One of those teams, purchasing & technology, shows how sustainability can fit naturally into the work people already do by working towards 1) reducing the campus printing footprint by digitizing self-service options and encouraging electronic resources, 2) sourcing technology that uses environmentally conscious best practices and manage its lifecycle responsibly, and 3) educating and engaging the campus community about sustainable technology practices.

Those strategies might sound complex, but the team says most of the work builds on existing processes and collaborations. Adding sustainability often means asking one more question or making one small adjustment.

“We regularly partner with purchasing on contract management and business agreements,” said Pat Donohue, one of the team leads and the university’s deputy chief information officer. “Adding a request for sustainability transparency from our vendors is a natural improvement of existing processes to align with university strategic objectives.  This is an example of how bold strategy can often be a minor adjustment in organizational behavior.”

Patrick Schwartz is the assistant director of procure to pay at Elon and one of the team leads for the purchasing & technology implementation team. He added, “Just by being part of this team, the collaboration between our two departments was already strong, and it strengthens every day.”

When IT evaluates vendors, the team already asks about data security, storage and compliance. Now, they also ask vendors to disclose their carbon footprint and energy consumption. It is a simple step that helps Elon make informed decisions about the products and services it uses.

In addition, Schwartz said the purchasing team can see the purchasing trends on the backend and, leveraging their strong relationship with IT, work together to assure that vendors are providing products to campus that are environmentally and fiscally sustainable and responsible.

Collaboration creates momentum

Collaboration has been key to success. Conversations about sustainability often uncover other opportunities to improve processes, strengthen partnerships and share resources.

Edith Smith shared one of those ideas. She serves as a purchasing agent at Elon and is a member of the purchasing & technology implementation team. She worked with Amazon to ensure that the first products displayed when employees search for a product are those that have sustainable qualities. In addition to this, Smith and others are looking into ways to encourage the university to increase its partnership with local vendors to reduce environmental impact and support the local economy.

“It can be difficult to put a list of vendors together for a campus with decentralized purchasing, but for me, it’s important to ask how we can encourage our colleagues on campus to use local vendors more regularly and to work with vendors that will cut emissions,” said Smith.

“The focus on sustainability gave us a framework to accelerate improvements we were already pursuing,” said Donohue. “It has been a clear example of how bringing together diverse mindsets with a shared purpose can improve service delivery, streamline business processes and create long-term value for the university.

Schwartz agrees with this sentiment and adds that the team is educating people to consider which sustainable products are offered by vendors.

“None of us can do this work on our own,” he added.

Fiscal responsibility meets sustainability

One of the most significant changes was extending the lifecycle of university-owned laptops and desktops to five years.

“We ensure an extended lifecycle by applying updates and doing necessary maintenance on the equipment throughout its usable lifecycle,” said Rebecca Black, director of campus technology support and member of the purchasing & technology implementation team.

When the lifecycle of the technology ends for us, it goes through a chain of disposal through an agreement with ethically responsible vendors, who repurpose the equipment or its components.

“The equipment we recover doesn’t just go into a waste facility. It has another, purposeful life afterward,” she added.

Donohue added that the proceeds from selling depreciated equipment is reinvested to subsidize advanced support of Elon computers.

“This benefits our community through faster repairs and maintenance while allowing campus technology support specialists to focus on high-value service delivery than hardware break/fix efforts. It’s a win-win,” he said.

The same principle applies to reducing the number of printers on campus. Fewer devices mean less energy consumption and less paper use, but the change also reflects a cultural shift. Convenience often competes with sustainability, and the team acknowledges that change takes time.

“There’s a fine line between doing what’s easy and convenient and making an extra, impactful effort towards sustainability,” Beck said. “We’re in the moment where this is a necessary priority.”

Schwartz added, “This is one of the best examples of how our work aligns together. We evaluated paper processes on campus and moved purchase card request forms and Adobe signatures to digital processes.”

In addition to the paper and cost-savings, Schwartz and Smith say that these processes also simplify and better organize employee workflows.

“When we thoughtfully scale technology resources in ways such as consolidating printers and encouraging digitization, we also reduce costs and free-up resources that can be reinvested into new innovations that benefit the university,” Beck said. “These efforts will also help us operate more efficiently and enhance the quality of services for our Elon campuses.”

About the Sustainability Master Plan

The Boldly Elon Strategic Plan calls on �þ��� to “Engage the campus in sustainable practices to become carbon neutral by 2037 – invest in renewable energy, reduce campus energy consumption 20 percent, purchase offsets to make the global study program carbon neutral and continue to build LEED certified buildings – and prepare students to lead lives that build a sustainable future.” The 10-year Sustainability Master Plan 2025 is a roadmap for that bold commitment.

Acorn Academy was awarded a five-star rating by the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education following a comprehensive evaluation of the program. The on-site child care and early learning facility opened in August 2025 and has expanded to offer a summer camp, classrooms for pre-schoolers and backup care.

The rating affirms the care, intention and dedication that define Acorn Academy. “Earning a five-star rating required consistent commitment from our entire team, ongoing professional development, strong classroom practices, thoughtful curriculum implementation and a shared belief in doing what’s best for children,” said Cherelle Sharpe, head of school for the child care facility.

Jason Husser, professor of political science and public policy and director of the Elon Poll, said, “Elon cares about people being able to work while not worrying about whether their child is safe and growing and learning.”

Sharpe said that, for families, the rating provides reassurance that their children are in a program that prioritizes safety, growth and meaningful relationships every day. Children are learning and growing in a nurturing, high-quality environment designed to support their development.

“Children deserve the highest quality care during their most critical developmental years,” said Sharpe. The new child care benefit for employees offers excellence in early childhood education that supports children’s growth and the families’ peace of mind.

“When parents know their children are safe, valued and thriving, they are better able to focus on their work and responsibilities with confidence,” added Sharpe.

Ty Goss, program assistant for Arts and Music, says that having an onsite child care facility eases the burdens of drop-off and pickup times to the work commute. “Just knowing that [my daughter is] right across campus… I can focus on my work knowing that she is safe.”

Acorn Academy offers both year-round child care and early learning for ages six week to five years and summer camp for ages five through 12 during Elon’s Planning Week. Visit the to learn more and enroll.

Longtime Elon administrator Jeff Stein was reintroduced to the campus community this winter as the university’s new chief integration officer and executive vice president. A key advisor to Elon President Connie Ledoux Book and a member of the university’s senior staff, Stein will collaborate with students, faculty and staff to support the creation of a fully integrated institution through the merger of �þ��� and Queens University of Charlotte. Stein, who built a career at Elon and later served as president of Mary Baldwin University, answered questions about what drives his work and why he is excited for the historic merger.

Who is Jeff Stein and what are his responsibilities as Elon’s chief integration officer and executive vice president?

I’m a product of this community — a passionate advocate for students and access to mentored opportunities that empower students to launch great lives. For 21 years, Elon provided me the opportunity to work in and out of the classroom with students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and local communities to design the residential campus, community-based learning, Jewish Life, Boldly Elon and more. This community has always supported [my wife] Chrissy and me and our kids, and I’m thrilled to be back to help guide this innovative merger.

You led the development of the Boldly Elon strategic plan. How will that experience help inform your work in Charlotte and what are effective ways to build strong relationships and develop trust during this type of organizational change?

It’s all about listening. The voices of thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, Elon families and local community members were needed to shape the Boldly Elon strategic plan. Similarly, the Queens and Elon communities — your questions, your ideas and your values — will be integral to shaping the future of the merger.

What are some of the pleasant surprises you’ve encountered as you’ve begun your role in Charlotte?

It’s been fun to reconnect with the Elon community and to begin getting to know members of the Queens community — smart, talented and dedicated faculty and staff, who put students first and believe in engaged and mentored learning. Charlotte is full of top-notch restaurants, arts, breweries, sports and rapidly expanding industry. Come visit Elon’s beautiful Tremont building (thank you Holly Hodge and Jenny Gonzalez), and we’ll show you around South End or Uptown.

What does success look like at Elon and at Queens one year from now?

Back in 2022, as part of Boldly Elon implementation, a group of us on the regional learning centers team worked to identify Charlotte as the next location in Elon’s national campus work — for students, community, alumni and Elon’s brand.

What’s exciting about how this groundbreaking merger accelerates that work — and the reason people all over the country are watching — is that two strong, world-class, student-centered institutions are engaging to expand opportunities for students, and for and with Charlotte.

While much of the next year’s tasks are regulated by guidelines from the federal government and accreditors, our success will come from planning for integration of our operations and services, imagining new opportunities for �þ��� and graduate students, and developing relationships across Elon and Queens.

Elon �þ��� Safety and Police earned a rare dual accreditation from the International Association of �þ��� Law Enforcement Administrators and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Fewer than 100 law enforcement agencies across the country have earned dual accreditations. The department has held accreditation through IALEA since 2018 and earned accreditation through CALEA in 2025.

Joe LeMire, chief of �þ��� Safety and Police, said the recognition reflects years of work completed by members of the department and the high level of professionalism for department policies and procedures.

“I could not be more proud of this department and the professionalism they display every day to meet the needs of all students, staff, faculty and visitors,” LeMire said. “The true benefit is for the campus community, which can trust that its police and security services meet these standards and continue to improve.”

Doug Dotson, assistant chief of �þ��� Safety and Police, oversees the accreditation process. He said both accrediting bodies establish standards based on best practices for law enforcement agencies. Assessors visit each agency to conduct interviews with personnel and review policies and documentation to confirm that the level of service provided aligns with those established standards.

“These processes require you to closely examine your day-to-day operations and the ways they measure against best practices,” Dotson said.

The accreditation process has allowed the department to strengthen policies and improve training and equipment, ensuring officers have the tools necessary to successfully meet these standards.

Dotson added that annual reviews for the commission and four-year reviews for IALEA help the department maintain a high level of professionalism.

Royal’s office is warm and welcoming and offers a window into her past, present and future. Her space honors the values she carries and the people and milestones that have shaped her journey.

Royal serves as Elon’s associate director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education, where she brings faculty, staff and students of all backgrounds together through workshop facilitation and mentorship.

After graduating from Elon in 2017 with a psychology degree, Royal taught fourth and fifth grade at a charter school in Washington, D.C., where she discovered her favorite part of �þ��� was building trust with students and their families and supporting their academic, social and emotional growth. In 2021, she returned to Alamance County and reconnected with Elon staff she had worked with as a student.

As an �þ���, Royal worked four years with the dean of students and three years with CREDE, sung in the Elon Gospel Choir and served as an executive intern in admissions. She proudly displays her Elon graduation cap framed in her office next to one she wore from her master’s graduation at George Washington University.

These experiences, along with others in childhood, shaped Royal’s understanding of self and built her confidence. At age nine, she became the youngest person in North Carolina to earn a black belt in karate and later won national championships in sparring. Royal’s mother enrolled her in the sport when she was only four years old and it proved to be an outlet for her to develop and grow when her mother tragically passed when Royal was only five.

Royal’s formative years instilled in her a dynamic understanding of relationships, families and identity, all of which she leverages in her work today.

Royal offers members of Elon’s community workshops, mentorships and events that help others grow their self-confidence and understand their values. She offers a variety of workshops to help students, faculty and staff identify and understand the core and unique identities each participant holds.

“Participants are offered an hour in their day to think about who they are and how they show up in spaces,” she said. “These moments are hard to come by and are so rewarding.”

Royal is also a passionate mentor and a champion of student success, as evidenced by her collection of photos in her office.

One student she is currently working with is Madison McCrainey ’26, a cinema and television arts major.

“Throughout every interaction, Simone has been someone who has encouraged me to be more involved within the Black community and pushed for me to become more confident,” McCrainey said.

Royal said that many of her connections with students have extended past their graduation. “I love continuing relationships with students from undergrad to postgrad. I think it shows how strong the relationships are and how mentorship can be carried over through the years.”

Blake Mobley ’27, a sports management major, is appreciative that Royal is someone he can confide in and who can keep him grounded. Royal is someone he could look up to as a professor in the 1010 class, an Elon alumna and a former member of Greek life.

“Simone has helped and guided me and was one of the first people to really listen to how I was feeling and what I had to say,” he said. “She will never truly know the positive impact that she has had on my college experience and on my life.”

Royal says that people are more similar than different and that it is her mission to open the door for everyone to feel comfortable sharing their heritage, culture and personal self.

“We all are here to help each other in some way or format,” she said. “I want to contribute to making the world a greater place to live in.”

Black History Month

As part of Black History Month, �þ��� is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Black students, faculty and staff who actively contribute to a campus environment where cultural histories and identities are celebrated year-round. In February, Elon is also recognizing the month through a series of events and programming.

The expansion will leverage Elon’s commitment to relationship-rich education and will strengthen health sciences programs to expand the impact of Elon graduates in health care. This expansion is supported by institutional investment. Over the next year, �þ��� will add a total of six new faculty to the Elon PA Program, ensuring the continued delivery of an exceptional, student-centered education.

Advancing Workforce Capacity in a Critical Moment

Demand for Physician Assistants continues to rise across the United States as health care systems work to address provider shortages and expand access to high-quality care. By increasing its cohort size, �þ��� is accelerating the preparation of new PAs who will enter the workforce ready to meet these pressing needs.

“Elon is deeply committed to educating compassionate, skilled Physician Assistants who can make an immediate impact in their communities,” said Dr. Maha Lund, dean of the School of Health Sciences at �þ���. “This expansion underscores our responsibility to the profession and to the patients our graduates will one day serve.”

High-Touch, High-Quality Education

As enrollment grows, the Elon PA Program continues to focus on its hallmark personalized learning environment that is central to the student experience. This approach includes:

• Engaged learning
• Hands-on practice
• Close faculty engagement
• Access to diverse, high-quality clinical rotation sites

�þ��� will also benefit from an enhanced focus on critical reasoning when collecting clinical data through history and physical exams, intentional application of diagnostic evaluation and reasoning in laboratory courses and strengthened clinical placement infrastructure.

The larger cohort will also bring expanded perspectives, stronger collaboration, and a broader professional network.

Preparing the Next Generation of PA Leaders

As the next cohort prepares to begin their training, faculty and staff remain committed to guiding and supporting students through every stage of their academic and professional journey.

“We are excited to welcome the next cohort of vibrant, future PAs who will help shape the future of health care,” said Kim Stokes, Elon PA program director and chair. “This moment represents an important step forward, not only for Elon, but for the communities our graduates will serve throughout their careers.”

For the past 12 years, the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic has organized a challenge for Elon employees each fall to walk a set distance of miles to build community, have fun and win prizes. A spring challenge was recently added. Each challenge is themed and, in fall 2025, the theme was, “Let’s Go Racing Elon 200,” inspired by NASCAR.

The challenges are organized by Belinda Day, wellness coordinator for the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic. She loves coming up with new themes for the challenges and being creative with the prizes.

“I do the Fall and Spring walking challenge because it keeps me moving, keeps me accountable and reminds me to take time for myself amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life,” she said.

Day added that the challenge provides employees an easy way to practice wellness, both mentally and physically. She coordinates with leadership to schedule the challenges and to ensure the events are aligned with overall wellness goals to foster a more active and engaged work environment while fostering team collaboration and reducing stress.

“I put on the spring and fall walking challenge to give our employees a simple, fun and accessible way to support their health, reduce stress and stay connected as a team.”

-Belinda Day, wellness coordinator for the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic

In spring 2025, the walking challenge theme was “Grand Slam Tennis,” which saw a similar number of walkers participating in teams. This year, 118 teams out of the 151 who entered completed 180 cumulative miles. An additional 71 teams finished the challenge with each team reporting a minimum of 360 miles walked.

“It’s a fun and simple way for everyone to step away from their screens and connect with each other,” said Day. “Plus, I love seeing how these programs not only improve physical health but also build a sense of community in the workplace.”

A new walking challenge will be announced during the spring semester.

Auxiliary Services at Elon is raising the bar for professional excellence through the achievements of Carrie Ryan, assistant vice president for auxiliary services, and Chad Conville, director of auxiliary services. Both recently earned the Certified Auxiliary Services Professional (CASP) credential from the National Association of College Auxiliary Services.

For Ryan and Conville, the certification recognizes years of experience and a commitment to continuous learning.

“Earning the certification was a great way to challenge myself and measure my experience and abilities gained over nearly 18 years in Auxiliary Services,” Conville said.

“With 23 years in higher education, earning the CASP designation is a meaningful milestone,” said Ryan. “CASP is the premier certification in our field, recognizing expertise in operational

excellence, strategic leadership and student-centered services. It reflects my commitment to advancing Elon’s mission through innovative and student-focused operations.”

Ryan said the certification process deepened her understanding of campus operations and strengthened relationships that shape Elon’s student experience.

“It brings value to the work we do and helps us see where we can deepen the work we’re already doing,” she said.

Since earning the credential, she has developed a departmental vision grounded in the theme “One Team, One Purpose,” while also adopting five value pillars for Auxiliary Services: excellence, connection, progress, pride and leadership. These new values guide and align Auxiliary Services to the university strategic plan and strengthen partnerships with athletics, admissions, student life, Loy Farm and more.

“You can work for a partner, you can work at Elon, but ultimately we are here for one reason: the students,” 

-Carrie Ryan, assistant vice president for auxillary services

Grief can provide irritation at best to the calmest day and turmoil at worst. It can show up unexpectedly and anywhere, including at work. Whether the type of grief that is present is familiar or new, it is often easier to navigate with the consultation and support of others.

“When that wave of grief comes, Elon employees have support. They have resources, conversations and community-building to help and to make space for grief,” said the Rev. Julie Tonnesen, associate university chaplain and leader of the Grief and Loss Support Group for Elon employees through the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.

“In this group, we talk about grief because it begins to lose its power over us when we both normalize talking about it and bring our grieving journey to light with others,” Tonnesen said.

The Grief and Loss Support Group is open to any employee and allows members to self-define what grief or loss looks like to them. Each month, members join for lunch at the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and move into a discussion or an activity.

Tonnesen said members are welcome to come as they are and say as much or as little as they want in the group. Any person of any background, identity or religious or spiritual background is invited.

Chekeitha Chambers, administrative assistant for University Communications, is a recent participant in the group and attends when she is able. She said she finds comfort in talking with people walking in similar shoes as hers and who share a similar path in their grief journey.

“It’s a safe space where we are able to let our guards down, share, encourage and just be present with one another,” Chambers said. “This group strengthens me and reminds me I’m not alone.”

Catherine Little, administrative assistant for Student Life, also is a newer member to the group and wishes a program like this existed at her previous job. “I’ve always thought you couldn’t talk about things like grief at work,” she said. “It’s great having a place to discuss more personal things with others going through something similar.

“It’s great to network with others in your same circumstance,” said Little. “Having a group like this acknowledges you’ve had this huge event in your life and gives you a place to try to be able to process it.”

Before attending this support group, both Little and Chambers initially shared a belief that work and life are separate and grief is something to not bring into the workplace.

“I didn’t really see how grief impacted my work,” said Chambers, “but I’ve learned from this group that emotions can spring up anywhere and everywhere.” She said emotions can come from a date on the calendar, an event happening on campus or even mementos or souvenirs in the office.

Little joined the group initially unsure if it was something she needed, but she had a hunch it would be a group that she would feel comfortable in. “Participants have really helped me to share my story and express how I felt,” she said. “This group provided me my first opportunity to talk to someone who shared similar struggles as me.”

Tonnesen said that people show up to work and in life in the fullness of who they are. “We don’t get to put our humanity in a box and stuff it away on a shelf when we come to work,” she said. “And oftentimes that means people who are carrying some kind of grief or loss.”

Tonnesen says that, through this group and other employee benefits, there are people who care and who are willing to make space. She, Little and Chambers shared the same message for all in the community: “You are not alone.”

Grief and Loss Support

To learn more about the Grief and Loss Support Group for employees, please email Julie Tonnesen at jtonnesen@elon.edu. For additional employee resources, please consider:

• Elon employee assistance program offered by McLaughlin Young Group
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans with behavioral health coverage, including Teledoc

“Growing up, my mom would state things like ‘anything you need for healing can be found in the woods’ or share things like the importance of storytelling about family traditions and culture,” said Hill. “But truly, people in our community were just coming to know their Native American heritage, and that’s what’s so special about the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation.”

Research on nearby graveyards began in the 1980s and continued through the 1990s, leading to the discovery of the Occaneechi’s deep continuous history living on and using the land in the Piedmont of North Carolina into the Virginias. This work resulted in tribal recognition by the state of North Carolina in 2002.

“It’s so important for any person to know who and where they came from,” Hill said. She shared that the Occaneechi were largely wiped out by Europeans in the 1600s and is now the smallest of the officially state-recognized tribes with 1100+ members, according to the North Carolina Department of Administration.

“We were already so well interconnected as a community,” said Hill. “It’s just so important for my family and community to share that connected understanding of who we are and where we come from.”

Hill currently serves as the university’s student health insurance and immunization compliance project manager, located in the Ellington Center for Health & Wellness. She said that her upbringing taught her the value of respectfulness and shaped her into being a connector and nurturer, values she brings to work every day.

Because of this background, Hill believes it is the role of every employee at Elon to make the best experience possible for Elon parents and students. She said she strives to leave every place she goes better than she found it, whether at work or within the tribal council.

“If student workers leave their experience doing things better than I can, that means I did my job,” said Hill.

Similarly, she wants to see the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation thrive and will do anything in her power to realize this vision. At age 55, she pursued a degree in American history to deepen her understanding of Western expansion and the many successes of other tribes in the United States.

She also serves as the acting secretary of the Tribal Council and is self-taught in skills needed to manage the OBSN website and web store.

“The OBSN tribe is small but progressive,” said Hill. “There may be just a handful of people doing things, but they certainly do it to their best ability and with the best intentions.”

Hill said that playing a role in any capacity to acknowledge the tribe is important and matters. Hill expressed gratitude for �þ��� that, years ago, hosted a conference for the major tribes of North Carolina. She said that the historical marker placed outside of Schar Hall, as well as the university’s land acknowledgment of the first peoples of Alamance County, is important.

“The people native to this area respect the land and the earth so much. To be acknowledged as the first people here just means everything.”

-Tammy Hill

For those interested in learning more about the OBSN, Hill recommends a few activities:

• Learn the history and culture on the .
• Explore and learn the history of .
• Visit the Occaneechi Tribal Center located at 4902 Dailey Store Road, Burlington, NC 27217.
• ·�ճ�� is held annually the second weekend of October.

Elon honors Native American Heritage Month

As part of Native American Heritage Month, �þ��� is sharing stories that honor the histories, cultures and contributions of Native and Indigenous peoples in the university community. This month recognizes the enduring strength, traditions and knowledge of Indigenous communities, while highlighting the ways these legacies continue to shape and enrich our shared experience. It is a time to celebrate Native and Indigenous heritage, but also an invitation for all members of the university community to learn, reflect and engage in meaningful ways that honor these vibrant cultures and their lasting impact.