William Paterson University of New Jersey

Hobart Manor 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. [ 4 ] 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 , twenty-fourth vice president of the United States. [ 5 ] 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. [ 6 ] 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. [ 7 ] 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 appointed by President George Washington , 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. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] 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 [ 10 ] to replace the retiring Kathleen Waldron, who had served as the school's president since August 2010 after the retirement of Arnold Speert. In November 2021, hundreds of workers and students protested planned layoffs at the school following a $30 million budget shortfall. [ 11 ]

University Commons The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education , Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business , Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education , National Association of Schools of Art and Design , National Association of Schools of Music , and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, among others. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] It is organized into four academic colleges: College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Cotsakos College of Business, College of Education, and College of Science and Health, offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. U.S. News & World Report in its 2024 edition of Best Colleges ranks the university as number 69 of Regional Universities North. It also ranks no. 23 in Top Public Schools-Regional Universities North and #58 in Best Value Schools-Regional Universities North. [ 14 ] The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Communication, [ 15 ] the university's largest college, grants the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Music, and Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degrees. [ 16 ] The Cotsakos College of Business , [ 17 ] 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, [ 18 ] grants the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Master of Business Administration degrees. [ 19 ] The College of Education [ 20 ] grants the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, [ 21 ] Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master of Education. Students may also pursue certificates. [ 22 ] The College of Science and Health [ 23 ] grants the Bachelor of Science, [ 24 ] Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science, and Master of Public Health degrees.

It also includes the School of Nursing, established in fall 2023, which grants the Bachelor of Science in nursing, Master of Science in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice. [ 25 ] It also offers several pre-professional programs, as well as post-baccalaureate programs. [ 26 ] The Honors College offers tracks in several disciplines as well as independent study. [ 27 ]