The university is planning a number of events and initiatives for the campus community to watch the results on Election Night and discuss the outcomes after all the votes are counted.
As the country gears up for Election Day, Elon University is preparing a lineup of events and discussions to follow along with the results as they come in and to better understand the outcomes once the votes are counted. The university is also gathering resources for students, faculty and staff to process the results in what’s been a unique election year.
An overview of the events and initiatives now under development can be found on the “Post-Election Resources” tab of the Elon Votes! website, and the university is encouraging all members of the campus community to explore what will be available before Election Day comes.
Continuing to support physical and emotional well-being remains a top priority during this stressful period. Campus Recreation and Wellness, Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, and Counseling Services will continue their regular schedule of mindfulness and well-being classes and programs. Counseling Services will have additional clinicians available for appointments in the final weeks of the semester. In addition, Campus Recreation and Wellness facilities will not broadcast post-election news coverage on the TV monitors from Nov. 3 through the end of the semester in order to provide opportunities to disconnect from media stressors.
In recognition of concerns about acts of hatred and their physical safety in this period leading up to the election, and afterward, university officials, including Campus Safety and Police, continue to work with the Town of Elon and other agencies to ensure safety on campus and we will actively monitor any developments in the coming weeks. We have filed a request to the Town of Elon to close East Haggard Avenue. through the heart of campus in the days following the election, and we have committed to using the E-Alert system to notify the community of any unplanned disruptions that affect campus. Be sure you are signed up for E-Alert, using the information available here.
Information will be available to faculty and staff about supporting post-election conversations in classrooms and student meetings, should you wish to do so. Colleagues in the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, Center for Equity and Inclusive Excellence, and the Council on Civic Engagement stand ready to support you in those efforts.
Several events and drop-in locations are planned for the days and weeks after the election, including:
Hopes for the Future: Public Art Project
Wednesday, Nov. 4, East Haggard Avenue, between Scott Plaza and Young Commons
As our community and nation come together after a highly contentious election season, we have many hopes for our collective future. Share your hopes for the future by writing on the large display boards or directly on the street. The project is inspired by the work of artist Candy Chang.
Sponsored by the Division of Student Life
Post-Election Reflection and Conversation Spaces
Wednesday, Nov. 4 to Friday, Nov. 6, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
Student Life spaces available and staffed throughout the week for drop-in reflection and conversation.
- CREDE & El Centro
- Gender & LGBTQIA Center
- Kernodle Center for Civic Life
- Numen Lumen Pavilion (reflection/meditation) & Sklut Hillel Center
- Several centers will also host additional in-person or virtual drop-in opportunities, advertised on their websites, newsletters, or social media.
After the Vote: Political Science Faculty Panel Discussion
Thursday, Nov. 5, 4:15 p.m., Zoom Link
Join faculty members from the Department of Political Science and Policy Studies to learn more about the 2020 general election results. Faculty will break down where things stand as votes are still being counted in the presidential election. Faculty will also discuss the outcome of competitive U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races as well as what these results mean going forward.
Sponsored by the Department of Political Science and Policy Studies
Post-Election Wellness and Opportunities Panel
Monday, November 9, 4 to 5 p.m., Zoom Link
In the wake of the November election, Mark Eades from Counseling Services will host a virtual panel to help support student well-being. Eades will share thoughts and resources to promote wellness and moderate a panel designed to highlight opportunities for students to engage in organizations and programs that will allow them to become more active citizens and contributors to civic life.
Panelists will include students and staff from Student Involvement, College Republicans, College Democrats, Elon Volunteers!, and the Kernodle Center for Civic Life.
Sponsored by Counseling Services and the Kernodle Center for Civic Life
2020 Election Faculty/Staff Reflection
Friday, Nov. 13, 1:50 to 2:50 p.m., Zoom Link
Whatever the outcome of the election, chances are that our campus community will benefit from an opportunity to reflect and process together. In this lightly facilitated virtual session, we’ll have time to reflect on the 2020 election and how it has come up in our subsequent interactions with students and colleagues — inside and outside of the classroom. We’ll also invite breakout groups to consider: What does it mean to be an active citizen post-election? How do we work with students to help them think this way? How, that is, do we think and act forward?
Faculty and staff are invited to this campus-wide conversation sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, the Council on Civic Engagement, and the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
As other initiatives or events are scheduled in the coming weeks, the university will update the information on the Elon Votes! website and will send a reminder message about these events right before Election Day.