BEHIND THE SCENESHow Elon decides future expansion

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With the Master and Strategic Planning Committees in session this year, students wonder where Elon is headed next...

PLANNING DOCUMENTS

or graduating seniors, the past four years at Elon University have expanded

their knowledge and understanding of life. However, the students are not the only things that have expanded since 2005.

Koury Business Center. The Oaks Housing. The Academic Village. Collonnades Dining and Residence Halls. Elon Law.

All six of these buildings have been just some of the additions to Elon’s campus, both near and far, since the fall semester of 2005. Looking back past 2005, it is obvious to see that Elon has had a vision to create a solid

foundation for the next strategic planning process for the campus.

Looking into the past growth of Elon

Back in 1995, Neil Bromilow the director of construction management at Elon, arrived on campus as a one-man show for the physical plant. When he pulled in to Elon’s campus it was a mere 900,000 square feet. Since then he has had a hand in every single building raised on Elon’s campus, including McMichael, Belk Library, the Greek courts and the expansion of Danieley Center.

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Elon since 2000

The Future Growth of Elon University

“We know where we have been and if you look back in time it was pretty flat. However, in the 90’s Elon really grew. It would be hard to sustain that type of growth”

Neil Bromilow Director of Construction Management

pedestrian nature of the campus while continuing to expand.

In 2000, when the strategic plan was put into progress it was decided that a Master and Strategic Planning Committees would come back in 10 years and review the progress made and create a goal for the next 10 years. As the 2009-2010 school year approaches, a Master Planning Committee has been assembled from a collective group of faculty, staff, and administration.

The Master Planning Committee implements the decisions made by the Strategic Planning Committee to help fulfill space needs on campus. These needs include academic spaces, administrative offices, dining halls, athletic facilities, residence halls and various campus requirements.

Gerry Francis, provost and vice president for academic affairs and a member of both committees witnesses the progress of the committees. “The Strategic Planning Committee asks what is Elon going to look like in 2020?”

With the answers that they discover then it is the Master Planning Committee’s job to ask the location question. “We take a look at housing and ask what kind will it be and where will it be, if we need more playing fields, where are we going to put them and what do we need,” asked Francis.

Chaired by the vice president for business, finance and technology, Gerald Whittington is in charge of the Master Planning Committee. Twelve members were selected for their expertise in planning.

The growth-spurt of Elon is also supported by factors such as recruiting done by admissions, administrative leadership, maintenance of the campus, and the high quality of teaching. These factors are considered by Elon’s Strategic Planning Committee.

Strategic and Master planning at Elon

NewCentury@Elon, a long-term strategic plan, was created in 2000 to help answer the campuses questions of sustainability and recruitment. Realizing the Elon was a university on the move, Dr. Leo Lambert strived to establish the university as a “national model of excellence in engaged learning.”

The goals and objectives of the strategic plan are to allow Elon to grow slowly while continuing to add graduate programs. Stress remains on maintaining an intimate feel, and enhancing green space as well as the

When it started Bromilow was single handedly in charge of communication between contractors, architects, mechanics and electricians for the development of the new buildings being constructed. Almost 19 years after his arrival at Elon there are three full-time staff and one part-time staff and 150 employees working on the construction management team and physical plant at Elon.

Bromilow's facilitation of building on campus has had an affect on the prolific growth of the campus. Reaching 1.8 million square feet, Elon is almost double in size from what it was when he arrived.

However, with such construction in such a relatively short time frame, both Bromilow and the school are wondering if Elon can sustain the same rate of growth. “We know where we have been and if you look back in time it was pretty flat. However, in the 90’s Elon really grew,” said Bromilow. “It would be hard to sustain that type of growth.”

“We try to pick people who have worked on facility issues,” Whittington said. “We try to pick people who would represent various parts of the campus well, so we have folks from academic departments, folks from academic support, folks from technology, and others like that.”

The committee is focused on maintaining the beauty of campus and reflecting the needs of the past strategic plan. “I think first of all the goal is to come up with a five year plan for the physical layout of the campus,” stated Vic Costello a member of the committee. “That will take into account the kinds of physical structures and spaces that Elon currently has on the table, and the things that it is considering.”Another member of the Master Planning Committee is Dan Harrigan, the director in charge of planning at Spillman Farmer Architects. Acting as the facilitator between Elon and the architecture firm, it is his job to assist in the process where program needs are expressed and reflected in the development plans.

In Elon’s 5-to-10 year future Harrigan believes growth both physically and academically are hoping to be achieved by the university. “I see Elon continuing to respond to the needs of the students, academic changes, better use of existing space and addition of some new spaces to accommodate growing programs,” said Harrigan.

Building plans (and hopes) for the future

The Strategic Planning committee does not foresee admissions rates growing at the same rate as in the past. “For the last ten years we have grown about 130 students per year, and last year was the first time we started to calm that,” said Francis. “We will continue to grow moderately at 50 to 75 students a year.”

While student rates are set at moderate rates, building projects are continuing to buzz with two new construction projects in progress currently.

Linder Hall

Expected this summer is the completion of newly added

Linder Hall in the Academic Village. Beginning papers for Linder Hall were drawn up in the fall of 2006. “Planning and construction went pretty fast,” said Bromilow.

Powell Renovation

With the addition of academic classrooms, programs are planning to be moved into new locations. One move is focused on the School of Communications new M.A. in Interactive Media. If approved by the board of trustees in their meeting on April 17, 2nd floor Powell will be renovated as a self-contained area for graduate students in the new program.

“Powell building is going to be renovated for the masters program. We will add edit bays, faculty offices and classrooms. It will be a miniature McEwen,” said Bromilow. Renovations

Elon’s current master plan of the campus. One of the main challenges to adding more buildings is finding the land to build on while maintaining the “green space” Elon prides itself upon.

Vic Coste!o

“We will end up with a plan that is workable but it will be in a longer timeframe...” - Gerald Whittington

will take place this summer making Powell available to the communications students beginning this fall.

The renovation of Powell for the Communications department is drawing attention to McEwen. Students and professors agree that the expansion of the building is something they hope to see occur in the future to bring the master’s and undergraduate program together.

“The School of Communications needs to expand. We are maxed out in terms of physical space and now the graduate program will be across campus in Powell,” said Costello. “There will be physical disconnect and I think it will in fact affect the community. I know Dean Parson’s has proposed an expansion to McEwen to bring in the graduate school and displaced faculty.”

Field House and Pedestrian Tunnel

Other construction pending, due to the board of trustee’s approval, besides the Powell renovations are a new field house and a pedestrian tunnel. A $50,000 donation was made to support the development of the Koury Field House by Wade Williamson Jr, a 1970 graduate from Elon.

The drafts for the new field house include new offices, locker rooms and weight rooms. If

approved by the board of trustees the new field house will be located on the north end of the football field in Rhodes Stadium and will be set to open in the fall of 2010, said Bromilow.

Also waiting approval is the creation of a pedestrian tunnel planned to run beneath the railroad tracks connecting South campus with main campus. While dates for the tunnel have not yet been set, the location of the tunnel is set to be built near Hook and Barney residence halls.

Convocation Center

While these plans are scheduled to occur in the near future, others are scheduled for later down the road. The construction of a convocation center has been on the Master Planning Committee’s radar since 2000, according to NewCentury@Elon.

The impressive construction goal is a 9,000 - to – 10,000 seat convocation center that’s purpose would serve a venue for convocations, campus wide events, graduation, sports events, concerts, community events and…get ready for it… an ice rink.

Such a large endeavor requires detailed planning, copious amounts of land and generous giving. With the current economic recession at hand, timeframes for such ambitious

endeavors will probably be extended. “The economic conditions make everybody cautious,” said Whittington. “We will end up with a plan that is workable but it will be in a longer timeframe just simply because that is what it is.”

Faculty incorporates student’s opinions

As the Master Planning Committee strives to reach the needs the Strategic Planning Committee has developed, student voices tend to fade behind trustee and administration opinion. However, the Strategic Planning Committee has decided to reverse that trend and has created an opportunity for students to voice their desires.Including posters around campus and a blog created as a place for exchanging ideas about the future of the university, students can write their desires for the progression of Elon by the year 2020. Surprisingly, student, faculty, and administrative concerns tend to be on the same wavelength for the most part.

After polling students and professors both had interest in the new field house and graduate programs. However, a noticeable difference was that faculty was more concerned about developing engaging learning and students tended to be more concerned with developing the town of Elon.

“We try to pick people who would represent various parts of the campus well, so have folks from academic departments, folks from academic support, folks from technology, and others like that.

Gerald WhilttingtonMaster Planning Committee, Chair

Who’s Who:

graduate programs. However, a noticeable difference was that faculty was more concerned about developing engaging learning and students tended to be more concerned with developing the town of Elon.

Senior Maggie Lamond thought back on her four years at Elon and wished the town had been developed further. “As a freshman I thought it would expand but it has mostly stayed the same,” Lamond said. “We need a Starbucks, a grocery store, even a dry cleaner close to campus for those [students] who don’t have cars.”

Similarly freshman Lo Lewis is hoping for development in the next four years. “I chose Elon because of the environment and

academics, but there isn’t much around here which is annoying.”

Hearing the student’s needs, the university has begun to talk to the town to work together to create a more viable environment. Gerry Francis agrees and is hoping to develop the Firehouse Fields.

“We really need a more significant town, and now the economy is going backward,” said Francis. Though planning

and execution are set for a long-term plan, discussion has been started discussing the development of a new town hall, new post office, dining venues, grocery store and pharmacy on the Firehouse Fields.

“We really need a more significant town...” - Gerry Francis

Master Planning Committee

Gerry Francis

Gerald Whittington

Gerald WhittingtonLeo LambertSteven HouseSmith JacksonGerry FrancisBecky Olive-Taylor

Mike SanfordVic CostelloChris FulkersonRobert BuchholzNeil BromilowDan Harrigan PLANNING DOCUMENTS