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University Holds Grand Opening for New Academic Building Funded by “Building Our Future” Bond Act

Acting Governor Kim Guadagno and State Senator Tom Kean Jr. were among more than 300 state and local officials and members of the William Paterson University community who celebrated the grand opening of University Hall

Anna Marie Mascolo, vice chair, University’s Board of Trustees; President Kathleen Waldron; Acting Governor Kim Guadagno; New Jersey State Senator Tom Kean Jr.; and Ken Wolf, dean of the University’s College of Science and Health

Acting Governor Kim Guadagno and State Senator Tom Kean Jr.  were among more than 300 state and local officials and members of the William Paterson University community who were in attendance as the University held a grand opening for University Hall, its new 80,000-square-foot academic building, on January 13, 2016. The $40 million building, opening six months ahead of schedule, is the first step in a plan to modernize facilities in the academic core of the campus. The project was funded in part by $30 million from the state’s “Building Our Future” Bond Act. 

“University Hall, with its important mix of general-use classrooms and dedicated laboratories and clinical spaces for our programs in nursing, communication disorders, and public health, will serve all our students while advancing our role as a top provider of health sciences education in New Jersey,” said Kathleen Waldron, president of William Paterson University. “The building represents a significant step in the revitalization of our main instructional facilities as we provide faculty and students with state-of-the-art teaching, clinical, and research spaces.”

“The taxpayers of New Jersey should be proud of their investment in William Paterson University. After all, we’re not just celebrating a new building, although it is a beautiful space and a fantastic achievement,” said Acting Governor Kim Guadagno. “This project also ensures that William Paterson University students will be armed with the best possible education to go out into the world and change it for the better.”

A teaching and research facility, University Hall houses 16 general-use classrooms serving a minimum of 4,000 students per semester.  Specialized classrooms and clinical spaces include the relocated Nel Bolger, RN Nursing Laboratory, with two updated patient simulation laboratories and a control room to provide enhanced clinical training; three nursing basic skills labs, and four additional nursing simulation labs. 

The University’s Speech and Hearing Clinic, which provides a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for the community, is located on the lower level. Featuring the latest digital monitoring technology, the clinic now includes 15 therapy rooms and 14 observation rooms to meet the growing demand for services.

Other features include small and large study rooms, an outdoor terrace, and a “green roof” to be planted with grass. The building is designed for efficiency, and the University is seeking LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.