That’s interesting. I wonder if there will be a name change. Charlotte is certainly a more vibrant area and I could see that being more appealing to some prospective students. My in-laws live in Charlotte and my MIL went to Queens, but you really don’t hear about it the way you hear about Elon. My kids wouldn’t even think about Elon, though, because of the location.
Very interesting. They may be looking at pulling an Emory and start building an engineering/medical campus in Charlotte during the next 10 years – its kind of surprising that there’s no major private universities in Charlotte. Their law program in Charlotte is interesting, would be relatively straightforward to either move the Greensboro program or have dual locations.
I was wondering if they will expand their law school. Wake just started their med school program this year in Charlotte.
Can you clarify your analogy to Emory? Emory’s satellite, 2 year Oxford college is only about 35 miles from main campus so students can go between the two when need be. Queens U is a 4 year school, almost 2 hours from Elon. Perhaps they might offer an opportunity to spend a semester or a year at the other campus? Will need to read more to see how this merger is going to work. But I found it very interesting when I spotted it this morning.
They’re very vague, talking about their “community listening” over the next year or two. Which you’d expect. But if someone really rich offered $100M+, I imagine they’d go. I’d start with a campus to do years 3+4 in Charlotte (reverse of Emory). Or move Engineering/Nursing, could do the whole programs in Charlotte. Athletics is a problem.
With 6300 undergrads, do they really want to invest in expansion where they are? Or instead transition over 50 years to 10000 undergrads in Charlotte?
I didn’t know Wake Medical opened a campus in Charlotte. Fascinating.
Apologies- I am still confused. If someone offered $100M they’d go?? Who would go, and where? and the 3+4 ? Where and why? Are you thinking an auto admit to a graduate or professional program? Right now, I see this merger as perhaps more like the merger of Armstrong State U and Georgia Southern (though obviously these are public, not private schools) as they are separate, multi campus institutions. Not sure how the opportunity to attend one or the other, given the distance, might work.
I think it’s potentially Win-win. Elon can offer a semester internship with a couple courses on the Queen’s campus as well as increase its graduate/professional imprint, and Queens can gain students.
Why? They can run two separate programs like they each do now. Queens transitioned to D1 two years ago. Its strongest program, I understand, is swimming.
Probably will focus on graduate programs at the Charlotte campus.
Most likely was the cheapest option for Elon University to establish a presence in Charlotte.
As the article states, this was a survival move for financially struggling Queens.
Elon already has a brand new campus in uptown Charlotte (link in post above). Looks like they offer a part time law program, sports management and are planning to add a PA program. It will be interesting to see what they do with the Queens campus.
The relatively remote location of its main campus is an issue for many in-state applicants but doesn’t seem to bother applicants from the northern states.
Queens University’s campus is just gorgeous! Many forget it’s even there until they become lost in the maze of “Queens” (IYKYK) and stumble upon the campus and wonder “What is this beautiful place in the middle of Myers Park?” Queens is a good school but it’s just not on most applicant’s radar. Elon has more name recognition.
How they handle the athletics will be interesting. Several students from my D’s high school have been scholarship athletes at Queens.
Which is so weird. NC is a beautiful and vibrant state, but Elon and Burlington are not the the best areas. They are not “remote” in my book, but just in such a blah and kinda boring area just off the interstate. So many more interesting areas in NC to go to college. Good school, though. Not my kids’ vibe, but respect to Elon U.
I agree Burlington does not have a lot to offer in terms of urban amenities. However, Elon is #1 or #2 for student study abroad participation. Open Doors reported 94% of Elon students study abroad typically for a minimum of one semester. My sense is Elon will expand opportunities for semester undergraduate study and internships in Charlotte. This merger makes a lot of sense for Elon and fills some gaps to strengthen their value offer to applicants.
It was D2 until a few years ago. My daughter played there a few times and it is a beautiful place with very nice athletic facilities. Now that it is D1, and all the rule have changed about scholarships and roster size, no one knows what will happen, but that was the case whether they merge athletics with Elon or not.
I don’t remember if it was one of the schools that took Limestone students or not.
I suspect that they will try to take advantage of the Myers Park campus being so close Charlotte’s finance and banking opportunities. Both my daughters work in corporate banking finance in Charlotte. I ask them all the time where their coworkers went to college. I’ve never once heard “Elon”. That could be because their graduates end up in Raleigh or go back to their home states, but maybe having a physical presence in Charlotte will inject more of their graduates into our market.
I was impressed with their B-school when we toured, so I don’t doubt that it’s a strong program.
Well that still leave a LOT of semesters to be in Burlington/Elon. I am local to the area so very familiar with the amenities of Alamance County NC (and there are some, but it’s a pretty small town and ex-urban strip mall kinda place). Elon’s campus is nice enough, though.
So glad my out-of-state kid chose Elon! As a business fellow, she had a school-paid trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, met with several New York-based companies, and had a fantastic semester abroad. She is getting a bachelors and masters degree in four years, thanks to Elon’s 3+1 accelerated program, and has a high-paying job lined up for after graduation. Going to a smaller school really helped her confidence and allowed her to shine. There is much more to the school than the towns of Elon and Burlington, and there are many wonderful opportunities.
As for the merger, good luck to both schools! While I am reading that some Queens alums are not happy, usually the mergers are the result of some financial distress on one college’s part.