President Leo Lambert led a session on Aug. 16 about goals for the year related to the Elon Commitment strategic plan.
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Elon staff members took the opportunity on Aug. 16 to ask questions of top university leaders about priorities for the 2012-13 academic year that move Elon closer to the goals outlined in the Elon Commitment strategic plan.
In two separate sessions in Whitley Auditorium led by Elon President Leo M. Lambert, staff inquired about diversity and inclusion initiatives, student employment on campus, sustainability programs, alumni engagement and many other issues.
In addition, three new campus leaders had the opportunity to outline their plans as they begin their work at Elon.
Chief Dennis Franks, director of Campus Safety and Police
Franks comes to Elon from the Pekin, Ill., police department, and he said in the meetings that building relationships with the community is a central component to his leadership and management style. The department is already planning to support Special Olympics through fundraisers in other events.
“That’s the heart of campus policing,” he said. “It’s being a good servant. We have to be good servants. That’s my core belief.”
Joan Ruelle, dean and university librarian
Ruelle spent 15 years in library science at the University of Virginia and Hollins University. She began work at Elon’s Carol Grotnes Belk Library on June 1.
Ruelle told staff gathered in Whitley Auditorium that she intends to focus on personal outreach initiatives, notably with program such as the Personal Librarian Program and by working with faculty to understand curriculum innovations.
“The more we know what’s happening with curriculum, the more we can support teaching and learning,” Ruelle said. “I am thrilled to be working with an exceptional staff at Belk Library.”
Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
Tadepalli joined the Elon community from Babson College in Massachusetts where he served as Murata Dean and Professor of Marketing in the F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
Tadepalli said he wants to foster an even greater level of interaction between the Love School and not only the campus community, but the greater Alamance County and Guilford County business communities.
He cited the Elon University School of Law as one program that is successfully forging new relationships with community stakeholders through various clinics and other programs.
“There are things we can learn form these successes and things that we can see about emulating,” he said.