Elon’s class of 2026 came to campus during a period of construction and renovation. During their four years, Elon announced a new wellness-focused student center, a university merger and a school for children with dyslexia.
Elon advances long-term wellness, sustainability initiatives
Elon created its HealthEU initiative in 2022, and started construction on a building in 2024 that would encompass all pillars of the plan. The Slattery Center will sit on Innovation Quad, between Innovation Hall and Richard W. Sankey Hall.
The Slattery Center, also known as the HealthEU building, was expected to open in spring 2026, but summer rain delays pushed back the opening date. Now, the Slattery Center is set to open in fall 2026.
The 135,000 square foot building is a part of Elon’s 2030 Boldly Elon strategic plan. One of these goals was to renovate Koury Athletic Center and create a hub in the heart of campus dedicated to wellness. Director of HealthEU Anu Räisänen said the Slattery Center will do just that.
“The opening of the Slattery Center will be a huge benchmark for establishing us as one of the national leaders, because it is really a unique building in the sense that it’s not going to be just a traditional rec center,” Räisänen said.
Räisänen said over the next four years, the HealthEU initiative will focus on expanding research.
“We’re focusing on our well-being in higher education and hoping to bring more students onto that,” Räisänen said.
The final plans for the Koury Athletics Center are still being determined, Räisänen said. Some equipment from the gym will be moved over to the new fitness center, but the plan is to keep the Koury gym operational until the Slattery Center officially opens its doors.
Part of the parking lot near the future Slattery Center was removed for the construction, but a new parking lot was built near the Francis Center for first-year students only. Elon first-year student parking was previously included alongside other class parking, but during the 2026 Winter Term, first-year students were moved to the new lot.
Elon’s strategic plan also sets a goal beyond 2030 — by 2037, campus would be carbon neutral, meaning that the amount of carbon dioxide emissions and carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere would be equal.
It states that the campus will engage in sustainable practices, such as reducing energy consumption by 20%, to achieve this goal. With sustainability in mind, Elon launched the EcoVillage LLC in fall 2024. The residential neighborhood includes six tiny homes at Loy Farm, housing 12 students. The homes are around 600 square feet each.
Nursing enrollment doubles in four years
Elon launched its nursing program in fall 2021, but when the class of 2026 got to campus, the Francis Center was under renovation. The building, which used to be a Smithfield Ham factory outlet, had been used for classes since 2012, but was not fully renovated until phased construction began in 2020.
Unlike when Elon seniors got to campus their freshman year, Elon now has an accredited nursing program. The National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation granted the school accreditation in spring 2025, a few months before the first class of nursing majors graduated.
Following the accreditation, nursing department chair and program director Dr. Cathy Quay said attention would be turned to growing the program.
“We’re really starting to talk about longer term,” Quay said in a previous interview with Elon News Network. “What’s our vision in terms of ensuring that our curriculum is current and staying up to date with what we’re seeing in healthcare?”
Enrollment for the School of Health Sciences has doubled since seniors got to campus. According to Elon’s Office of the Registrar, in fall 2022, the School of Health Sciences enrolled 107 nursing majors. This spring, 231 nursing majors are enrolled.
New academic programs launch amid enrollment changes
Elon added to its academic offerings. In fall 2025, Elon launched two new majors: neuroscience and digital content management.
According to the spring 2026 registrar’s report, 55 students are majoring in neuroscience and 36 are majoring in digital content management. In a previous interview with Elon News Network, Vic Costello, the program director of digital content management, said they are expected to reach 50 majors by the end of this academic year.
However, Elon’s overall enrollment is down compared to four years ago.
In fall 2022, the Elon’s Office of the Registrar reported 6,337 total undergraduate students. As of the spring 2026 registrar’s report, 5,974 undergraduate students are enrolled at Elon, 363 fewer students compared to fall 2022. This is the first time since spring 2018 that undergraduate enrollment has dipped below 6,000.
Elon’s class of 2029 enrollment saw an 11.6% decrease compared to the previous year. In fall 2025, there were a total of 1,517 freshmen for the 2025-26 academic year.
Some experts point to the demographic cliff as the cause for enrollment drops. The Great Recession in 2007 triggered what is known as the demographic cliff. Fewer babies were born after 2007, meaning fewer 18-year-olds are attending college.
Elon’s Office of Admissions was expecting this drop in enrollment, according to a previous statement from Vice President for Enrollment Greg Zaiser.
“We’ve been aware of, talking about and strategizing around demographic shifts and the cliff for more years.” Zaiser wrote in an email to Elon News Network. “In 2017, we commissioned a markets analysis study to identify domestic locations in which we should start building a greater presence, awareness and overall strategy.”
Elon expands in Charlotte, opens a new school on campus
Elon seniors are graduating just before the potential merger between Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte. The two universities submitted their request for accreditation approval in March and are expecting a response from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in June.
If the two universities receive joint accreditation from the commission, integration will begin.
Beginning July 1, some departments, including admissions, facilities, human resources and career services, at both institutions will officially merge. Queens employees in those departments will officially become Elon employees on July 1, which means they will officially be added to Elon’s payroll, and healthcare and retirement benefits.
Jeff Stein, chief integration officer at Elon, said the merger will benefit students, faculty and staff at Elon and Queens.
“I think it’s a really good move for both institutions,” Stein said in a previous interview with Elon News Network.
After approval from the SACSCOC, the universities will look to fully complete the merger through approval from the U.S. Department of Education, which could come in late 2027 or early 2028.
Elon already has a presence in Charlotte, North Carolina with Elon Law’s Flex program. The program was approved by the American Bar Association and the SACSCOC in February 2024, and welcomed its first cohort in fall 2024.
Now, the university looks to establish a full-time law program in Charlotte, according to an email Elon University President Connie Book shared with students Jan. 13, 2026. Elon Charlotte, a Study USA program, launched in September 2023.
As Elon looks to further expand opportunities in Charlotte, it’s also planning to open a new school on campus, but not for college students. Elon moved students living in the International House Living-Learning Community at Trollinger House after the fall semester to make temporary space for The Roberts Academy at Elon University, a private school for children with dyslexia.
It will be the first private school in North Carolina located on a university campus and dedicated to serving students with dyslexia. Book announced the academy in November 2025. It is set to open in fall 2026.
A new 30,000 square foot permanent building for the academy on East Haggard Avenue is planned for fall 2028.
Miles Hayford and Mia Torres contributed to the reporting of this story.