The Elon board of trustees has approved the budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year, providing major new investments in programs and personnel that serve students. Details…
Trustees approved the budget in a special meeting on March 1. Their action will fund 51 new faculty and staff positions, increase financial aid, enhance housing and dining options on campus, and fund numerous new initiatives in academics and student life.
Setting 2007-08 costs:
Next year’s tuition and fees will be set at $22,166. Room and board for a typical student will be $7,296 (rates vary depending on board plans and housing choices). This represents a total package increase of 7.95 percent. Elon is proud of its ability to provide a top-quality private education at a cost significantly below our peer institutions. This year, Elon’s cost is 10 percent below the national average for private colleges and universities and more than 13 percent lower than the average for other top-10 private colleges in the South.
Key investments:
Additional faculty again tops Elon’s list of priorities for the next academic year. The university will add 20 new full-time positions, continuing progress toward reducing part-time faculty and giving professors more time to work one-on-one with students. Elon has added 110 full-time faculty positions since 2000, a period of remarkable growth.
Thirty one additional staff positions will also be added during the next year, meeting increased demand for student services. Career Services staffing will be expanded, part of a major initiative to enhance programs that help students make successful transitions from Elon to their careers or graduate school. Elon will also add counseling, residence life, recreation and health services personnel; provide four additional campus safety and police officers; increase athletics staffing; and provide additional physical plant personnel to support new campus facilities.
Topping the list of new facilities for next year is The Colonnades, a complex with an exciting dining hall and two apartment buildings. This 154-bed residential area will be similar in style and quality to The Oaks, providing single-bedroom units that are very popular with students. The entire campus will enjoy the many options at The Colonnades Dining Hall, including a steak house, Mongolian-style grill, and a deli, as well as Mediterranean cuisine, organic foods, and salads. Also opening in the fall are the next two pavilions of the Academic Village, providing new facilities for the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, and the religious studies and philosophy departments. New learning resources will also include continued growth in library and technology funding, an expensive but essential investment for our students in the rapidly changing information age.
Next year’s budget includes a significant increase in financial aid, including new resources for students with a variety of talents, as well as those who struggle to meet the cost of their education. This is a crucial step in Elon’s evolution, ensuring that we continue to attract and support young men and women from many backgrounds. Their perspectives and special abilities in academics, the arts, athletics and many other areas greatly enrich our community.
Elon is also continuing to make investments in faculty and staff, providing competitive salaries, sabbaticals, research funding and professional development programs to attract and retain the best people and maintain our leadership position in higher education.