William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...

Wayne, New Jersey Wayne is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. Home to William Paterson University and located less than from Midtown Manhattan, the township is a bedroom suburb of New York City and regional commercial hub of North Jersey. ...

. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 and was named after American judge William Paterson, William Paterson is the third-oldest public institution in New Jersey. William Paterson offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees through its five academic colleges. During the fall 2021 semester, 5,838 undergraduate students and 3,100 graduate students were enrolled.

History

William Paterson University was founded in 1855 as the Paterson City Normal School. For more than a century, training teachers for New Jersey schools was its exclusive mission. History
William Paterson University. Accessed July 7, 2022. In 1951, the university moved to the present campus to a site originally known as Ailsa Farms, that was purchased by the State of New Jersey in 1948 from the family of

Garret Hobart Garret Augustus Hobart (June 3, 1844 – November 21, 1899) was the 24th Vice President of the United States, serving from 1897 until his death in 1899. He was the sixth American vice president to die in office. Prior to serving as vice pre ...

, twenty-fourth vice president of the United States. The original manor house was built in 1877 in the style of a castle, and was the home of John McCullough, a Scottish immigrant who made a fortune in the wool industry. It was later purchased, enlarged and made the weekend retreat and summer residence of the Hobart family. Today, the building is known as Hobart Manor and is home of the Office of the President and the Office of Institutional Advancement. Hobart Manor was designated a national and state landmark in 1976. The university changed its name to Paterson State Teachers College when it relocated from Paterson in 1951. In 1966, the curriculum was expanded to include degree offerings other than those leading to a teaching career. In 1971, it was renamed William Paterson College of New Jersey. The change of name honored William Paterson, who was the state's first senator, its second governor, and a

United States Supreme Court Justice The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...

appointed by President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

, and reflected both the institution's beginnings in the city that also bears his name and the legislative mandate to move from a teachers' college to a broad-based liberal arts institution. The Commission on Higher Education granted William Paterson university status in June 1997.Listing
State Colleges and Universities All Accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education
/ref>NJ Commission on Higher Education accepted the college's petition to become William Paterson University of New Jersey(WPUNJ)
University History
Dr. Richard J. Helldobler, former interim president of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Illinois, became the eighth president of William Paterson University. He took office July 1, 2018 to replace the retiring Kathleen Waldron, who had served as the school's president since August 2010 after the retirement of Arnold Speert. In August 2021, William Paterson University signed an agreement with

Academic Partnerships Academic Partnerships (AP) is a major for-profit online program manager (OPM) owned by Vistria Group, a private equity firm. Established in 2007 by entrepreneur Randy Best, it claims to serve more than 50 colleges and universities, providing tec ...

, an online program manager. In November 2021, hundreds of workers and students protested planned layoffs at the school following a $30 million budget shortfall.

Academics

The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education,

National Association of Schools of Art and Design The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees ...

National Association of Schools of Music The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music. It was founded on October 20, 1924, and is based in Reston ...

, and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, among others.William Paterson University
Program Accreditations and Certifications
William Paterson University

It is organized into five academic colleges: College of Arts and Communication, Cotsakos College of Business, College of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and College of Science and Health, offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. '' U.S. News & World Report'' in its 2018 edition of Best Colleges ranks the university as number 102 of Regional Universities North with an Overall Score of 49/100.0. *The College of the Arts and CommunicationCollege of the Arts and Communication
grants the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Music degrees.The College of Arts and Communications
Department List
*The Cotsakos College of Business,College of Business
named in honor of Dr. Christos Cotsakos ‘73, an entrepreneur, former chairman of the board and CEO for E*TRADE, and generous benefactor to the university,Christos Cotsakos, College of Business
. grants the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Master of Business Administration degrees.Cotsakos College of Business
Programs of Study
. *The College of EducationCollege of Education
grants the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science,The College of Education
Undergraduate Programs
Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master of Education. Students may also pursue certificates.The College of Education
Master’s Degree Programs
*The College of Humanities and Social SciencesCollege of Humanities and Social Sciences
grants the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Psychology.Doctor of Psychology program
Clinical Psychology
. *The College of Science and HealthCollege of Science and Health
grants the Bachelor of Science,The College of Science and Healt
Undergraduate Programs
Master of Science, Master of Science in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice.The College of Science and Health
Graduate Programs
. It also offers several pre-professional programs.Pre-Professional Programs
. *The Honors College offers tracks in several disciplines as well as independent study.The Universit
College

Campus

William Paterson University is on a hilly, wooded campus in northern New Jersey in the suburban township of Wayne. The campus is located along the eastern town line of Wayne, and borders on High Mountain Preserve, a forested area, as well as the boroughs of Haledon and North Haledon, nearly of wetlands and woodlands, and is west of the historic Great Falls in Paterson.

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

is to the east, the Jersey Shore is an hour's drive south, skiing is north, and the

Meadowlands Sports Complex The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a sports complex located in East Rutherford, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The facility is owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). The complex currently con ...

is a half-hour drive away.

Facilities

William Paterson University's buildings include: * University Hall, an 80,000 square-foot academic building which opened in January 2016 and was funded in part by the Building Our Future Bond Act, is a mix of general-use classrooms, dedicated laboratories, and clinical spaces for programs in nursing, communication disorders, and public health. *The David and Lorraine Cheng Library is the academic knowledge center of William Paterson University.William Paterson University
David and Lorraine Cheng Library
*The expanded and renovated 232,000-square-foot Science Complex features nearly 100 research labs and 50 teaching labs. *The 1600 Valley Road Building, which includes interactive classrooms, the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales with its professional sales laboratory, and the Financial Learning Center (a simulated trading floor). *The University Galleries at the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts presents exhibitions of contemporary art, oversees the university's art collections and offers educational programs.William Paterson University
University Galleries
*The Power Art Center accommodates an array of studio arts, including three-dimensional design, photography, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, woodworking, and painting.University Galleries and Collections
The Galleries - Power Art Gallery
*The Nel Bolger, RN Nursing Laboratory is a patient simulation laboratory suite in Hunziker Hall. The lab features computerized patient simulation mannequins, a control station for operating the mannequins, robotic digital cameras to record students practicing patient care techniques, television screens to display the lab sessions, one-way mirrors to allow viewing by professors, and editing facilities for creative electronic DVDs for evaluations of student progress.News release
Supporting the construction of a high-tech nursing lab
*Other laboratories devoted to arts and sciences and large areas for environmental research include Hamilton Hall, the communication building, housing TV broadcast studios, the WPSC radio station and sound engineering arts facilities. Hamilton Hall, originally Hobart Hall, had its name changed in summer of 2019. The reasoning behind the name change was due to the fact that students, particularly first-year freshmen, were confusing Hobart Manor and Hobart Hall for one another. The new name is in reference to Alexander Hamilton, one of the

Founding Fathers of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American Revolution, American revolutionary leaders who United Colonies, united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the Am ...

and first

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

. *The University Commons, including the John Victor Machuga Student Center with its food court and the Speert Hall dining facility, is the hub of campus life, providing a venue for the entire University community to gather and interact.

Student life

Residential life

The university provides housing for nearly 2,600 students in ten residence halls, including two that opened in 2006.Residence Life
Our Residence Halls
Two residence halls, High Mountain East and West, offer learning communities in collaboration with the university's Honors College, and feature smart classrooms that are used as part of the living/learning experience.Residence Life
High Mountain East and West
With accommodations ranging from double room suites to apartments, the university's modern, smoke-free buildings range in size from 100 to 400 students and are

coed Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

by suite, with four residents sharing a suite or apartment. First-year students start out in traditional residence halls such as Overlook South and North, Hillside Hall, White Hall, Matelson Hall, and Century Hall, while upper-class students and older transfer students experience the added independence of the apartments, Pioneer Hall and Heritage Hall.Residence Life
Heritage and Pioneer Apartments
The newest residence hall, Skyline Hall, completed construction in 2019.

Organizations and campus activities

Offering an active campus experience for both resident and commuter students, William Paterson University hosts 24

fraternities A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity ...

and

sororities Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...

and more than 70 clubs and organizations, as well as intramural and recreational activities, peer education, and leadership programs.Pioneer Life
Clubs & Organizations
. William Paterson University's Club Sports include Cheerleading, Bowling, Equestrian, Ice Hockey, Rugby, Dance and Track.WP Club Sports
William Paterson has been nationally recognizedOutside The Classroom
William Paterson University's prevention expert honored for outstanding contribution to the field
for its alcohol prevention program, which requires freshmen and transfer students to take AlcoholEdu, an online alcohol prevention course to educate students about the consequences of alcohol abuse. In addition, student workers serve as peer health advocates and help to spread the message to their peers about the need to take a responsible approach to alcohol.Counseling, Health and Wellness Center
Peer Health Advocates
. William Paterson is also an active member in the New Jersey Higher Education Consortium on Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention and Education.New Jersey Higher Education Consortium
Active Member Schools
WPSC 88.7 Brave New Radio, William Paterson's student-run radio station, is the headquarters for

College Radio Day College Radio Day, is an event conceived by Rob Quicke, General Manager of WPSC at William Paterson University. The company was founded in December 2010. The first event was held on October 11, 2011 with subsequent CRD events happening in the first ...

, an effort to celebrate the importance of college radio. In 2012, more than 500 college radio stations in 20 countries participated in the event."College Radio Day"
CollegeRadio.org. Retrieved November 21, 2019. In 2018, sorority student Jasmine Barkley, who had been elected to the Greek student senate, posted a video along with a white female student from Penn State University, in which she used the n-word in a song; she later posted a video saying that her video was not racist, but the school's administration issued a statement condemning her actions.Benjamin Fearnow, April 24, 2018, Newsweek magazine
SORORITY SISTER DENIES BEING RACIST AFTER VIDEO ASKING PERMISSION TO SING N-WORD IN 'FREAKY FRIDAY'
"... sorority sister, repeatedly using the n-word and asking for permission to sing the racial epithet in rap songs ... as Jasmine Barkley, who was recently elected vice president of the school's Greek Senate..."John Fiorino, April 23, 2018, The Beacon (WPU student newspaper)
William Paterson Student in Racist Video Releases Comment
Retrieved April 24, 2018

Greek organizations

* Alpha Kappa Alpha * Alpha Kappa Psi * Alpha Phi Alpha *

Alpha Psi Omega Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society () is an American recognition fraternity for participants in collegiate theatre. History The ''Alpha Cast'' (Alpha Psi Omega's term for "chapter") was founded at Fairmont State College (now Fairm ...

(Rho Theta Cast) * Beta Kappa Psi *

Chi Upsilon Sigma Chi Upsilon Sigma () ("Women of Wisdom") — official name is Corazones Unidos Siempre Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc. (''Hearts United Always'') — is a Latin-based Greek letter intercollegiate sorority. Chi Upsilon Sig ...

Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Phi Epsilon () may refer to: *Delta Phi Epsilon (professional), the professional foreign service fraternity and sorority *Delta Phi Epsilon (social) Delta Phi Epsilon ( or DPhiE) is an international Fraternities and sororities in North Ame ...

* Groove Phi Groove * Iota Phi Theta *

Lambda Sigma Upsilon Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. () ("L-S-U" or "Upsilons") is an intercollegiate Latino oriented Greek lettered fraternity, founded on April 5, 1979 at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. Lambda Sigma Upsilon has 81 undergraduate ...

Lambda Tau Omega Lambda Tau Omega Sorority, Inc. () is a multicultural sorority founded in 1988 at Montclair State College (now Montclair State University), by sixteen women who felt the need for a multicultural sorority at Montclair State College. Lambda Tau Ome ...

* Lambda Theta Alpha *

Lambda Theta Phi Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. () is a Latino non-profit social fraternity in the United States. It was founded on December 1, 1975, at Kean College in Union, New Jersey. It emphasizes Latin unity and the celebration of the Latin cultu ...

Lambda Upsilon Lambda La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. ( or LUL) is a Latino-based collegiate fraternity. It was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York on February 19, 1982, and has 74 active undergraduate chapters and fifteen gradua ...

* Mu Sigma Upsilon * Omega Delta Sigma * Omega Phi Chi * Omega Psi Phi * Phi Beta Sigma *

Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau (), commonly known as Phi Tau (), is a collegiate fraternity located in the United States. The fraternity was founded in 1906. As of November 2022, the fraternity has 161 chartered chapters, 79 active chapters, 6 Associate chapte ...

Phi Mu Alpha Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...

Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma (), colloquially known as Phi Sig, was the first collegiate nonsectarian sorority to allow membership of women of all faiths and backgrounds. The sorority was founded on November 26, 1913, and lists 60,000 initiated members, 115 ...

Sigma Alpha Iota Sigma Alpha Iota () is a women's music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its m ...

* Sigma Gamma Rho * Sigma Pi *

Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as or Teke, is a social college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899, at Illinois Wesleyan University. The organization has chapters throughout the United States and Canada, making the Fraternity an interna ...

Theta Phi Alpha Theta Phi Alpha (), commonly known as Theta Phi, is a women's fraternity founded at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor on August 30, 1912. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage Theta Phi Alpha is one of 26 nation ...

Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic ach ...

Athletics

The university has 13 intercollegiate sports teams in the

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their st ...

, six for men and seven for women, including NCAA teams in men's baseball and women's softball.WP Intercollegiate Athletics
The William Paterson University Pioneers compete in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), as well as in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).William Paterson University Intercollegiate Athletics website
The Faculty Athletic Support Team (FAST) was established in 2013 by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, The Office of the Provost, and a number of faculty members, to create a formalized program to enhance communication and serve a resource to assist student-athletes with retention, success and growth.Faculty Athletic Support Team
(FAST).

Division III sports

;WP women's sports *Basketball *Soccer *Softball *Field hockey *Swimming & diving *Tennis *Volleyball ;WP men's sports *Baseball (national champions, 1992 and 1996)WP Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame
*Basketball *Football *Golf *Soccer *Swimming & diving

Cultural events, lectures, conferences, and art

WP Presents! is the university portal to information about performing arts programs produced and presented by the College of The Arts and Communication. University Performing Arts and University Galleries administrate programs in creative and performing arts including the Jazz Room Series, New Jersey Playwrights Contest, and all public productions in the Shea Center for Performing ArtsShea Center for Performing Arts
. and the Hunziker Black Box Theatre.Hunziker Black Box Theatre
. Cultural events take place on campus throughout the year, including theater productions, gallery exhibits, and concerts presenting jazz, classical, and contemporary music. *The university's Jazz Room Series,WP Presents
Jazz Room Series
launched in 1978, hosts both William Paterson's student ensembles and visiting professional and renowned jazz musicians. The Jazz Room Series is the longest-running, campus-based jazz concert series in the nation, entering its thirty-sixth year in 2014.Jazz Room Series
The Jazz Room has received over two decades of continuous grant support from the

New Jersey State Council on the Arts The New Jersey State Council on the Arts was founded in 1966 to support artistic activities in the state of New Jersey. It is funded by the New Jersey State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Art ...

/Department of State, as well as grants from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

,Recent Awards
National Endowment for the Arts
. and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
Press Release, 99 Grants
The series has been featured on national and metropolitan-area media, including recorded broadcasts.WBGO.org Jazz Room Series Art Partner
William Paterson search results
*The university has produced the Distinguished Lecturer Series (DLS),Distinguished Lecturer Series for thirty-three years
33 Years of Exceptional Programs
which brings speakers from the worlds of politics, government, the arts, literature, science, and business to campus. The series has presented such speakers as

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

general managers

Brian Cashman Brian McGuire Cashman (born July 3, 1967) is an American baseball executive for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He has served as the General Manager and Senior Vice President of the Yankees since 1998. During Cashman's tenure as ge ...

and

Theo Epstein Theo Nathaniel Epstein (born December 29, 1973) is an American Major League Baseball executive, who currently works for MLB as a consultant. He was the vice president and general manager for the Boston Red Sox and then the president of baseball o ...

, musical theatre composer Stephen Sondheim,

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former British Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

, film directors Oliver Stone and

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

, actor Al Pacino, performer

Gregory Hines Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for '' Wolfen'' (1981), '' The Cotton C ...

, writers

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...

and Joyce Carol Oates, feminist, social and political activist

Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem (; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steinem was a c ...

, theatrical producer and director

Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

, historian of education

Diane Ravitch Diane Silvers Ravitch (born July 1, 1938) is a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, she was a U.S. ...

, and entertainers

Penn and Teller Penn may refer to: Places England * Penn, Buckinghamshire * Penn, West Midlands United States * Penn, North Dakota * Penn, Oregon * Pennsylvania ** Penn, Pennsylvania * Penn Lake Park, Pennsylvania * Penn Township (disambiguation), several muni ...

. *In 2013, William Paterson University was selected to host the Gubernatorial Debate between Governor

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

and Senator

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

. The university welcomed more than eight hundred audience members. William Paterson University also hosted the New Jersey Gubernatorial Debate, which featured candidates

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

, and

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

.News Release
Broadway Icon Harold Prince to Discuss His Life and Career on May 1 as Part of William Paterson University’s Distinguished Lecturer Series
*Since 1985, William Paterson has hosted the Abram Kartch/

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

Lecture, where Thomas Jefferson scholars have shared their research and scholarship with the campus community and high school students from throughout New Jersey. The series began when Abram Kartch, a retired Paterson businessman and Thomas Jefferson scholar, provided William Paterson University with an endowment to offer an annual lecture for high school students on the relationship between Jefferson's words and thoughts and modern society.College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Abram Kartch/Thomas Jefferson Lecture Celebrates Thirtieth Anniversary
*New Jersey

National History Day National History Day is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland that operates an annual project-based contest for students in grades 6-12. It has affiliates in all fifty states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Sam ...

is part of a very rigorous academic program in which middle and high school students compete for a spot in the state history contest held at William Paterson University annually. The program encourages the study of social studies by guiding students to express themselves creatively through presentations of historical topics. William Paterson has been the sponsor of New Jersey National History Day since 1988, and the program brings hundreds of students from multiple schools and districts to campus.News Release
25th Annual New Jersey National History Day Features More than 450 Students in Competition to be Held at William Paterson University
/ref> *The annual Orlanda Saa Foreign Language Poetry Recitation Contest at William Paterson University offers middle and high school students the opportunity to recite poetry in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish, and ESL. In 2014, the university celebrated its 31st year.Campus Event
31st Annual Orlando Saa Foreign Language Poetry Recitation Contest
*William Paterson's Sculpture on Campus program represents one of the largest collections of public sculpture in New Jersey, and the only higher education institution in the state with a formal program dedicated to placing public sculpture. Twenty-two works are located throughout the campus.University Galleries and Collections
Collections-Sculptures on Campus

Community and civic engagement

*William Paterson University is the only college or university in New Jersey that requires all students to take a three-credit course in civic engagement as a requirement for graduation.University Core Curriculum
CORE In-Depth
*William Paterson signed a partnership agreement with the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. The agreement is designed to generate greater use of the Park's historical, cultural and natural resources for educational purposes.Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce
WPUNJ and Paterson Great Falls National Park Sign Collaboration Agreement
May/June 2013.

Honors, awards and recognition

*University Hall, the new academic building, was awarded a silver citation in the 2016 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase, a competition honoring excellence in education interiors. *''The 2014 Green Design Award'' for William Paterson's new 1,000 space parking garage for its energy-efficient LED lighting technology from the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders at their annual green design conference held on June 18, 2014.Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Green Design Awards for Passaic County Projects
, 2014. *William Paterson University was recognized in the ''2016 list of Top University Sales Programs'' for its Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales in the Cotsakos College of Business. The list, released by the Sales Education Foundation of Dayton, Ohio, highlights William Paterson University as one of the best locations for hiring sales professionals.News Release
William Paterson University Makes List of Top University Sales Programs in the Nation
Sales Education Foundation
Top Universities for Sales Education
. *William Paterson's solar panel installation ranks among the 10 largest installations at higher education institutions in the United States. The panels provide 15 to 20 percent of the institution's energy needs. In 2012, William Paterson was a finalist for the ''Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards'', which recognize innovation and excellence in climate leadership at signatory institutions of the American College and University Presidents Climate Committee. William Paterson was one of 20 colleges and universities nationwide, and the only institution from New Jersey, named as finalists.Second Natural Climate Leadership Awards
2012.Solar Panels
Video
William Paterson Sustainable Initiatives
*For the third time in six years, William Paterson University's student-run radio station, WPSC 88.7 FM Brave New Radio,William Paterson University'
Brave New Radio
was named Best Radio Station in the Nation (among institutions with more than 10,000 students) by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) in March 2017. Additionally, in IBS's first year offering awards in the medium of video, WP-TV, the campus television station, won for Best Sports Report.IBS Awards, 2013

In 2018 WP-TV won Best Sports Program, Best Variety Program, Best use of Graphics along with Best use of Social Media, Instagram. WPSC also won for Best Sports Play-By-Play Baseball/Softball, Best use of Social Media/Other and Best College Radio Station in the Nation for the second year in a row. WPSC also won the 2018 National Marconi Award for Best Non-Commercial Radio Station in the Nation. *William Paterson University has been honored as a military friendly school for the seventh year in a row by the ''2017 Guide to Military Friendly Schools'' and is included in their online listing at MilitaryFriendlySchools.com. There are nearly 150 veterans and active service students on campus. *William Paterson University's Cotsakos College of Business is included in the 2017 edition of

Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981. and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...

's ''Best 295 Business Schools''. This marks the seventh consecutive year the Cotsakos College of Business has been featured in the book, which is well known for college rankings based on how students rate their schools.The

Best Business Schools
*William Paterson University's Financial Planning Program in the Cotsakos College of Business has been named one of the top schools for financial planners by Financial Planning Magazine for the sixth consecutive year. *The College of Education received the ''Best Practice Award in Support of Global Diversity for 2011'' from the

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) is a nonprofit national alliance of education programs, which is dedicated to professional development of Pre-K-12 teachers and school leaders. AACTE has 800 member institutions, w ...

(AACTE). The award honors the integration of diversity awareness into educator preparation and was presented to representatives of the program at AACTE's 63rd Annual Meeting and Exhibits in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

.American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)
William Paterson University to Receive National Best Practice in Global Diversity Award
*The North Jersey Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention presented an award to William Paterson University on October 16, 2011, in recognition of efforts by students and staff members to raise money and awareness for suicide prevention.News Release
Suicide Prevention Efforts Garner Award

Notable alumni

Richie Adubato Richard Adam Adubato''The Sporting News: 1992-93 Official NBA Register''. St. Louis, Missouri: The Sporting News Publishing Co. 1992. (born November 23, 1937) is a former basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served a ...

(born 1937), former basketball coach in the NBA, who has served as head coach for the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

, the Dallas Mavericks and the Orlando Magic. * Eric Alexander, jazz musician * Carl Allen, jazz drummer * Ronald M. Berkman (born 1947), president, Cleveland State University *

Tom Brislin Tom Brislin (born October 5, 1973) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, producer, and author. In December 2018, American progressive rock band Kansas (band), Kansas announced Brislin as the group’s keyboardist; his playing, vocals, and ...

(born 1973), keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. *

Thom Brooks Thomas "Thom" Brooks, (born 14 October 1973) is an American-British political philosopher and legal scholar. He has been professor of Law and Government at Durham University since 2014, the Dean of Durham Law School since 2016. He was previou ...

(born 1973), political philosopher and legal scholar. *

Kevin Burkhardt Kevin Burkhardt (born ) is an American sportscaster. He is currently the lead play-by-play voice for the ''NFL on Fox'' and lead studio host for ''Fox Major League Baseball''. Burkhardt was formerly a reporter with SportsNet New York (SNY) du ...

(born 1974), sportscaster who is one of the play-by-play voices for '' The NFL on FOX''. *

Joe Clark Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal polit ...

(born 1938), author, speaker, educator known for his overhaul of Eastside High School made famous by the Morgan Freeman movie '' Lean on Me'' * Rod Daniels,

Anchorman A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet ...

for

WBAL-TV WBAL-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is the flagship property of Hearst Television, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to the company's sole r ...

Channel 11 in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. *

Joseph Farah Joseph Francis Farah (born July 6, 1954) is an American author, journalist and editor-in-chief of the conservative website ''WorldNetDaily'' ''(WND)''. Early years Farah was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on July 6, 1954, to parents of Syrian ...

, author, journalist, and editor-in-chief of the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

website ''

WorldNetDaily ''WND'' (formerly ''WorldNetDaily'') is an American far-right fake news website. It is known for promoting falsehoods and conspiracy theories, including the false claim that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Th ...

'' ''(WND)''. * Tom Fitzgerald, journalist,

WTTG-TV WTTG (channel 5) is a television station in Washington, D.C., airing programming from the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV outlet WDCA (channel 20). WTTG and WDCA share ...

Fox 5 News in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Emmy Award winner. * Jeremiah Fraites, drummer of the Grammy-nominated American folk rock band

The Lumineers The Lumineers are an American alternative folk band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing toge ...

Rob Fusari Rob Fusari, also known as 8Bit, is an American record producer and songwriter. He has worked with Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Will Smith, Whitney Houston and Lady Gaga. Early life Rob Fusari was born between 1967 and 1968. And raised in Livings ...

, class of 2008, Grammy Award-winning music producer & songwriter for

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

. *

Samantha Giancola Samantha Giancola (born March 1987), also known as Sammi Sweetheart, is an American television personality. She is best known as one of the eight main cast members in the MTV reality series ''Jersey Shore''. Early life Raised in Hazlet, New J ...

, cast member of MTV's '' Jersey Shore''. * Dana Hall, jazz drummer, percussionist, composer, bandleader, and ethnomusicologist. *

Horace Jenkins Horace Jenkins (born October 14, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and several teams in Europe and Israel. High school Jenkins graduated from New Jersey's Eliza ...

, former NBA player. * Justin Kauflin, jazz pianist * Brian Lynch, Screenwriter *

Ferit Odman Ferit Odman is a jazz drummer based in Istanbul, Turkey. Education Odman started his music studies in Sweden as an AFS exchange student in 1999, then received a full scholarship to Istanbul Bilgi University in 2001, where he obtained his B.A. ...

, jazz drummer *

Herbert Perez Herbert J. "Herb" Perez (born December 6, 1959) is a former US Olympian in taekwondo and a politician. He was a gold medalist in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Personal life Perez was born in New York City to a Polish mother and a Puerto Rican fat ...

, won the United States’ only gold medal in the Olympic Sport of Taekwondo *

Joseph D. Pistone Joseph Dominick Pistone (born September 17, 1939), is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser ...

, class of 1965, a.k.a. "Donnie Brasco", FBI agent who infiltrated the

Bonanno crime family The Bonanno crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the " Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, and in the United States, as part of the criminal phenomenon known as ...

. *

Tyshawn Sorey Tyshawn Sorey (born July 8, 1980) is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and professor of contemporary music. Sorey has received accolades for performances, recordings, and compositions ranging from improvised solo percussion to opera, ...

, Composer, Multi-instrumentalist, and

MacArthur Fellowship The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to between 20 and 30 indi ...

recipient. * Ray Toro, lead guitar and backing vocalist for American rock band

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist ...

. *Grafton E. Thomas, suspect in 2019 Monsey Hannukah stabbing played two seasons of football for WPU. *

Dick Vitale Richard John Vitale (; born June 9, 1939), also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well known for his 41-year tenure as a college basketball broadcaster f ...

, legendary sports broadcaster (graduate degree). * Clinton Wheeler, former NBA player. *

Ian Ziering Ian Andrew Ziering (; born March 30, 1964) is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series '' Beverly Hills, 90210'', which he played from 1990 to 2000. He is also the voice of Vinnie on '' Biker Mice from ...

, class of 1988, cast of ''

Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for ...

'', star of

Sharknado ''Sharknado'' is a 2013 American made-for-television science fiction comedy disaster film directed by Anthony C. Ferrante. It tells about a waterspout that lifts sharks out of the ocean and deposits them in Los Angeles. It is the first install ...

movies.

Census-designated place

William Paterson University of New Jersey is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) covering the

William Paterson University William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 and was named after American ju ...

campus in

Passaic County, New Jersey Passaic County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the population of Passaic County was enumerated at 524,118, an increase of 22,892 (4.6%) from ...

, United States. It first appeared as a CDP in the 2020 Census with a population of 1,417.

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Public universities and colleges in New Jersey Universities and colleges in Passaic County, New Jersey Wayne, New Jersey