Elon University

June 29, 2008 8:10 AM

Looking for information about Elon University in North Carolina.

I have an upcoming telephone interview for a position at Elon University in North Carolina. First of all, how is "Elon" pronounced? Is it "el-un" or "ee-lon" or something else? Any and all information about this place would be welcomed. I'm a northern Yankee blue-hat cracker Vermonter who's never seen North Carolina. Help, y'all!

posted by crazylegs to education (11 comments total)

It's pronounced EE-lahn.

Elon is about 30 minutes east of Greensboro, the city I've lived in the longest and, to me, one of the best non-huge towns in the country.
posted by waraw at 8:39 AM on June 29, 2008

If you haven't already seen it, their about page should give you a good idea of stats and demographics.
posted by netbros at 9:04 AM on June 29, 2008

I think until a few years ago it was Elon College. That's about all I know, but kudos for spelling y'all correctly.
posted by Frank Grimes at 9:21 AM on June 29, 2008

My cousin went there and now works there. He loves it, got a great education and is very happy. NC is a lovely state. IMHO, it would be a great gig to land!
posted by pearlybob at 9:25 AM on June 29, 2008

A friend from my PhD program (and labmate) just got a position there in CS. He's sharp and a very good teacher, so that speaks to me that the school is headed in the right direction.

p.s. - what is a "blue hat"? I know about vermonters and crackers and yankees. But blue hat?
posted by zpousman at 9:42 AM on June 29, 2008

eeeeee-lawn. Fun fact: Their mascot used to be the Fighting Christians, but five or six years ago they changed to the Phoenix. I know a bunch of people who have gone there and loved it. Be sure to visit before you accept -- it's kinda in a rural area.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 10:27 AM on June 29, 2008

I have some experience at Elon as a guest lecturer. It is a nice place with a strong emphasis on both community service and research experiences for undergraduates. It has recently expanded, adding graduate professional programs in law, business, and physical therapy (hence the name change), but the overall sense I got on campus is that undergraduates are still the focus of the school. Many of the students are from the south, but a good number are from the northeast and midwest as well.

I have most experience with the science programs which seem well funded with brand new facilities and full of faculty who are excellent teachers and excited about what they do. While the Elon/Burlington area is small, they've been experiencing plenty of sprawl lately. Elon is close enough to Greensboro to commute or just to visit on the weekends for more cultural experiences. Chapel Hill and Durham are also less than an hour away and Raleigh a little more than an hour depending on traffic.
posted by hydropsyche at 10:39 AM on June 29, 2008

zpousman - 'blue hat' was a reference to the Union forces in the Civil War. Probably not a common term; maybe I made it up!
posted by crazylegs at 11:57 AM on June 29, 2008

Elon used to have a reputation (20 years ago) as a pretty unremarkable second- or third-tier college that primarily drew from North Carolina and the southeast. About 15 years ago, they made a very conscious decision to begin recruiting in the Northeast, promoting the mild weather and modest price tag (compared to unremarkable second- or third-tier colleges in New England). They also made a concerted effort to upgrade the physical plant and general appearance of the campus. I remember hearing that their president compared the college to a play: every day, the college had the chance to make a good first impression on prospective students and their parents who were preparing to pay the bill.

This approach has worked wonders. Their enrollment is strong, the student body is more diverse, and I think it is perceived as more rigorous in admissions than it was 20 years ago. It's a real success story in the competitive world of liberal arts colleges.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 12:49 PM on June 29, 2008

The campus is really pretty, there are no problems with parking, and the town is eensy. Off of the highway at the Elon exit there's a strip mall with a number of basic stores--Target, Old Navy, Starbucks, etc.

There's a big service-learning program at Elon.
posted by Stewriffic at 2:44 PM on June 29, 2008

crazylegs, thanks. I know that people use "the blue and gray" but I've never heard the hat reference. freaking yankees can't even get the "war of northern aggression" references right (note: this is mostly a wives tail like cow tipping. we don't call it that, except as a joke).
posted by zpousman at 11:20 AM on July 2, 2008