Elon's transformation of the residential campus is part of a national trend for enhanced student housing.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, a major news source covering higher education, included Elon in a story on colleges that are investing in residential projects to foster an intellectual atmosphere and increase student involvement on campus.
As part of the Elon Commitment strategic plan, Elon is adding housing for 1,600 students on campus, creating seven distinct neighborhoods designed to meet the needs of students at various stages of their college careers. The goal of the nearly $100 million initiative is to create a campus with seamless connections among the academic, co-curricular and residential experiences.
Elon opened the Colonnades residential neighborhood in two phases, with completion in 2011. The Station at Mill Point, a townhouse village for juniors and seniors, opened in fall 2012. Currently under construction is the six-building Global Neighborhood, providing housing for 600 students and a 30,000-square-foot commons building housing the Isabella Cannon International Centre, classrooms, faculty offices and ample study rooms and large gathering spaces.
The Chronicle of Higher Education noted that 58 percent of Elon students currently live on campus. Smith Jackson, vice president of student life and dean of students, told The Chronicle that Elon’s goal is to increase residency to 67 percent by 2014.
Other universities featured by The Chronicle with residential projects under way include Michigan State, Southern Methodist University, Franklin & Marshall and the University of Puget Sound.