Elon University’s student organization leaders received an email Sept. 10 reminding them that “Elon” cannot be the first word in the official name of their organization, prompting questions about whether Elon University had implemented a new naming policy.
In an email to Elon News Network, Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley said the expectation is not new.
Dooley declined an interview with ENN but said Student Involvement is likely reminding organizations of existing policies and addressing groups whose names or logos have developed over time without following university guidelines.
Elon’s 2026-27 Student Organization Handbook states that organizations with provisional or full recognition may use “Elon” in conjunction with the name of the group, but “Elon cannot be the first word in the official name of the organization.”
The policy does not prohibit student organizations from using the word “Elon” altogether. Instead, it limits where the university’s name can appear in an organization’s official title.
Dooley wrote that a few organizations may currently have “Elon” as the first word of their names. He also said some groups have logos containing “Elon University” that should not.
The handbook contains a separate restriction for groups still going through the process of becoming recognized student organizations. During that process, a group “may not use the ‘Elon University’ name in any of its communication.”
Student Involvement oversees the creation and annual renewal of registered student organizations and maintains information about recognized groups through PhoenixCONNECT. Elon currently advertises more than 250 student organizations.
Rather than representing a newly implemented rule, Dooley said the recent communication is an effort to ensure organizations are following expectations already included in university policy.
He directed additional questions about the reminder and its implementation to Student Involvement.