data theft, malware, and more, as well as strategies for remediation. Keynote speaker Rebecca Gott, IBM Distinguished Engineer, spoke about Blockchain and its potential impact on data security. The event also featured speakers from the FBI Newark Division on Cyber Task Force and the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell. For the first time, the symposium drew groups of community college and high school students, who engaged in lively conversations about future career opportunities in this dynamic field, building synergies for the new Computer Systems Analyst apprenticeships and the University’s undergraduate programs in computer science and computer information technology.

Alumni Engagement University alumni are one of the University’s core communities. William Paterson actively seeks to engage alumni in a variety of meaningful ways through events and other activities that will keep them connected to their alma mater.

During Homecoming Weekend 2018, more than 3,000 attendees were on campus for a full slate of Homecoming and Family Day activities.

Events included a family breakfast, pre-game tailgating, and a Homecoming carnival with food, game booths, prizes, and amusements leading up to the Homecoming football game against Kean University. Other events included an alumni brick celebration in honor of donors who purchased bricks to commemorate their experiences at William Paterson; bricks are located along the pathway between the Cheng Library and University Commons.

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President Helldobler and alumnus Manuel Ruiz Jr. ’15 during Homecoming 2018

A wide range of activities were held to engage alumni, including regional alumni meetings in Boca Raton and Naples, Florida, San Diego, California, and Washington, DC; the annual “Summer Bash” at the Jersey shore; alumni outings such as trips to see the New York Jets and the Grounds for Sculpture; the Class of 1969 50th Reunion; and the annual Pioneer Society luncheon for those alumni who graduated at least 50 years ago. More than 450 alumni attended an event for the first time.

The Young Alumni Chapter continued to grow and develop, with more than 70 alumni receiving updates and meeting notices. Among its initiatives, the group co-sponsored a number of “pop up” alumni networking events at off-campus locations as part of an effort to provide more opportunities for William Paterson alumni of all ages to meet and network in a casual setting.

Social media communications continue to engage alumni across many platforms. A total of 32,325 members/followers populated alumni social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, with Instagram and YouTube emerging as the significant platforms for young alumni.

Board of Trustees members Fred Gruel and Linda Niro ’76 with Will Corrente ’91 in Boca Raton

V.

Excellence and Affordability

Academic Zone Master Plan and Facilities Upgrades The University continued to make progress on its commitment to modernize and revitalize the academic core of the main campus, while also providing new space that will support the expansion of revenue-generating programs.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reopening of Hunziker Hall

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in September 2018 for the renovated Hunziker Hall, a project that was part of the University’s commitment to modernizing and revitalizing the academic core of the main campus. The building houses stateof-the-art smart classrooms, group study rooms, a keyboard lab for the Department of Music, a creative commons space, offices, and the University’s Black Box Theatre. Its completion marked the conclusion of a two-part project that included the renovation of Preakness Hall, which opened in September 2017 for classes. Both projects were funded in part by $7.2 million from the State of New Jersey through the Building Our Future General Obligation Bond and the Capital Improvement Fund.

William Paterson also expanded its facilities with the purchase of an office building at 1800 Valley Road in Wayne in July 2019.

The new location provides much-needed space for a range of revenuegenerating programs

The University’s new building at 1800 Valley Road

including those of the School for Continuing and Professional Education. The 56,000-squarefoot 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. In addition to housing the School for Continuing and Professional Education, the building will be the site for adult education and high school dual enrollment initiatives, and provide dedicated spaces for the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Cannabis Research Institute, and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

Other potential uses include a child development center, which would provide an academic learning environment for future teachers. Several general education classrooms and seminar rooms will be available.

Skyline Hall, a new 282-bed, suite-style residence hall, opened for the fall 2019 semester. Skyline Hall provides numerous open spaces with natural light, as well as community areas that include a modern oversized kitchen, social lounges with televisions and gaming areas, group and private study areas, a meeting room, and a classroom. Along with its bold contemporary interior design, featuring a color palette selected by students, the 90,000-square-

Skyline Hall

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foot facility continues the University’s longstanding commitment to sustainability and becoming a “green” campus, featuring environmentally friendly interior finishes such as paint and flooring and energyefficient windows and LED lighting. More than 100 trees have been planted adjacent to the building.

Other residence hall upgrades included new flooring in Century Hall; LED lighting upgrades in Pioneer and Heritage Halls, and new window treatments in Matelson Hall and White Hall. In addition, new energy-efficient washers and dryers that have a smartphone app to monitor laundry were installed and replaced old washers and dryers in every residence hall.

An ongoing project to create all-gender bathrooms continued with the renovation of spaces in the Student Center, Cheng Library, 1600 Valley Road, and University Hall; there are now more than 30 allgender bathrooms in buildings across the campus.

The University expanded its solar panel installation with the addition of solar panels on the roof of University Hall that will generate about 40 kilowatts of energy for the building. The University’s 3.1 MW solar panel installation ranks among the largest at a four-year institution in the U.S. and supplies 15 percent of energy needs.

New space for the Academic Success Center was created in the Cheng Library, facilitating student accessibility to a wide variety of academic resources in one central location. In addition, the University relocated the Community Police Office to Speert Hall.

Fundraising The Office of Institutional Advancement raised $2.7 million in cash and commitments during the 2018-19 fiscal year, including $1.44 million toward scholarships. More than $9 million has been raised to date toward the overall scholarship campaign goal of $10 million. The University awarded $1.27 million in donor-funded scholarships to students, a 2.5 percent increase over the previous year and an increase of more than 200 percent since 2010 when scholarships totaled $414,000. With these funds, the University awarded 574 scholarships. In addition, through a $30,000 Pioneer Incentive Grant from the Alumni Association, the University was able to assist students struggling to stay in school due to financial challenges by providing awards of $500 to $1,000.

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Legacy Gala honoree Kevin Burkhardt ‘97

Several successful events of the William Paterson University Foundation contributed to scholarships.

The Foundation’s 29th Annual Legacy Gala, held in April 2019, raised nearly $110,000 for scholarship support. Honorees were alumnus Kevin Burkhardt ’97, play-by-play announcer for the NFL on FOX and studio host at Fox Sports; NK Architects, an award-winning full-service design firm; and faculty member Vincent N. Parrillo, professor and graduate director of sociology and director of the Paterson Metropolitan Region Research Center. In addition, the Foundation’s 11th Annual Golf Outing, held in October 2018, netted approximately $67,000 in support of University programming.

Among individual gifts for scholarships was a $100,000 commitment from Michael A. Seeve, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, to establish the Seeve Family Endowed Scholarship at William Paterson that will support students Michael A. Seeve demonstrating financial hardship. He is also a member of the Foundation Board and served as its chair for six years. In addition, the University received a leadership gift of $100,000 from Kevin Lenahan ‘90 to establish the Lenahan Family Scholarship supporting students majoring in accounting and nursing. He is also a member of the University’s Board of Trustees and currently serves as the chair of the Finance, Audit, and Institutional Development Committee.

Sandra DeYoung, who served during the 2018-19 academic year as acting provost and senior vice

president for academic affairs, established her second endowment at William Paterson, the Sandra DeYoung Endowed Honors Excel Scholarship. In 2012, while serving as dean of the College of Science and Health, she established the Sandra Sandra DeYoung DeYoung Endowed Undergraduate Research Scholarship. The University also received a generous gift of $57,000 from William Casperson to establish an endowed scholarship in honor of his mother, Mary Whitcroft Casperson ’54, and $30,000 from alumna Barbara Leff ’56 to establish an endowed scholarship for students majoring in early childhood education.

In addition to the many scholarships established in 2019, William Paterson garnered generous support from several foundations. Grants from the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation totaling $385,000 supported initiatives in the College of Education as well as a commitment to the University’s implementation of the redesign of the First-Year Experience for new students. The University received a renewal grant of $105,000 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 grant funding totaling nearly $88,000 to support the Cotsakos College of Business’s National Sales Challenge (NSC), NSC Boot Camp, and Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales Non-Profit Sales Training Initiative. The Hishmeh Family Foundation provided a $75,000 three-year pledge to support the Music After School Program.

Professor Emerita Nan Guptill-Crain

William Paterson received generous bequest intentions including a significant pledge from Professor Emerita Nan GuptillCrain to support the Music Department.

Guptill-Crain, who retired in 2017 after 48 years on the faculty, is a critically acclaimed soprano who mentored hundreds of students during her years on the faculty. Alumna Donna Rottengen ’65 pledged $85,000 to establish an endowed scholarship. A gift from the estate of Jane Voos, professor emerita of biology, was realized in fiscal year 2019 that established an endowed scholarship in biology in her name and will provide program funding for the Department of Biology. Professor Voos, who taught at William Paterson from 1968 to 2004, was instrumental in developing the University’s programs in environmental science and electron microscopy, and served for many years as chair of the biology department.

Professor Emerita Jane Voos

Total assets of the William Paterson University Foundation reached $29.17 million, an increase of nearly 5 percent over last year.

The total assets of the Foundation have more than doubled in size in eight years.

Employee Recognition In support of the University’s mission and in service to its diverse community of students, faculty, and staff, the Office of Human Resources worked with the School of Continuing and Professional Education and faculty and staff subject matter experts to develop a summer 2019 training and professional development program. Two-hour professional development opportunities were offered each week for a 12-week period for all staff on a variety of topics including leadership, technology skills, career and personal development, and University systems.

The program included required training sessions in diversity and inclusion.

Speed of Trust leadership training was also introduced and delivered to five cohorts of new, aspiring, and senior leaders on campus. In addition, a workshop on career advancement was offered four times throughout the year. The University continues to explore ways to increase opportunities for advancement and promotion.

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

President Richard Helldobler’s investiture ceremony

faculty, students, and alumni, as well as special guest artists.

President Helldobler was named to the board of directors of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ), a statewide business advocacy organization founded in 1927.

The directors reflect the diversity of the association, which represents more than 900 businesses across New Jersey ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small and medium-size firms. Members of the board are elected to three-year terms.

In recognition of its ongoing commitment to becoming a fully green institution, William Paterson received Environmental Leadership Award from CIANJ. 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.

The formal investiture of Richard J. Helldobler as the eighth president of William Paterson University was held on October 5, 2018 in Shea Center on campus. The event began with a traditional academic procession from the University Commons to Shea Center that included student representatives, alumni, delegates from colleges and universities in New Jersey and beyond, the faculty, staff, and administration, invited speakers, members of the Board of Trustees, President Emeritus Arnold Speert, and President Helldobler. Michael A. Seeve, chairperson of the University’s Board of Trustees, presided over the ceremony which featured President Helldobler’s inaugural address as well as remarks by Jacqueline Taylor, retired provost of The College of New Jersey; Michelle Behr, chancellor of the University of Minnesota, Morris; and Charles R. Middleton, president emeritus of Roosevelt University, and greetings from Steven Rose, president of Passaic County Community College; Arlene Scala, professor of women’s and gender studies and chair of the Faculty Senate; Domenico DiMaio ‘97, president of the Alumni Association; and Kody Guedes ‘19, president of the Student Government Association. The event was covered in the Record, Herald News, and on northjersey.com.

“A Celebration of the Arts,” a festive program featuring a wide range of musical and theatrical performances in honor of the investiture, was held on October 6, 2019 in Shea Center. The event included performances by William Paterson music 20

In addition, the University was selected by CIANJ as a 2019 Best Practices Award winner.

William Paterson was honored for its establishment of key performance indicators, based on data-driven analytics, that are used to track the University’s progress on priorities set by the Board of Trustees.

2019 Commencement

Jonathan Alter, an award-winning author, columnist, and political analyst, gave the keynote address at the University’s 2019 undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 15 at the Prudential Center in Newark. More than 10,000 family members and friends cheered on the graduates. Alter also received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. Fred Gruel, a member of the William Paterson Board of Trustees, received the President’s Medal. Gruel, the retired president and CEO of AAA New Jersey Automobile Club, has served on the Board of Trustees since 1992, and has

twice served as chair of the board, from 1996 to 2000 and from 2012 to 2018. A total of more than 2,300 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree candidates were recognized. A separate ceremony was held for master’s and doctoral degree candidates on May 16 in the Sports and Recreation Center on campus.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the EOF program: (left to right) Kody Guedes, Dana Jaloudi, Secretary Zakiya Smith Ellis, Gov. Phil Murphy, President Helldobler, Gov. Tom Kean, Sen. Nellie Pou, Kiana Davis, Lucy Edmond, Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly, and Carmen Ortiz

On March 21, the University was proud to host a panel discussion in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), created in 1969 in New Jersey to provide students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds with the financial, academic, and personal support they need to achieve a college degree and move on to successful careers. Governor Phil Murphy led the panel discussion, which included former Governor Tom Kean, who co-authored the legislation that created the program; New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis; New Jersey State Senator Nellie Pou; New Jersey Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly; Carmen Ortiz, executive director of EOF and academic achievement; students Kiana Davis ’19, Kody Guedes ’19, and Dana Jaloudi ’21, and alumna Lucy Edmond ’15. William Paterson, which has participated in the EOF program since its inception, currently has more than 450 students enrolled; alumni have gone on to successful careers in education, law, medicine, public health, nursing, politics, business, and the non-profit sector.

The 40th season of the Distinguished Lecturer Series featured Judy Woodruff, broadcast journalist, news anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour, who spoke on December 6, 2018. Woodruff shared insights on the Trump administration, Congress, and

the changing political landscape with an in-depth analysis of the midterm election results.

The monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery were in residence at the University in November 2018 for a variety of activities designed to promote peace and healing by sharing Tibet’s rich and authentic sacred performing and visual arts with modern audiences.

As part of the residency, the public was able to watch as the monks created a mandala, a symbol of the universe, from sand, in University Hall. Events also included a lecture on meditation for focus and stress relief, and a performance of sacred music and dance.

Their visit to campus was among other programs during a semester-long series titled The Science of Art, featuring programs that connected science, medicine, and the arts.

Members of the elite China National Opera and Dance Drama Theatre performed selections from Princess Zhaojun on campus in March 2019 prior to a performance at Lincoln Center in New York City. The event offered an introduction to the art of Chinese dancing, a Chinese folk dance, and a performance by William Paterson jazz musicians who played for Chinese cast members as they improvised a dance. Their appearance at the University was arranged through William Paterson’s Center for Chinese Art. The University was again recognized for excellence in marketing, winning a number of awards at the 51st annual New Jersey Advertising Club ceremony. The Department of Marketing and Public Relations won first place in the Product Campaign category for its undergraduate admissions recruitment package; first place in the Social Media for Brand Building category for its #DoGoodWP civic engagement campaign, which documents students involved in service learning and volunteer activities; and first place in the Invitations/Announcements category for the invitation and program for President Helldobler’s investiture ceremony. The department also earned a second place award in the Website Design: SelfPromotion category for a refresh of the University’s academic webpages; a third place award in the Corporate/Product Brochure More than 8 Pages category for the undergraduate admissions viewbook, and a third place award in the Miscellaneous category for the design of a t-shirt celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Summer Jazz Workshop.

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About William Paterson University William Paterson University is a public comprehensive university with more than 10,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered by five academic colleges: 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 33 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 nearly 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.