In September 2025, Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte announced plans to merge, with Elon set to operate Queens by summer 2026.The move comes amid both institutions facing enrollment declines and financial pressures, and is pitched as a way to expand academic offerings, strengthen graduate pathways, and better serve the Charlotte region’s growing needs.
However, the announcement has sparked concern among alumni who fear the merger could erode Queens’ legacy and Elon’s brand prestige. Queens graduates worry their school’s identity — its name, traditions, and unique culture — could be lost under a merged institution. Likewise, some Elon alumni are worried about dilution of their university’s reputation, worried that being associated with a smaller institution with fewer resources or less recognition could tarnish how employers or others perceive their degree.
Other objections center on transparency. Many alumni say the announcement came unexpectedly, with key details still unclear — the future name of the merged university, the branding of athletic programs, how the merged identity will function across campuses, and what happens to Queens’ mascot and legacy symbols. Some fear the size disparity — Elon is much larger, with greater endowment and assets — will lead to one school’s culture overshadowing the other.
School leaders have responded by holding listening sessions, town halls, and promising that both institutions’ identities and legacies will be honore.Still, for many alumni, the fear remains that this merger, while financially or strategically logical, could come at the cost of something intangible but deeply felt: the history, character, and community that defined their alma mater.
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