When a University Stays Focused on Students and Learning, the Nation Takes Notice
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When a university stays focused on students and learning, the nation takes notice. Elon’s remarkable growth is tied to two central beliefs: ELON has built a Students learn most deeply through engaged, hands-on experiences. reputation as a university Students’ lives are transformed through personal a school that transformed relationships with faculty and staff whose first priorities like no other, are teaching and mentoring. from a small North Carolina liberal arts college to become Now, in a time of fundamental change, Elon University a prestigious national university with 7,000 students from has emerged as the leader in defining what matters most around the world. in a college education. 1 ELON UNIVERSITY ELON UNIVERSITY The National The nation’s Leader in #1 “BEST-RUN “Student Success” COLLEGE” Elon has joined the U.S. News & World Report National #1 Most beautiful campus Universities category. As a Doctoral/Professional #2 Study abroad program institution, Elon ranks #84 among the nation’s most #6 Theater program prestigious universities. #7 Career services top #9 Best college dorms Elon is the only college in the nation #17 Happiest students recognized in all eight categories of 100 high-impact academic programs. #1 Study Abroad #1 Learning Communities IN STUDY ABROAD FOR #2 First-Year Experiences 14 STRAIGHT YEARS #2 Service Learning Institute of International Education 1 #4 Undergraduate Research/ Creative Projects #4 Internships/Co-ops #5 Senior Capstone BEST-VALUE #10 Writing in the Disciplines 30 PRIVATE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING 2 WALL STREET JOURNAL / top STUDENT TIMES HIGHER MOST INNOVATIVE EDUCATION ENGAGEMENT 11UNIVERSITIES 20 3 ELON UNIVERSITY ELON UNIVERSITY The pioneer Elon Sports Vision Students plan, produce and staff more than 70 live and leader in broadcasts of Elon Phoenix experiential competition. Elon University Poll Lumen Prize Students help select questions, Lumen Scholars receive learning conduct the poll, crunch the $20,000 to support two-year Colleges across the country embrace the value of engaged teaching data and prepare the findings research projects that are for public release. guided by faculty mentors. and learning. Elon pioneered this approach 25 years ago with excellent classroom teaching that includes simulations, research, group projects and presentations, along with programs beyond the classroom, called the Elon Experiences – study abroad, internships, research, service and leadership. Examples of how we learn Elon undergraduates lead the nation in engaged learning: Study abroad Participate in a learning Performing Arts (Elon 78%, National Average 11%) community Internships Elon music theatre graduates (Elon 42%, National Average 23%) Nine out of 10 students complete star in Broadway shows and Complete an internship at least one internship with music production grads are (Elon 89%, National Average 49%) Have a culminating senior businesses and organizations making waves in Nashville capstone experience around the world. and Hollywood. (Elon 87%, National Average 45%) Hold a leadership position (Elon 71%, National Average 35%) Participate in two or more Civic Engagement “high-impact learning practices” Students connect and partner Work with a faculty mentor (Elon 96%, National Average 60%) with about 100 community on a research project agencies and organizations, (Sources: Elon student surveys, National Survey of Student (Elon 42%, National Average 23%) Engagement, Institute of International Education) including tutoring and mentoring students in the local public school system. 4 5 ELON UNIVERSITY Preparing students for a lifetime of disruption With rapidly evolving world economies, students must be agile and resilient. They can expect to hold 12-15 different jobs in their lifetimes, maybe more. The undergraduate experience is a time to sort through who you are To survive and thrive, students and who you want to become. The best way to do that is in relationships need the core skills of a liberal 12STUDENT-FACULTY 1 RATIO with people who can listen to you, hold you accountable to what you arts and sciences education: say you value, and help you see different visions of what you could be.” Broad knowledge of the social, material —Peter Felten, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, Elon’s internationally and natural worlds recognized research effort on the scholarship of teaching and learning Curiosity and questioning Critical thinking, analysis and interpretation Problem-solving 20AVERAGE CLASS SIZE Research across disciplines Teacher-scholar-mentors Global perspective and cultural understanding Written, oral and visual communication With a four-hour course structure and an innovative one-month Winter U.S. News National Elon is one of only Term, students have more time for Universities: Excellence in seven private Undergraduate Teaching universities with experiential learning. All classes are taught by faculty scholars who are nationally accredited 1. Princeton University professional deeply committed to their vocation 2. Elon University of teaching. Their dedication extends 3. Brown University schools of business, beyond the classroom as they form 3. Georgia State University communications, education, 5. College of William & Mary mentoring relationships with students health sciences and law, along 5. Dartmouth College that last a lifetime. 7. Boston College with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, 8. Miami University-Oxford (Ohio) which promotes the liberal arts 8. Rice University and sciences. 10. Arizona State University-Tempe 6 7 ELON UNIVERSITY The national leader in global engagement, with 14 straight years of #1 rankings in study abroad. A global perspective is central to 110+ PROGRAMS INTERNATIONAL an Elon education. From their Elon’s global campus first-year Global Experience courses 50+ COUNTRIES includes centers with to their senior seminars, students 78% STUDY ABROAD faculty-in-residence in gain a deeper understanding of PARTICIPATION Florence, London, Shanghai and Dunedin, New Zealand. people, societies and environments Students spend semesters around the world. abroad or take one-month courses during the January Winter Term. STUDY USA It was a mind-blowing Students spend full experience to wake up semesters or the summer every day and think, ‘I’m taking courses and doing internships based in Elon on the other side of the centers in Los Angeles, world.’ There’s no better New York, San Francisco way to internalize a culture and Washington, D.C. than to experience it.” — Josh Cadorette ’19 Economic consulting major, Intern at PwC, Shanghai, Analyst at Deloitte Consulting 8 9 ELON UNIVERSITY ELON UNIVERSITY Student Professional Thinking Development Center From their first year, students prepare resumes, create career plans and connect with employers. beyond graduation Individualized instruction on careers, interviews, networking and resume writing Specialized career offices in each undergraduate starts from school support searches for internships and jobs Online Elon Job Network and the robust Elon Network on LinkedIn provide connections with day one alumni and parents Graduates who were Graduates who Graduates One-year employed, in graduate accepted positions who completed outcomes school, completing related to their internships for the Class fellowships or working for career goals of 2018 94 % service organizations 95% 89% My global mindset and As a first-generation Elon really emphasizes enthusiasm for working with college student, professional development people of all backgrounds studying a semester and staying authentic to was significant when in Los Angeles, yourself. I found this helped getting my job at Microsoft. having internships me connect with people While at Elon I studied and being part of around the world and abroad in China, traveling student media all prepared me to enter the to Shanghai, Tengchong, seemed like dreams.” workforce.” Lijiang, Chengdu, Lhasa, — Diego Pineda ’19 — Max Pivonka ’19 Xi’an, and Beijing. This New York Post Goldman Sachs experience led me to do Major: Journalism Majors: Finance, Marketing research on encryption and VPN usage.” — Jourdan Parham ’19 Microsoft Major: Computer Science 10 11 ELON UNIVERSITY Champions in every way Elon’s NCAA Division I athletics program is all about the total student-athlete experience. Elon student-athletes win Colonial Learning and living Athletic Association sports championships and also lead the on the nation’s most conference in academic performance. There are no shortcuts in the training room, in the classroom or in engaged beautiful campus learning experiences. As a designated botanical garden with splendid vistas, brick pathways and Study abroad and internships classic architectural design, Elon is regularly recognized for having the nation’s Every Elon student-athlete has the opportunity most beautiful campus. This is an environment designed for human interactions. to participate in a university-funded international From spacious outdoor plazas to student-faculty engagement spaces, cozy group study experience. In addition, interships and job opportunities are facilitated by a full-time study nooks, active Maker Hubs and inviting dining halls, Elon’s campus promotes career adviser. collaboration and community. The Great Hall in the Belk Library and Koenigsberger The focus is on strong community internationally themed Global Learning Center are academic and personal wellness in the eight Neighborhood is popular for hubs at the center of campus. residential neighborhoods and 25