Elle Collins currently guides the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program at the University of Florida and will join Elon University in April as executive director of a campus office that helps students from all backgrounds thrive in higher education.
A college administrator with more than a decade of progressive leadership experience in student development, engagement and advocacy has been named the next executive director of Elon University’s Center for Access & Success.
Elle Collins, director of the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program at the University of Florida, will manage a campus center that offers six programs serving students as young as pre-kindergarten in Alamance County through senior year at Elon University.
A self-described lifelong learner, Collins – herself a first-generation college graduate – begins work at Elon University on April 23, 2025.
“Among her many professional accomplishments, what stands out most about Elle Collins is a commitment to collaboration,” said Elon University Provost Rebecca Kohn. “She has already worked closely with communities and stakeholders across two campuses to identify opportunities for better serving students of all backgrounds. Those experiences are certain to guide our future here.
“This isn’t simply a career for Ms. Collins. It’s a passion. Her stories of resilience and perseverance in navigating the college application process, and the way she reflects on the role of mentors in guiding her journey, clearly demonstrate personal values that align with those we celebrate at Elon University.”
As executive director of the Office of Access and Success, Collins will soon lead of team of 18 staff members and graduate apprentices from the Elon University’s Master of Arts in Higher Education program who manage:
- “It Takes a Village” Project: A district-wide tutoring initiative aimed at enhancing the academic achievement of elementary students across 12 Title I schools in Alamance County.
- Beyond 12: A program that supports college and career readiness by focusing on students in three Title I middle schools in Alamance County.
- Elon Academy: A college access and success program for academically promising high school students in the Alamance County community who demonstrate a financial need and/or no family history of college.
- Odyssey Program: A four-year program that supports Elon University students eager to benefit from a college education but who face financial barriers that may otherwise limit their access.
- First-Generation Student Support Services: An Elon University initiative designed to support students who are the first in their families to pursue a college education.
- iBelong Mentoring Program: Supported by North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities, an Elon University program that provides mentoring and career readiness programs that increase persistence, retention, and/or graduation rates of first-and second-year students, particularly those from underrepresented communities.
“I am particularly drawn to the mission of the Center for Access and Success because it aligns seamlessly with my values and experiences,” Collins said. “I firmly believe in advocating for educational equity through a strength-based lens and promoting collaboration among stakeholders, including parents, community leaders and university faculty.”
“I firmly believe in advocating for educational equity through a strength-based lens and promoting collaboration among stakeholders, including parents, community leaders and university faculty.”
– Elle Collins, the next executive director of Elon University’s Center for Access & Success
In her current role with the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program, Collins oversees comprehensive support initiatives designed for first-generation students. She leads strategic planning and programming and helps develop tailored support systems that foster connections with faculty and staff across 16 colleges and units, having scaled the program’s reach to assist thousands of first-generation students.
Prior to directing the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program, Collins served the University of Florida as interim senior director of inclusion and multicultural engagement where she managed an operating budget of approximately $1 million and led a team of professionals and student staff who championed community engagement and belonging.
Her previous responsibilities in higher education include roles in Residence Life & Education at the University of Florida and with the State University of New York at Buffalo’s College Success Initiatives.
Collins is the middle daughter of three girls raised in Buffalo in a household with limited trust in systems and government. She recalls filling out a paper copy of the FAFSA and teaching herself how to read tax documents. That experience is only a small part of what shapes her approach to working with first-generation students.
“My mom didn’t understand why I needed her personal information to embark on this journey – and that’s an important story to tell,” Collins said. “I navigated every step of the way to college by myself, filling out housing and financial aid applications and taking the public bus to campus when there were information sessions for new students.”
Collins would thrive as a University at Buffalo student, majoring in health and human services and then completing a Master of Science in education, leadership and policy – higher education administration.
“At heart, I’m a collaborator,” Collins said. “I’m a lifelong learning. I’m a researcher. I learn from people. I’m curious. And my passion is influencing or having the opportunity to shift systems or structures, or co-create systems and structures, leaving places better than how I found them and doing that in collaboration with the community.”
Search Committee for the Next Executive Director of the Center for Access & Success
- Ann Bullock, Dr. Jo Watts Williams Dean of Education (Co-Chair)
- Kelly McKinney, University Controller (Co-Chair)
- Stephanie Baker, Associate Professor of Public Health Studies, and Chair of the Department of Public Health Studies
- Vanessa Bravo, Professor of Strategic Communications and Assistant Dean of the School of Communications
- Kenneth Brown, Jr., Assistant Director, First-Generation Student Support Services
- Laura Clemmons, Assistant Director, It Takes a Village Project
- Marcus Elliott, Director, Odyssey Scholars Program
- Brian Feeley, Assistant Vice President for University Advancement
- Jonathan McElderry, Dean of Student Inclusive Excellence and Assistant Professor
- Kim Pyne, Associate Professor of English and Teacher Education
- George Robinson, Assistant Director of Recruitment and Scholar Support, Elon Academy
- Kimberly Stapleton, Assistant Director of Financial Aid for University Engagement and Partnerships
- Denise Teeters, Director of International Student Services
- Cora Wigger, Assistant Professor of Economics, Martha and Spencer Love School of Business