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�������޹�����Ʒ and Queens University of Charlotte have announced four long-term pledges to Charlotte that will guide the combined institution’s work with students, employees, employers, civic organizations and educational partners.

Rooted in the early strategic planning of internal working groups and refined through community research and conversations, the pledges provide a framework for the work ahead and include public accountability for the progress made and the investments that support it.

The university leaders also unveiled �������޹�����Ʒ | Queens College as the planned undergraduate academic unit of �������޹�����Ʒ in Charlotte following completion of the merger and required regulatory approvals.

The announcements were shared during a Sept. 23, 2026, campus update at Queens’ historic Myers Park campus, marking one year since the universities announced their intention to merge.

“The value of this merger will not be measured by whether it creates a larger university. It will be measured by whether it creates better opportunities for students, stronger connections to employers and communities, and greater capacity to serve Charlotte for generations,” said �������޹�����Ʒ President Connie Ledoux Book. “Queens College will carry forward the Queens name, residential experience, Royals tradition and deep relationship with Charlotte while drawing on the reach and resources of the broader �������޹�����Ʒ community.”

“For generations, Queens has been woven into Charlotte through its students, faculty, staff and alumni and through an enduring commitment to service,” said Queens University of Charlotte Acting President Jesse Cureton. “Queens College is intended to preserve that legacy as a living academic community – with students learning on this campus, faculty mentoring them, Royals competing and longstanding traditions continuing for generations to come.”

Queens College and the future of the Myers Park campus

Queens College will carry forward Queens’ nearly 170-year tradition of close-knit residential undergraduate education on the Myers Park campus. The Queens name, the Royals tradition, the residential experience and the institution’s historic commitment to service will remain central to the campus’ future.

A vibrant undergraduate community will remain at the heart of the campus, with students studying across the arts and sciences and professional fields, living and learning together, participating in campus traditions and competing as the Royals. Athletics will remain an important part of the undergraduate experience and Queens tradition as the broader merger advances.

The Myers Park campus will also remain an important home for graduate and professional education in areas including law, health sciences, counseling and business. The longer-term strategy and structure for individual programs are still being developed.

Four pledges to Charlotte

The four pledges are rooted in the early strategic planning work completed through SOAR and reflect priorities identified through research and conversations with Charlotte-area leaders and residents, including career preparation, internships, employer partnerships and broader access to educational opportunity. Together, they provide a framework for the work ahead.

1. To be the national leader in engaged learning. Queens has long required every undergraduate to complete an internship. We will build on that foundation, making Charlotte a classroom without walls, deepening the quality and mentorship of every internship, co-op, research and service experience, and bringing students from Elon’s campus to Charlotte for signature academic and professional experiences.
2. To be a true partner to Charlotte’s employers, schools and civic organizations. We will listen to regional needs and connect students, programs and university expertise with Charlotte’s changing workforce priorities in business, health care, technology and education. We will work with schools, community colleges, universities, employers and nonprofits to build stronger pathways into higher education and expand opportunity for Charlotte-area students.
3. To be an intellectual, cultural and civic resource. We will build on Queens’ legacy of thought leadership, arts, public programs and civic engagement, keeping the campus’ theaters, galleries, classrooms and gathering spaces active parts of Charlotte.
4. To make the necessary investments in people and long-term strength. We will become a top talent destination and employer of choice through competitive compensation and benefits, professional development, and a culture in which expertise is respected and employees from both campuses shape new ways of working. And we will secure the campus’ future through disciplined planning, enrollment strategy, philanthropy, responsible budgets and sustained investment in students, programs, facilities and people.

“Pledges made publicly should be measured publicly,” Book said. “We intend to return to the Charlotte community with evidence of progress – the experiences students complete, the partnerships we build, the people we serve and the investments we make in this campus and its future.”

Progress during the first year

During the first year, the merger moved from intention to implementation. In June, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges approved the substantive change for the merger, the most significant accreditation milestone in the process to date. An expanded governance structure is in place, and the first phase of shared services began this summer in admissions, facilities, human resources and career services.

Academic initiatives are also advancing. Elon Law’s full-time Charlotte program plans to welcome its first cohort in 2027 on the Myers Park campus. The university’s clinical mental health counseling master’s program has expanded to Charlotte, and Charlotte’s first graduate physician assistant program is preparing to welcome its inaugural class in January. Faculty and academic leaders from both institutions are also exploring new pathways connecting the residential undergraduate experience at Queens with Elon’s broader academic network and Charlotte-based graduate and professional education.

The U.S. Department of Education review is continuing, and additional academic, operational and organizational decisions require further planning. Until all required approvals are complete, Elon and Queens will continue operating in coordinated but legally distinct ways. The universities will communicate directly with students, employees and alumni as implementation milestones are finalized.

�������޹�����Ʒ the Merger

�������޹�����Ʒ and Queens University of Charlotte announced their intention to merge in September 2025. The long-term vision brings together Queens’ deep history and relationships in Charlotte with Elon’s national leadership in engaged learning and record of strong student outcomes. The institutions are working toward a combined university that preserves distinctive campus identities while expanding opportunities for students and increasing the capacity to serve Charlotte and the region.

�������޹�����Ʒ �������޹�����Ʒ

�������޹�����Ʒ is the nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture. At Elon, approximately 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The Elon curriculum is grounded in the traditional liberal arts and sciences with an emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 80 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. Elon is ranked among the Top 100 national universities by U.S. News & World Report, with a No. 1 ranking for excellence in undergraduate teaching for six consecutive years.

�������޹�����Ʒ Queens University of Charlotte

Queens University of Charlotte is located in one of America’s fastest-growing cities, offering an extended classroom to students and a direct pipeline to meaningful careers for graduates. Queens University serves around 2,000 students in undergraduate and master’s-level programs across the liberal arts and sciences as well as the professional fields of business, communication, nursing, health and education. Queens’ unique General Education model teaches students to think critically about some of the world’s biggest problems, beyond the boundaries of what’s expected in a college classroom.