Elon Student Government held an event with Elon University President Connie Book and Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley to discuss topics such as raising the federal Pell Grant threshold and how election results might affect university plans.
During the event on Nov. 6, Book highlighted Elon’s efforts to enhance campus safety and noted a 2020-21 roundtable discussion that took place after a pro-Trump caravan drove through campus. The roundtable included campus leaders, community members and police to improve communication and establish effective safety protocols.
Based on these discussions, Elon has implemented several measures — including the installation of cameras with license plate readers to monitor campus visitors. When an individual violates the university’s honor code or policies, their vehicle’s license plate is recorded and a no-trespass letter is sent to the vehicle's registered address.
“There's good awareness of it, good situational awareness of it, but it also has set the tone about what our campus is going to allow,” Book said. “We're a private campus, so if you're a visitor, you're either invited here or you're not welcome. And so it's been effective in mitigating that behavior.”
Dooley addressed the university’s approach to balancing activism and safety on campus. He emphasized that Elon encourages students and community members to engage in activism and voice their opinions on difficult or contentious issues in ways that align with the university's values. Dooley shared that Elon reviewed its policies to ensure they effectively balance freedom of expression with maintaining a supportive learning environment.
“We'll spend time with folks who are thinking about a demonstration or a protest, helping think through how to best do that, what that might look like. What are some ways to do that, to have levels of disagreement and be respectful,” Dooley said.
Freshman Olivia Glover said she came to the event to ensure students feel supported and safe enough to express themselves. She emphasized the importance of hearing everyone's voice.
“I do feel more informed about the actions that the university is taking to maintain student’s safety,” Glover said. “I love how they address student activism and how that's welcome at Elon University, and how they actually encourage students to express themselves through that. So I was really impressed with their answers.”
Elon University President Connie Book and Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley talk with students at a fireside discussion in Irazú Coffee on Nov. 6.
Regarding the election results and the new government administration, Book discussed the potential impact of the new administration on Elon University through issues such as college costs and student debt.
“I actually think there's going to be continued emphasis in the new administration on student debt and financial transparency for families taking on debt and how it impacts how that degree leads to employment and jobs,” Book said.
In addition to campus safety, Book also highlighted her involvement in advocacy efforts. Book said she attended the National Association of Independent Colleges at Capitol Hill to discuss campus issues with elected officials. Book mentioned that most of the association’s work involved doubling the Pell Grant threshold from $75,000 to $150,000.
“Most of my conversations with elected officials are about how we're using those resources on campus, what the students are majoring in, what the outcomes for those students are, their graduation rates and advocating for more resources,” Book said.
Elon is currently halfway through its 10-year strategic plan. As a part of this initiative, the HealthEU and Wellness Center is set to break ground in coming weeks. Fundraising efforts for the facility have reached over $12.5 million with hopes to reach $25 million in fall 2026.
“There's a big natatorium, it's going to have exercise science and the Department of Wellness that offers the wellness classes will be there, as well as counseling services,” Book said during the event. “That's going to be transformative to the campus. I just want y'all to have in your head, it's almost as big as the Schar Center.”
Freshman Autumn Parish attended the discussion and pointed out that the freshmen class of 2028 is the most diverse class in Elon’s history. She asked if the university had any plans to help promote diversity among future students. Book said their goal is to have a third of students come from diverse backgrounds by 2030.
“As an institute, we have collected data and done study and analysis of where we recruit students and who comes to Elon. So we are modeling domestic diversity, as well as international students,” Book said. “We don’t actually say, ‘We want to get here,’ because it shouldn't have a finish line to it. It should be an ongoing process.”
Sophomore Jinelle Gonzales questioned the support for smaller academic programs, specifically noting the low enrollment in international and global studies and peace and conflict studies majors. According to the Fall 2024 Registrar Report, 67 students are enrolled in the international and global studies major, while peace and conflict studies is not listed in the report.
In response, Book said the popularity of certain majors and minors fluctuates due to interdisciplinary overlaps. She noted that low-enrollment programs — such as early childhood education — are sometimes cut, while high-demand fields like neuroscience and cybersecurity are expanded.
However, Book also expressed concern about the challenge of ensuring that important fields that may not lead to high-paying jobs, such as teaching and social work, are still valued and supported. She stressed that while students should be aware of salary expectations in these fields, they should not be deterred from pursuing careers that serve vital societal needs.
“The challenge that I have with that are some of the most important pieces of curriculum that we have are not high-paying jobs,” Book said. “Like teachers. The reality is that's really critical. Being a school teacher is a critical job, and we need great teachers, and I wouldn't want a student to take on student debt to be a teacher.”
Responding to a question regarding adding more on-campus jobs, Dooley discussed the recent wage increase for student employees in 2022 — which raised hourly pay from $9 to $13 dollars over a couple of years. This increase occurred before many students arrived on campus.
He noted that the situation has changed from two years ago when there were on-campus jobs that couldn’t be offered to students. Currently, with more students applying for jobs, the university is focused on maintaining an adequate number of positions to meet the demand.
“I'm glad to hear that these folks are applying for jobs and they're getting jobs, but we need to make sure that there's good ample number,” Dooley said. “It is a form of student aid if you can finance your education.”