Upper-Division Community Development Pathway

The Upper-Division Community Development Pathway focuses on themes that address the developmental needs of upper-division students who are preparing for more independent living in apartments and transitioning from Elon:  Junior and Senior Community Development Model

  • Emerging adulthood is the transition students face as they move into their first apartment, navigate adult relationships, become more self-aware, and explore what positive self-care practices are. Emerging adulthood is learning to embrace the differences and growth that have taken place from the first years to now and recognizing the growth that can still take place. “As they try out different courses and different majors, they explore a variety of different ideas that help them develop their worldview, another key aspect of identity development” (Arnett, 2016, p. 219). Emerging adulthood is the journey and preparation students experience in their later years at Elon.
  • Social zeal is the cultivation of enthusiasm that happens when you learn something new, try something new, and practice healthy risk-taking. Social zeal is learning from your failure and trying again, similar to grit but with added enthusiasm. A deeper level of social zeal is seeing an issue in your community and working with others to address it. Another deeper example of social zeal is recognizing and cultivating enthusiasm for personal growth in analyzing identities and being willing to show up, listen deeply, and learn greatly.
  • Wellness is “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices towards, a more successful existence” (NWI, 2018). Wellness is an institutional focus that allows us to use a framework that outlines community, emotional, financial, physical, purpose, and social as key dimensions of wellness. We see wellness as a goal for upper-division students and we see making meaning of their transitions and exploring these dimensions as avenues to thrive.
  • Life after Elon is the preparation for graduation, getting a job, preparing for graduate school, and sharing your Elon experience once you leave. Reflection involves analyzing the best way to tell your story and examining how Elon has contributed to your development as a human, while recognizing what growth still needs to be done and how to be a lifelong learner.