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 President's White
Paper: Discussion summaries: National Alumni Executive Board School of Communications Advisory Board Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Advisory Board The NewCentury@Elon Strategic Plan was created in 2000. Click on the link below to find out more about the central elements of the plan.
|  Board of Trustees
Most groups agreed that Elon's strong sense of community is the most important attribute they want preserved. Trustees also highly value excellent teaching and close relationships between faculty and students, the emphasis on engaged learning, an international perspective and an innovative spirit that embraces change. Other attributes that were mentioned included the following:
Question #2 – All groups – "If you visit Elon in 2020, what would you hope to find that is not at Elon today? Looking ahead to 2020, trustees hope to find a much larger endowment and more active and engaged alumni. They also hope to attain a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, strengthen pre-law and pre-med programs, further develop graduate programs, build a top-notch athletics program, improve the gender balance and continue to stay ahead of the technology curve. Other hopes for 2020 include greater diversity and a convocation center. Finally, trustees hope for continued development of study abroad programs, developing collaborative centers around the world, creating a paradigm shift in cultural immersion and establishing Elon as a national leader in creating a positive environment for a diverse global community.
Trustees in this group said there is not a single solution to this challenge. They suggest educating the community about the "Elon miracle," explaining the incredible things that have been accomplished with a small endowment. They said this educational campaign should explain that it is now time to grow the endowment … that to be a greater institution, Elon must have a larger endowment. What is the next level of quality in the area of the Elon Experiences? Trustees in this group suggested deepening the Elon Experiences by combining them in new ways. For example, the study abroad program might also include internships abroad. They also suggested semester exchanges with schools in other countries. What are some examples of ways to deepen the academic programs? Trustees suggest building stronger graduate programs, especially the MBA program. They also recommend exploring a graduate program in communications and perhaps an architecture program or school. How concerned should Elon be about enrollment growth? How much price elasticity does Elon have? How do we find the right price point? Trustees say Elon should be very concerned about growth and should continue its policy of moderate, controlled increases in enrollment. They said it is difficult to pinpoint how much room Elon has to increase its tuition. They noted that there have been few complaints about the current tuition level and said this type of decision is in the administration's hands. How would you advise the president about balancing facilities needs and endowment needs in the next campaign? Trustees recommended looking to Greensboro donors in the drive to build the endowment. They also hope that slowing enrollment growth will reduce the need for new facilities in the future.
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Question #1
– All groups – "If you visit Elon in 2020,
what values and attributes of today's Elon would you want
to have been preserved?
What are the
most compelling messages we can bring before donors as we
strive to build Elon's endowment? How can we develop a
culture of philanthropy?