Nearly 80 faculty and staff met face-to-face at Elon University to shape academic, cultural and operational plans for a merger that will enhance the student experience on both campuses and expand educational offerings in the Charlotte region.
Faculty and staff from Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte gathered this month for the first in-person meetings of the strategic planning and integration teams, which are continuing to work on a merger that will expand educational opportunities and strengthen education across the region.
A daylong visit to Elon’s campus in Alamance County on Feb. 13, 2026, brought together representatives from both institutions to advance conversations centered on the academic, operational and cultural framework of a merged university. Combined, the integration team and the SOAR Strategic Planning Committee are composed of nearly 80 members.
In welcoming remarks, Elon University President Connie Ledoux Book thanked participants for their leadership in what she described as a historic effort. While expressing confidence in the regulatory path ahead, she emphasized that the real work extends beyond approval.
The goal, she said, is to ensure the merger “advances both of our institutions and fulfills the hopes and dreams and aspirations that we have.”
Book framed the integration as an opportunity to build new pathways for students, pointing to recent program expansion at Elon and the power of launching new academic initiatives. “It’s this reminder that we can bring to life a vision, that we can build a future, and that future can create meaningful educational opportunities for deserving people,” she said.
Participants responded to her invitation to describe their feelings about the merger in a single word: “Hopeful,” “energized,” “invigorated,” “proud,” and “curious” echoed across Turner Theatre inside Elon University’s School of Communications.
Book also shared insights from conversations with business leaders experienced in mergers, outlining three principles she said are essential for organizational success: relevance, reputation and clear reward for engagement. Those ideas, she explained, will inform how the combined institution positions its academic programs and community partnerships moving forward.
Acknowledging Queens’ history — which traces its roots to the Presbyterian Institute for Women — she noted the importance of honoring a legacy that expanded educational opportunity, particularly for women, in Charlotte. “It’s on my mind, but it’s also in my heart,” Book said of preserving that mission while building something new together.
Leaders from both institutions have said the merger aims to create a stronger, more comprehensive university serving students across the region, while maintaining a commitment to academic excellence, community engagement and student-centered learning.
Book emphasized the value of in-person connection in building trust and shared purpose. “Visiting somebody in their home is how you get to know them,” she said. “Welcome to our home.”
Following campus tours, a panel conversation on Elon University’s signature experiences, and a group lunch in McEwen Dining Hall, members of both teams broke into subcommittees for deeper discussion on questions and possibilities within focus areas such as operations and systems, engaged teaching and learning, the undergraduate campus experience and student life, access and opportunity, and corporate and community partnerships.
Work was centered on the ideation of bold, creative ideas about what becomes possible through the merger.
The SOAR committee plans to present a preliminary list of ideas to the universities’ boards of trustees at their springtime meetings as a midpoint check-in. A final compendium of the best ideas and concepts is expected by July 1.
Faculty, staff, and administrators from Elon University will travel to the Queens University of Charlotte campus on Feb. 27 for the next in-person gathering of the two teams.