William Paterson University is a public institution comprised of five colleges serving approximately 11,400 undergraduate and graduate students. The undergraduate population is particularly diverse, with approximately 45% from traditionally underrepresented groups, including African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino/a and Native American students. An important aspect of the mission of William Paterson University is to promote student success and academic excellence. The Division of Student Development has intentionally built and maintained a comprehensive alcohol and other drug prevention and education strategy for the past ten years, in order to create an educational environment which promotes success, one which facilitates productive citizenship, respect, tolerance, and healthy decision making, all critical institutional values that are recognized as central to the development of a sense of community and service. An environmental management approach has been at the center of these prevention efforts, with our work in the greater community having served as a valuable complement to our work on campus with our students. Our role in the greater prevention community has taken on even more significance during this biennial period, with the work of United for Prevention in Passaic County (UPinPC). As part of our compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, our Human Resources Department provides assessment and referral resources for our employees in the event they encounter substance use issues. This document will provide an overview of the alcohol and other drug prevention, enforcement, treatment, education, and support services which have occurred during the past two year biennial review period, to provide to all our students, staff and faculty requisite and adequate policy information and resources related to alcohol and other drugs. It will describe some long-standing efforts, as well as those which have been built and enhanced during this period of time. It will also describe our plans to maintain our internal resources, outreach and prevention efforts within our university community as well as our connections with the larger community outside the university in efforts to address more recent trends and issues related to alcohol and other drugs. To view the complete report, or if you have questions or would like more information about it, please contact Glen L. Sherman, Ph.D., Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Development, Division of Student Development, at shermang@wpunj.edu or (973)720-2761.
