Elon University holds listening session for parents about proposed Queens merger

Jim Piatt, senior vice president for advancement and external affairs and co-chair of the Elon University and Queens University merger sprint team, held a listening session for parents on Sept. 27 in Global Commons 103. 

The sprint team is made up of 15 leaders from Elon and Queens who specialize in areas such as campus facilities and operations; budget, finance and human resources; academic programs, accreditation and faculty; and graduate education.

The session was part of Elon’s Family Weekend activities and aimed to provide a space for parents to ask questions and share feedback about the proposed merger between Elon and Queens, which was announced on Sept. 16.

Since the announcement, Elon has held several meetings for members of the community to voice their concerns and ask questions. University president Connie Book attended a Student Government Association meeting on Sept. 18, and hosted a town hall for faculty and staff with Elon representatives of the merger sprint team on Sept. 19.

“In all of these conversations that have been happening, conversations about balance sheets and money, this is about serving students and serving our communities in the best ways that we can,” Piatt said. “We want to be nationally competitive and locally rooted.”

Piatt said the merger would represent Elon’s commitment to innovate in academic programs and opportunities, and shows shared values between Elon and Queens.

“We both have deep, value-based commitments to students, and we believe that those values really help us on the synergy side of all this in terms of merging our cultures,” Piatt said. “On the business side of this, on the financial side, a merged institution would provide an asset base of close to $2 billion, and we know the strength that that suggests moving forward from a financial standpoint.”

According to Piatt, the boards of trustees at Elon and Queens will vote on a definitive agreement to merge in November. If the agreement is signed, the application must be processed through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the accreditation body for both Elon and Queens. Once that is approved, Elon could assume operations and governance of Queens as soon as August 2026 and the two boards of trustees would be merged.

Piatt fielded questions at the parents’ listening session about why Elon chose to pursue a merger, what the merger would mean for the name and branding of both schools, and how graduate programs may be affected or expanded.

Several parents inquired about why Elon would expand when the landscape of higher education is shifting and the demographic cliff is set to hit next year. Piatt said the decision to merge came from years of expansion and studying the markets in Charlotte.

According to Piatt, more than 3000 Elon alums are located in the Charlotte metropolitan area, and it has become a prominent destination for college graduates both from North Carolina and other states.

Elon first expanded into Charlotte in 2023 with the opening of its regional center in South End. The Charlotte campus is currently home to Elon’s Law Flex program and “Sport and Community Experience” academic program for students interested in sport management. In March, the physician assistant program announced they would be heading to Charlotte, and the first class is set to start in January 2027.

“Charlotte, in our assessments and in our work to study Charlotte, is largely underserved when it comes to higher education,” Piatt said. “That doesn’t say anything about quality. That’s not a statement on that. It’s a statement about the capacity to serve students there.”

Parents were also concerned about how the Elon name and brand may change or be influenced by a merger. Elon parent Rocco Impreveduto expressed that Elon graduates are perceived highly by many companies, and he worries that may decrease if the school merges with a less well-known university.

“One thing I feel very strongly about is that the Elon brand should not change in any way, shape or form,” Impreveduto said in an interview with Elon News Network. “It’s got great value, I would say, in the marketplace — the kids are well regarded when they graduate. From a parent’s perspective, it’s a good return on our investment, and I want to make sure that that doesn’t get diminished or changed.”

Kate Gray | Elon News Network

Elon parent Rocco Impreveduto asks a question at the parents listening session for the Queens merger on Sept. 27. He expressed concerns over how Elon University graduates may be perceived differently by potential employers if the proposed merger is actualized.

Piatt assured parents that both schools would retain their identities, but decisions about names are yet to be made.

“Elon University is committed to the Elon University name,” Piatt said. “This question about naming does come up. We’ve made the commitment, both at Queens and at Elon, that we will respect identity, heritage and legacy.”

Some, including Elon parent Amy Galvin, expressed initial confusion with the merger and noted that they appreciate clarity and the administration’s willingness to hear feedback.

“My first initial reaction was, what does this mean? What does this mean for our son and his graduation in the next few years?” Galvin told Elon News Network. “But then, as I read more about it, it seemed to be a good thing, and it seemed to mostly be affecting adding additional graduate options.”

Galvin said she came to the listening session to learn more about the merger than what she could access online.

“I feel a little more comfortable and just a little more understanding that this is a merger. They’re very clear about that and that it’s not an acquisition,” Galvin said. “I feel good for the Queens students as well, that they will be heard, and it sounds like it’s going to be a good, strong thing for both universities.”

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}