March 17, 2021
Dear William Paterson Community,
One of the defining features of U.S. higher education is the process of external review to ensure that an institution is meeting its mission through high quality programs and services. Today, the Middle States visiting Re-Accreditation Team, under the leadership of Dr. William J. Fritz, president of the College of Staten Island, conducted an oral reading of its preliminary site visit report for the campus community, during which Dr. Fritz notified us that William Paterson will be recommended to the Middle States Commission as having met all 7 Standards and all 14 Requirements of Affiliation. These are the critical requirements for continued authorization to operate as a postsecondary institution. This is one of those special moments where we can say, “Job well done!” to the entire community for affirming that we do, indeed, transform student lives, and that we do meet the needs of the communities we serve.
The multi-year effort associated with re-accreditation at the institutional level truly takes the efforts of everyone. The Re-Accreditation Team specifically mentioned the well-attended sessions and the engaged participants who represented the vast and diverse William Paterson community. The Team also appreciated that, as a community, we understand that no institution is perfect, and it offered helpful guidance and insight within the spirit of continuous improvement, which is the foundation of the re-accreditation process.
While there are post-visit steps to come, including a formal written report from the Team, the opportunity for us to comment on it, and the ultimate review and re-accreditation decision by the Commission itself at its June meeting, the Team’s oral report is the critical initiating element following our self-study. It is also our externally-verified evidence of having met all Standards and Requirements. Congratulations to all of you, as everyone plays a part in William Paterson’s success in delivering on its mission.
In particular, I want to thank the many members of the WP community who made a very complex and involved process go as smoothly as possible. This includes all the members of the eight working groups, as well as the many members of the Steering Committee, including: Co-chair Jonathan Lincoln, associate provost for curriculum and international studies; Co-chair Sandy Hill, associate provost for academic affairs; and Sesime Adanu, executive director of Institutional Effectiveness. I’d also like to thank Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Josh Powers for his leadership of this important process. And I want to thank everyone who took the time to participate in this week’s public sessions. The insights you provided about your work and the overall campus culture was invaluable to the Team’s understanding of William Paterson.
Finally, I want to thank Dr. Fritz and his entire Team for their thorough review. They talked with many members of the WP community and absorbed a lot of information in order to deliver a thoughtful report that will help us become an even better University.
