At Elon University, the Chick-fil-A controversy is not over yet. A student-authored resolution against Chick-fil-A’s presence in the future Lakeside Dining Hall generated a heated debate on campus, and now, the university’s administration is poised to investigate the issue.
Last week, the executive committee of Elon's Board of Trustees announced its decision to form a study committee to examine Elon’s purchasing policy and its partnerships with external vendors. The committee will primarily focus on the university’s relationship with Chick-fil-A, though it may examine other business partnerships if specific concerns arise, according to President Leo Lambert.
“This doesn’t mean we’re going to start running every business relationship by this committee,” he said. “The university already has several processes or screens in place to ensure we behave as a responsible enterprise, but there are exceptional times when someone says ‘I’m concerned about this,’ and there needs to be a process by which that concern would be evaluated.”
The university created an email account, vendorpolicy@elon.edu, to collect opinions regarding Chick-fil-A’s presence on campus. So far, more than 100 opinions have been submitted, according to Lambert. The study will evaluate the emails, as well as other viewpoints expressed on and off Elon’s campus, while studying the university’s purchasing policy.
“Everyone in the Elon community factors in,” Lambert said. “Faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, and anyone else who is a stakeholder in the institution has a right to be heard on this issue.”
William Herbert, an Elon trustee, and Connie Ledoux Book, associate provost for academic affairs at Elon, will chair the committee. Lambert is currently working with Elon students, faculty and staff members to determine candidates for the remaining positions.
“We want to put a fair and balanced group of people together,” he said. “We have to do it right and do it carefully.”
After the remaining positions are filled, Lambert will work with the chair of the Board of Trustees and the committee chairs to determine the committee’s responsibilities.
[quote] I have a great deal of faith in strength of this community and its good character and the goodness of all the people who are part of Elon. -President Leo Lambert [/quote]
“I think we want to be clear about what the Board of Trustees expects them to give and what the university expect them to produce at the end of their work,” he said. “That’s something that needs to be done carefully.”
If the committee finds Chick-fil-A, or any other external vendor, in potential violation of the university’s preexisting policies, Lambert said the university would most likely contact the vendor before deciding whether to remove it from campus. The committee will likely finish its study by the end of the academic year.
“Most companies want to win customers, not lose them,” he said. “Most make sure their policies are in line with the general good values of societies.”
But if the vendor does not clarify or change the policies in question, Lambert said the university would consider terminating its contract, but how and when to do so will depend on the details of the violation.
Lambert said he has received a wide range of responses to the university’s decision, but ultimately, he believes it will yield a positive result.
“I have a great deal of faith in strength of this community and its good character and the goodness of all the people who are part of Elon,” he said. “I believe we will be able to look at this matter in a thoughtful and careful way and make the best decision we can.”
But some students are displeased with the university’s response. Senior Jack Minor said he thinks the committee will spark new tensions on campus.
"I think this is a path that the university should not begin to travel because it has no end,” he said. “You will never be able to appease everyone and eliminate any business or group that does not share the same beliefs as the university or group of students who feel as though they have been discriminated against.”
But Darien Flowers, executive president of the Student Government Association, said he thinks the decision will help Elon create an inclusive campus environment.
“Elon likes to take the time and make sure we have policy fits us best, and make sure whatever is implemented is best for Elon,” he said.
He acknowledged lengthiness of the decision process might aggravate some community members, though.
“A positive and a negative of higher education in general is that it takes a very long time to go through processes,” he said. “It’s frustrating for people inside and outside who are accustomed to instant information. I can see where it would be frustrating if you weren’t already immersed it.”
Lauren Clapp, an advocacy and education chair for Spectrum, Elon's queer-straight alliance, shares in that frustration. She said she thinks the prolonged decision process will undermine the severity of the issue.
“I really am happy the university thinks there is value in examining our partnerships and recognizes there might be something ethically wrong here,” she said. “But this response will take the focus off of what Spectrum was trying to raise awareness about, which is that Chick-fil-A has become a symbol of intolerance and harassment on campus.”
She said she, as well as some other members of Elon’s LGBTQIA community, are disappointed in the university’s overall response to the Chick-fil-A controversy.
“So many of us are feeling so hurt and so disrespected and rejected by the community,” she said. “Elon’s administration has shown it values its people, but I’ve been sort of disappointed by their silence on this issue because it seems a little contradictory to some of the previous efforts to support the LGBTQIA community.”
But Lambert said the committee will seriously consider every viewpoint on the situation.
“I want everyone to know that I believe every person in the community has value and dignity,” he said. “It pains me to know that there are people on both sides of this issue who feel diminished as a result of the conversation.”