Photo Credit: Kaylin Hunter
Photo Credit: Kaylin Hunter
Photo Credit: Kaylin Hunter
Elon University
Elon University is a private university of approximately 6,000 undergraduate students located in Elon, NC. Elon has a great reputation as a university, has positive impacts for the students, and most importantly, benefits the community.
Elon is held in high standing among other colleges and college rating systems. Of the Princeton Review Southeastern Colleges, Elon University was ranked as having the Most Popular Study Abroad Program, the #1 School to Watch, and Elon’s MBA Program as having the nation’s “best administered” program. Elon has received many awards and has been distinguished as one of the top Southeastern colleges in the United States.
In order to be one of the top Southeastern colleges, Elon offers unique opportunities to its students. The Elon Learning Requirement (ELR) is a program that is designed to help Elon students grow outside of the classroom. All students must complete either a study abroad experience, internship, undergraduate research, leadership, or service in order to graduate. This emphasizes the holistic learning approach of Elon University. Although the thought of completing the ELR can be daunting, most students enjoy the opportunity. Sophomore Matthew Brekus says, “I have completed two of these requirements and am pursuing a third. These experiences not only help me develop as a person but help me develop my resume.”
In addition to the ELR, Elon has many other benefits for the students. Class sizes are small, usually only 20-30 students in a class, and Elon has a 13:1 student to faculty ratio. The low student to faculty ratio and the ELR allows students to have a very personal relationship with their professors. Professors are usually very supportive of student projects, and are constantly looking for students to assist in their research.
Many students choose to attend Elon because of the class size and ELR, but also because of the campus and the programs Elon has to offer. Elon University is an accredited botanical garden and has a very picturesque campus. Many students say they chose Elon over their other collegiate options because of the beautiful campus and the feeling of a community. Elon also offers many different specialized programs that allow students to get a well-rounded liberal arts education, but specialize their major. There are Fellows programs, some which are specialized for a major and others that are not, and major programs, such as the engineering program and the business school. Applicants apply for the Fellows Programs before they get to Elon, but they do not have to declare a major or apply to a school that would limit their major decisions. This is a great way for students to explore their options and pursue their interests and passions.
Elon has many great benefits for the local community, from student volunteers, to the BioBus, and a boost to the local economy. In general, Elon students are very involved in the community. Students can take initiative and get involved on their own, or they can get involved through the Kernoodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement. The Kernoodle Center is Elon’s office of community service, and serves to get students involved in the surrounding community. The Kernoodle Center runs programs such as Campus Kitchen, which collects food, prepares meals, and delivers the food to those in need in the surrounding community. The Kernoodle Center offers opportunities in tutoring many different age levels, from elementary to high school students, coach Little League sports teams, volunteer with the elderly, or develop friendships with local children, especially from high risk families. The Kernoodle Center supports Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, Blood Drives, and America Reads. The Kernoodle Center offers many other projects, and even offers students the opportunity to design and create their own projects.
The BioBus is another great service Elon University has to offer to the community. The BioBus travels from Elon to many places throughout the community, including Target, Kohl’s, Lowes Foods, the Boys and Girls Club, Walmart, Alamance Health Care, Allied Churches, and the Burlington Housing Authority. Riding the BioBus is free of charge and is open to members of the community. Not only is the BioBus an economically friendly way to travel, it is also economically friendly. Riders do not have to pay for gas, or the general cost of driving a car.
Elon University and its students are also a boost to the economy of the surrounding areas. There are over 6,000 students at Elon University, so there are over 6,000 extra people contributing to the economy of Elon and Burlington. The campus also provides jobs for the surrounding area, from professors to landscapers to janitors. The events at Elon University are also a boost for the economy. Elon hosts several tourist events throughout the year that benefit local restaurants and hotels. Move-in Weekend, Family Weekend, Homecoming, and Graduation attract lot of families that need hotels, restaurants, taxis, and many other resources that help stimulate the economy. Move-in Weekend is also a boost for the local markets, especially the supermarkets such as Wal-Mart and Target, but also for smaller, locally owned stores.
Elon University is overall a great university that is held under very high esteem, has many programs to benefit the students, and Elon is a boost to the local economy of Elon, Burlington, and the surrounding area. Overall, Elon University is a positive impact in the community.
