The Elon College Board of Trustees has approved a $69.3 million budget for the 2001-2002 fiscal year, including funding for 37 new full-time faculty and staff positions. The budget also includes major investments in library resources and technology. The board approved the budget at its annual spring meeting held March 13-14 on the Elon campus.
Twelve new faculty positions will be added next fall. Since 1997, Elon has added more than 50 full-time faculty positions, enriching the quality of academic programs and reducing the student-faculty ratio and class sizes.
An additional 25 positions will provide staff for new campus facilities and Elon’s expanding technology program. Since 1998, Elon has constructed McMichael Science Center, Belk Library and several residence halls. Rhodes Stadium, the R. N. Ellington Health and Counseling Center and two new residence halls will open this fall.
Spending on library acquisitions has more than doubled since 1999 and additional substantial increases are planned for the next three years. Students now have access to extensive electronic resources, databases, books, more than 10,000 online journals and a wide array of audiovisual resources.
“Belk Library has become the academic center of campus and we have extended hours of operation to meet student demand,” said Leo M. Lambert, Elon president. “The new library resources give students access to superior materials for study and research.”
The new budget includes funding for the second year of Elon’s three-year technology initiative, a 15 percent increase in student financial aid, and programs outlined in Elon’s new strategic plan, NewCentury@Elon.
Tuition for the 2001-2002 academic year will be $14,335, an increase of $779. Room, board and fees will total $5,095, a $210 increase. The total increase of 5.36 percent is the smallest in three years. Elon’s 2001-2002 cost will remain about 18 percent below the national average for private colleges and universities. Elon’s costs are about 5 percent below the average for schools in the South, 36 percent below the average for schools in New England, 25 percent below the average for schools in Middle States and 10 percent below the average for schools in the Midwest.
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