In preparation for Elon’s 116th academic year, which begins Aug. 30, President Leo M. Lambert hosted two information sessions Thursday, Aug. 18 to give staff members an update on campus projects and special initiatives. Senior staff members and other administrators detailed the latest developments in their respective areas. Below is a summary of the sessions:
Academic Affairs-Gerry Francis, provost
- 112 new faculty and staff members will join Elon this year
- The School of Communications and the doctor of physical therapy program will receive accreditation visits this fall
- Throughout the 2005-06 academic year, a team of faculty, staff and administrators will draft Elon’s application for Phi Beta Kappa membership, with submission scheduled for fall 2006
- Construction work on the School of Law facility in downtown Greensboro has begun; work will be completed in May 2006
- Former presidential adviser David Gergen has agreed to serve on the Law School Advisory Board
- The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning will move to Holland House in the next few days; Peter Felten is the center’s director
- During the upcoming year, the academic affairs office will work with the Long Range Planning Committee to examine three important issues: current and future needs for campus housing, Elon’s institutional peer list and future needs for academic facilities
Admissions-Susan Klopman, dean of admissions and financial planning
- Total number of applications for fall 2005 enrollment: 9,065, up 12 percent from 2004; Elon accepted 41 percent of these applicants
- Projected size of freshman class: 1,240; incoming class will have a 40/60 male/female ratio; 10 percent minority students; 27 percent from North Carolina
- GPA range of freshman class is 3.5-4.4; SAT range is 1140-1280
- 32 percent are Presidential Scholars, with an average GPA of 4.4 and an average SAT of 1300
- Honors Fellows have an average GPA of 4.7 and a 1399 SAT average
Business, Finance and Technology-Gerald Whittington, vice president
- New facilities are available on South Campus, including Johnston Hall, which will house Institutional Advancement and Alumni and Parent Relations staff; Harden Hall (club sports) and Holt Chapel will open in the next two weeks
- Elon club sports fields will open this fall; golf driving range also scheduled to open
- Elon is working with the N.C. Railroad to install new sidewalks adjacent to the tracks on Lebanon Avenue and Trollinger Street
- Railroad will work with the university on a pedestrian tunnel under the tracks for safe access to South Campus from main campus
- Construction on new housing at the current Jordan Center location will begin in October; 500 beds will be available there by fall 2006. The new complex will the called The Oaks
- In late spring 2006, the physical plant will move from Elon West to the building currently occupied by R.H. Barringer on Haggard Avenue
- The art department will move from the Center for the Arts to Elon West; the dance program will move to the Center for the Arts from the Stewart Fitness Center, which will be enlarged
- With the Koury Business Center scheduled to open in fall 2006, construction of a new dining hall and two new residence halls near that site will begin this academic year
- The university has received a $1 million federal grant to replace gasoline campus shuttle busses with biodiesel busses
New Faculty-Staff Center-Nancy Midgette, associate provost
- The front portion of Holland House will be used for the new Faculty-Staff Center, scheduled to open Monday, Sept. 12
- The center will be open to all faculty and staff from 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; it will include one small meeting room, a lounge area, patio and a kitchen with free water and soft drinks
- Faculty and staff will be able to view an online menu and place an order for lunch, which will be delivered to the Faculty-Staff Center
Institutional Advancement-Nan Perkins, vice president
- Staff is excited about the move to Johnston Hall, which will contain an alumni center with displays about the university’s alumni and history
- This year, advancement staff will plan Elon’s next capital campaign, which will focus on building the endowment
Faculty/Staff Campaign-Jana Lynn Patterson, associate dean of students, campaign chair
- Last year, 55 percent of full-time faculty and staff made a financial donation to Elon
- Participation by faculty and staff is crucial for the university to secure outside grants and other funding
Student Development and Student Life-Smith Jackson, vice president and dean of student life
- Personal responsibility by students will be stressed this year as an essential Elon community value
- Leigh-Anne Royster has been hired as coordinator for personal health programs and community well-being; she will focus on areas such as relationships between students, sexual assault and personal wellness issues
- Students living within a 10-minute walk of campus will be asked to walk rather than drive; parking on campus by students living in certain areas is restricted during daytime hours and campus shuttles are provided from many nearby housing areas popular with students
- The Panhellenic garden adjacent to the Ellington Health Center will be dedicated during Homecoming
- Campus housing will be full this fall
- The “Take a Student to Lunch” program will allow faculty and staff to strengthen their relationships with students; meals will be provided in campus dining facilities, including the Acorn Coffee Shop