The special report highlighted Elon's Department of Nursing programs, Love School of Business graduate programs and the Department of Engineering.
A new special report from the Triad Business Journal on “The State of Higher Ed” is highlighting Elon University’s nursing, business and engineering programs.
The Feb. 18 edition of the regional business publication examines how Elon and other colleges and universities in the region factor into the local economy by helping meet labor force and business needs.
An article examining the nursing shortage in the area as well as nationally included insight into how Elon’s new Department of Nursing, which welcomed its first students last fall, is helping train new generations of health care workers.
Tiffany Morris, the inaugural chair of the department, explained that Elon anticipates being able to admit up to 56 students to its traditional four-year nursing program and 56 students to its 16-month accelerated nursing program each fall.
“We should have more than 300 nursing students by fall 2024,” Morris told the Triad Business Journal. “We want to be part of closing the nursing shortage gap.”
The Triad Business Journal also examined how local colleges and universities could support recent major economic development projects, including a $1.29 billion electric battery plant planned by Toyota Motor North America. By the time the plant comes online in 2025, Elon Director of Engineering Outreach John Ring said he sees Elon in a position to provide students to Toyota who have the technical foundations to pursue a variety of roles with the company.
“After taking core courses, these students will have the opportunity to pursue internships with Toyota,” Ring said.
Finally, the Triad Business Journal examined how local MBA programs are adapting during the pandemic, with many relying on online classes to address health and safety concerns.
Kristy Ruiz, director of graduate programs for the Love School of Business, shared that Elon had moved MBA classes online early in the pandemic, but has since returned to in-person offerings and last year had its largest MBA graduating class ever.
“We attribute that to the fact that we’re a part-time working professional program, and a number of the working professionals were sheltered in place and their employers were no longer having them travel,” Ruiz said. “When we were offering some classes online, students had more free time in their professional and personal lives to take additional courses, so they revised graduation plans to graduate in May 2021.”