Dive Transient:
- Elon College and Queens College of Charlotte plan to merge by summer time 2026, the personal North Carolina establishments mentioned Tuesday.
- Whereas leaders are nonetheless ironing out the small print, Elon intends to function Queens “in partnership” with the latter’s leaders as soon as the merger is full, based on a joint information launch. The schools mentioned extra particulars concerning the new establishment’s management construction and programming particulars will probably be launched in early 2026.
- Leaders from Elon and Queens plan a fall listening tour within the Charlotte space to get suggestions on the proposed merger from college students, school, workers, alumni and civic leaders, and they’re going to use the enter to assist develop a plan for the mix, the establishments mentioned.
Dive Perception:
Elon and Queens, which sit about 115 miles aside, framed their intent to merge as complementary for every establishment and a approach to assist meet the tutorial wants of the Charlotte space within the coming years.
The mix “creates new benefits of scale, bringing collectively sources, school experience, analysis capability and pupil companies throughout each universities,” they mentioned within the launch.
The trustees of each establishments unanimously supported the proposed merger and can maintain a joint assembly subsequent month forward of planning for integrating the establishments’ operations, the colleges mentioned. The boards are anticipated to finalize the partnership particulars in November.
College students at each universities will have the ability to proceed their packages uninterrupted, based on a merger FAQ.
Elon is by far the bigger establishment, and the one on a development trajectory. Between 2018 and 2023, fall enrollment rose 3.1% to 7,207 college students. Throughout that very same interval, Queens’ fall headcount dropped 27.2% to 1,846.
Of the 2 establishments, Elon additionally has deeper monetary sources, with property amounting to $1.3 billion in fiscal 2024 in comparison with $337.8 million for Queens.
Queens’ price range has suffered from falling tuition revenues and a decline in authorities grants and contracts, along with rising bills. In 2024, it reported a complete deficit of $8.7 million. In the meantime, Elon logged a hefty surplus of $70.4 million throughout the identical 12 months.
However within the FAQ, the colleges mentioned their plan to merge didn’t stem from monetary misery and is “not pushed by disaster.”
As an alternative, they pointed to the workforce wants of the Charlotte space, noting rising demand for graduate levels in addition to a rising scarcity of nurse practitioners, doctor assistants and attorneys within the space.
The merger would “speed up new packages throughout very important industries” and increase entry to Elon’s legislation faculty in Charlotte — the one one within the metropolis right this moment, the establishments mentioned.
Queens has deep roots in Charlotte. It was based in 1857, initially as a ladies’s school earlier than changing into totally coed within the Nineteen Eighties. Elon was based within the metropolis of the identical identify in 1889.
“Queens has lengthy been a pacesetter in undergraduate and graduate training, deeply related to Charlotte’s civic and enterprise neighborhood and dedicated to shaping the area and nation via thought management,” Jesse Cureton, who took over as appearing president of Queens this summer time, mentioned in a press release.
He added that the merger with Elon “ensures continuity for our college students and school whereas creating daring new alternatives to increase our affect and strengthen Charlotte’s position as a hub for larger training.”
Elon President Connie Ledoux E book mentioned that the mix “unites two establishments deeply dedicated to pupil success, and collectively, we’ll increase related, high-impact packages that join educational excellence with real-world alternative in service to the Charlotte area.”
