An unprecedented university commitment to diversity and global engagement
Assure that 100 percent of Elon students have access to a global experience either domestically or abroad by strengthening collaboration between the Global Education Center and campus partners, including academic departments, Athletics, Center for Race Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE), Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and the Center for Access & Success.
Continue robust efforts to make Elon a more diverse, inclusive, and culturally skilled community.
Implement recommendations from university wide task forces and working groups specific to African American/Black, Latino/Hispanic, LGBTQIA, first-generation and high-financial-need students.
Launch programs that explore cultural identities and promote constructive dialogue across diverse perspectives.
Create programs that provide greater understanding of the development of race in America and its impact on social outcomes.
Assess current faculty development programs around diversity and inclusion and create new programs as needed.
Refine mentoring programs for first-generation and high-financial-need students.
Continue the institutional commitment for Title IX and ADA compliance by hiring a new Title IX/ADA Compliance Coordinator.
Continue the second year of implementation of the Numen Lumen Multi-faith Strategic Plan:
Implement the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation Grant for Multi-faith Scholars
Pilot Inter Group Relations programming for faculty and staff.
Create Hindu and Buddhist web presence.
Establish a Truitt Center Advisory Committee.
Plan for structured experiences of religious diversity for Study USA.
Ensure the success of the Interfaith House Living Learning Community.
Develop and implement strategies to encourage political and civic engagement by increasing student participation in the November 2016 elections and developing a robust schedule of voter awareness and civic engagement activities.
Supporting a world class faculty and staff
Search for and hire an academic dean for the School of Health Sciences.
Implement programming designed to support an integrated Teacher-Scholar development model that works across the span of a faculty career and responds to the distinct challenges and opportunities of different career stages.
Implement a revamped new faculty orientation.
Continue to study the needs of midcareer faculty and launch programs, including a pilot program launched in May 2016, to support the many aspects of mid-career faculty life.
Establish a working group in collaboration with Academic Council to develop recommendations and a multi-year plan for supporting the scholarly engagement of students and of faculty in their work as teacher-scholar-mentors, with a focus on post-probationary faculty and implementing the Presidential Task Force on Scholarship recommendations.
Hire an additional Associate Director of Mentoring for the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) to provide mentoring opportunities and programs to support the integrated Teacher-Scholar development model.
Collaborate with Academic Council on implementing select recommendations from the Role of the Chair Task Force and providing enhanced guidance for department chairs on writing effective evaluations of teaching faculty (Unit III).
Establish a working group in collaboration with Academic Council to explore ways of assessing and documenting effective, high quality teaching focused on the following faculty handbook definition: “Evidence of effective, high quality teaching may be seen through peer and student assessments related to a variety of possible indicators, as well as goal-driven, evidence-based critical self-assessment.”
Complete preparation for and file a formal International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) certification application for Elon University Campus Safety and Police.
In order to continue attracting the highest quality workforces, develop a plan and budget to:
Address pay for entry-level, hourly staff at the university.
Support implementation of the newly enacted regulations on exempt employee designation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Develop and implement plans to further strengthen Elon’s campus culture and community by enriching student, faculty, and staff connections.
Pilot the Colleague Community Building program, to provide faculty and staff with opportunities to get to know a colleague who works in a different area on campus in order to better understand each other and build community.
Grow the Global Engagement Program (GEP) to provide Elon University staff employees with opportunities to expand their global perspectives while assisting faculty and students during winter term global engagement experiences.
Use data from the Great Colleges to Work For (sponsored by The Chronicle of Higher Education) to advance programs to enhance the Elon workplace experience for staff and faculty.
Partner with Staff Advisory Council to continue implementing programs in support of themes identified by the Quality of Life Task Force.
Attaining the highest levels of achievement across our academic programs
Continue Elon’s unparalleled focused, strategic commitment to enhancing intellectual climate, attending to the Intellectual Climate Strategic Plan’s four pillars of challenge, mentored experiences, student leadership opportunities, and community, and taking action on the twenty-plus action items for years one and two, including:
Comprehensively assess the state of curricular challenge on Elon’s campus, including out-of-class academic experiences.
Construct programming for full-time faculty and residential campus staff focused on enhancing high-quality intellectual engagement, deep learning, and high impact practices throughout the college experience.
Develop competitive departmental grants focused on enhancing academic challenge in the senior year, and residential neighborhood grants to advance intellectual engagement within and beyond specific neighborhoods.
Develop, publish, and distribute a “student operator’s manual” that offers guidance to students about how to make the most of their Elon undergraduate experience.
Implement year four of the Writing Excellence Initiative and develop the first full overview assessment report.
Conduct a comprehensive study of introductory and upper level course enrollment patterns and number of majors and minors in low or declining enrollment academic programs to identify patterns over the last 5 years as well as factors contributing to low enrollments. Using the study results develop strategies, including:
Establish course scheduling guidelines to support curricular offerings.
Recommend curricular innovations.
Develop impactful messaging about the programs to address student perceptions.
Plan effective strategies to recruit students into courses, majors, and minors.
Continue to develop the School of Law as the nation’s foremost innovator in legal education.
Earn national recognition as one of the top law schools in the country for engaged learning and for the unique curriculum that requires the most practical experience.
Create advisory boards and strategic plans for the Elon Law Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship Law and the Elon Law Center for Engaged Learning in Law (CELL).
Review and update programs and accompanying materials for admissions, placement, communication, and development/alumni to reflect 2nd year of operation of innovative 2 ½ year, highly experiential curriculum.
Initiate longitudinal assessment of new curriculum by designing research protocol, securing funding from Access Group, engaging independent researcher (RTI), and developing a research agenda from this assessment project.
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of the School of Law.
For fall 2017, enroll 138 students with an average LSAT of 150 and median LSAT of 149.
With support from the Design Thinking Fund, implement design thinking infused or focused pilot projects in Elon 101, an intensive semester program, and the Core Curriculum capstone. Initial steps in creating a “Design Thinking Team” will include hiring a director of Design Thinking as well as a new director of the Doherty Entrepreneurship Center.
Complete the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) follow up report, establish new processes for assessment, and host the NCATE follow up site visit.
Launching strategic and innovative pathways in undergraduate and graduate education
Establish an implementation team for the recommendations from the Presidential Task Force on Social Climate and Out-of-Class Engagement and develop the timeline, implementation strategy, responsible parties, and assessment metrics for the recommendations.
Create university-wide process to examine progress since the 2007 report of the Presidential Task Force on Alcohol and Other Drugs, and update recommendations.
Collaborate with campus partners to emphasize a “We Are One Phoenix” notion as a unifying commonality for all students, faculty, and staff, including collaborative programming of student organizations, developing new campus-wide events and campus-wide traditions, and working with other campus partners to create, propose, and implement a comprehensive plan that will grow and enhance school spirit.
Create and begin implementing a plan to support cohort opportunities to bring them to a level of visibility similar to fraternities and sororities; examples might include well-funded student-interest housing, dining clubs, enhanced club sport participation opportunities, and service and performance-based clubs.
Investigate expanding the First-Year Summer Experiences (Adventures in Leadership, Engage, etc.) to include a greater number of first-year students.
Continue to implement the academic/residential integration necessary to complete the Residential Campus Initiative (Living and Learning at Elon).
Pilot and assess student-initiated, themed living learning communities, in addition to the existing faculty/staff-led living learning communities.
Continue implementation of the Peer Mentoring Committee report and recommendations.
Expand the faculty affiliate program piloted in the Historic Neighborhood to other residence hall neighborhoods.
Implement new strategies for students to engage with faculty and staff through campus dining experiences and off campus locations.
Extend pilots for neighborhood intellectual dinner discussions and academic programs to all neighborhoods.
Audit common spaces on campus and propose clear polices and, as needed, approval processes for social and study use.
Review the housing master plan and budget projection that addresses additional first- and second-year student housing needs, the academic-residential learning programs, and the feasibility of a third-year housing requirement.
Finalize processes related to curricular approval for new graduate program curriculums:
Master of Arts in Higher Education
Bachelor of Science/Master of Science Accounting Program
Enroll 1550 first-year students in fall and 30 in spring, reflecting Elon values, especially academic ability, diversity, and a well-rounded high school experience that contributes to Elon’s style of engaged learning. With the College Board’s introduction of the SAT Redesign, the majority of students submitting the SAT Redesign should fall within a total SAT range of 1190-1340 with an average SAT of 1270 or an ACT of 27.
Enroll new students in each graduate program to meet the following goals:
Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies: Enroll 36 students January 2017 & 2018.
Doctor of Physical Therapy: Enroll 44 students for January 2017 & 2018.
Master of Education: Enroll 21 students for summer 2017.
Master of Arts in Interactive Media: Enroll 36 students for summer 2017.
Master of Business Administration: Enroll 55 students in academic year 2016-17.
Master of Science in Management: Enroll 15 students for fall 2016 & 2017.
Juris Doctor: Enroll 138 students for August 2017.
New Master of Arts in Teaching: Enroll 12 students summer 2017.
Further develop and implement Elon’s messaging initiative, including the following priority objectives:
Fully implement the university’s new visual identity system.
Continue the “More That Matters” North Carolina messaging campaign.
Highlight political campaign-focused Elon Poll results during fall semester.
Join “The Conversation” public-good academic journalism project and engage numerous faculty/staff authors who contribute articles.
Redesign the Elon Cultural Calendar and expand distribution.
Install and launch a new WordPress system to serve as the next generation web content management system for Elon.
Stewarding Elon’s commitment to remain a best-value university
Develop and implement a plan to expand the Odyssey Scholars program for students with documented high financial need while increasing undergraduate student with Pell grants.
Execute the first year of the silent phase of the ELON LEADS campaign.
Progress campaign gifts and pledges to $110 million.
Complete fundraising for Schar Center, Sankey Hall, and Historic Neighborhood Commons.
Secure a naming gift for science expansion.
Develop and execute a series of communications and events to effectively engage donor prospects, including a series of presidential white papers and regional events.
Plan and execute high-profile, meaningful moments for the Elon community with ground breaking events (Schar Center and Sankey Hall), dedications (School of Communications expansion), and the 10th anniversary of the Elon Academy.
Reach the following fundraising targets:
Raise $2.3 million in Elon’s Greatest Needs.
Raise $2.7 million in designated annual giving.
Achieve 1,300 members of the Elon Society.
Increase Phoenix Club annual giving to $1.4 million and achieve 2,375 donors.
Raise $700,000 toward annual scholarships and designated priorities for the School of Law.
Develop and initiate a plan to move the budget timeline up to support student use of prior-prior year tax information when filing FAFSA forms and applying for financial aid.
Developing innovative alumni programs to advance and support the Elon graduate
Implement key objectives of the revised Building a Vibrant Alumni Network plan:
Revamp Homecoming for fall 2016 to include a celebratory block party, intellectually engaging sessions with faculty, inspiring affinity and class reunions, a major philanthropic announcement, an exciting ground breaking of the Schar Center, and a heightened focus on the 50th Reunion Class.
Develop summer Alumni College to provide alumni of different ages and stages with a unique, campus-based educational experience to re-engage them in the life of the university.
Develop revised program for the national Evening for Elon series that engages alumni, parents and friends and begins articulating the case for the Elon LEADS campaign.
Reach 25% annual alumni giving participation.
In conjunction with other campus leaders, strategically involve and invest alumni in the planning and execution of the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on Social Climate and Out of Class Engagement.
Create an innovative and effective approach for year four of #ElonDay as part of a strategic alumni engagement program and the annual giving campaign.
Establishing a national tournament tradition of athletics success along with the highest academic standards for Phoenix athletics
Work with the School of Communications to build a partnership that gives students a hands-on and immersive learning opportunity in live video production surrounding athletics, athletic events, and the growth and development of the Colonial Athletic Association.
Significantly enhance Elon’s campus with premier new academic and residential facilities and a commitment to protecting our environment
Continue the planning and implementation necessary to complete the Residential Campus Initiative (Living and Learning at Elon) facilities plan.
Plan and design new residential facilities to meet needs for additional first- and second-year student housing.
Investigate the feasibility of new and/or renovated residential facilities for cohort groups, including fraternities/sororities, other organizations, and visible, well-funded student interest cohorts.
Continue to plan and implement renovations of existing residential facilities and neighborhoods, including furnishings, gathering spaces, and faculty-in-residence apartments.
Complete design and planning for the following projects:
Facilities master plan
Sankey Hall
McEwen Dining Hall renovation and addition
Historic Neighborhood Commons building
West and Virginia residence hall renovations
Long renovation
Moseley renovation after communications facilities are completed
Powell renovation after communications facilities are completed
Elementary School
Parking lot east of McMichael
New residence halls
Study and design alternatives for future of the Koury Athletic Center spaces