From a buzzing William Paterson campus on the eve of Commencement, hello! I’m President Rich Helldobler, and this….is “The PowerCast”, a great way to catch up on the latest William Paterson news and why it matters – all in just a few minutes. As always, to learn more about any of today’s stories, go ahead and click on the links in your email. Let’s get started!

Here’s the first of today’s three headlines: We will bid farewell to the Sports and Recreation Center as we now know it with a series of graduate Commencement ceremonies on May 22nd. Soon after the last graduate crosses the stage, we will break ground on a significant expansion and renovation project that will create a new sports, recreation, and academic hub for the next generation of Pioneers and further strengthen our position as a powerhouse for allied health education in New Jersey.

What’s behind this news? The new Recreation and Health Sciences Center project is being funded with $40 million from the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority, which was recommended for legislative approval by the Office of the Secretary of High Education and awarded through a competitive process.

So, what’s next? With a planned completion in June 2027, students, visitors, and passers-by on University Drive will be most struck by a new 55,000-square-foot, two-story extension to the current Sports and Recreation Center, which will more than double the size of the complex. The facility will provide classrooms, laboratories, and other related spaces for the University’s bachelor’s degree programs in sports medicine, sport management, exercise physiology, and physical education, as well as master’s degree programs in athletic training, exercise physiology, and sport administration. Other key features include a new wellness center and an indoor pool.

Here’s the second of today’s three headlines: William Paterson University is a national leader in graduating adult learners, those students who are over the age of 24 when they enroll to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Later this month, when I have the personal honor of shaking hands with graduates of the Class of 2025 earning their bachelor’s degree, more than a third of them will be adult learners. .

What’s behind this news? Some adult students begin pursuing their bachelor’s degree after starting families or launching careers. There are also some 760,000 adults in New Jersey with some college credit but no degree. William Paterson has very intentionally pursued this population, especially through WP Online, which provides the flexibility and affordability that allows adults to balance their education with work and family obligations. Another sign of our success with this population came recently when I had the pleasure of congratulating 58 adult students as they were inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda, the premier national honor society for undergraduate adult learners.

Why does that matter? As forecasts show the population of traditional-age undergraduates declining throughout the northeast, reaching and serving new student populations will be key to University growth. AND, serving this adult population will help New Jersey grow stronger as more adults, including parents, improve the economic prospects for themselves and their families.

And here’s the third and final of today’s headlines: That same principal of diversifying the student populations we serve also helps explain the mind-boggling 1,500 percent increase in the number of local high school students taking William Paterson University courses for college credits since 2019.

What’s behind this news? More than seventeen hundred students from 34 New Jersey high schools enrolled in WP courses during the Fall 2024 semester and got a jump on their college careers thanks to the University’s High School Dual Enrollment Program. The program enables high school juniors and seniors to take a course for both high school and college credit, typically at their high school, and at greatly reduced cost.

Why does this matter? For the students, credits earned count toward a William Paterson University degree or can be transferred to other colleges. For WP, the program provides a growing pipeline of prospective students who – research shows – are more likely to finish high school, attend college, AND complete their degrees. WP works with school districts to identify courses eligible for college credit, which currently include 45 offerings spanning all four academic colleges, including the five most popular classes: Precalculus, Elementary Statistics, TV Studio Production, Psychology, and Spanish.

Now, you’re all caught up on the latest news from William Paterson University. Learn more about these news items and more by clicking the story links or head straight to wpunj.edu/news. Thanks for listening to The PowerCast!