<p>Elon University is more of a parental institution than most schools, I think, but as to why it’s not very clear. Risk management is evidently on the mind of the administration and I believe that the school comes off as strict to those who have bumped up against the rules for this reason. Perhaps a desire to snuff out a past reputation as a “party school” or conservative religious ties, however distant they may be, also add to the mix. </p>
<p>Risk-takers: beware. Elon’s approach is to begin with Freshmen and orient them to personal responsibility for their actions, however I suspect that student welfare is as much a concern as is a need for defensive positioning. Beyond individual accountably, know that if a student should be so unfortunate as to be involved with a bad outcome that can be traced back to a campus organization (i.e. dorm group, sports team, fraternity/sorority) history indicates that consequences and disciplinary actions, justified or unjustified, can be quite extreme particularly if the school perceives a threat to its reputation. Yes, Elon students do party, but they learn to do so off-campus and as far out of the reach of administrators and local authorities as possible — be aware.</p>