Elon University Elon University is a private liberal arts university in Elon , North Carolina , United States . Formerly known as Elon College when founded in 1889 , it became Elon University on June 1 , 2001 . History . Elon College was founded by the Christian Church , which later became a part of the United Church of Christ . The charter for Elon College was issued by the North Carolina legislature in 1889 . William S . Long was the first president , and the original student body consisted of 76 students . In 1923 , a fire destroyed most of the campus , including school records , classrooms , the library , and the chapel . The Board of Trustees voted to rebuild immediately . Many of the buildings that were erected in the years following the fire still stand and make up the bedrock of Elon ' s campus . In the early 1970s , Elon was an undergraduate college serving mainly local residents commuting from family homes , attracting " regional students of average ability from families of modest means . " By the start of the 21st century , however , about 68 percent of Elon ' s students came from out - of - state and were only accepted if they met high academic standards . Elon ' s transformation was the subject of an academic study by George Keller of the University of Pennsylvania titled " Transforming a College : The Story of a Little Known College ' s Strategic Climb to National Distinction " . The study , published by Johns Hopkins University Press , depicted how Elon successfully transformed itself from an unimpressive college to a selective , nationally recognized university . Keller concluded that " strategic planning , financial ingenuity , faculty dedication , and strong , determined leadership , " all of which were present at Elon , can transform a higher education institution . Elon maintains its historic relationship to the United Church of Christ , but is no longer directly affiliated . Elon ' s mission statement states that the university " embraces its founders ' vision of an academic community that transforms mind , body , and spirit and encourages freedom of thought and liberty of conscience , " and emphasizes its commitment to " nurture a rich intellectual community characterized by student engagement with a faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and scholarly accomplishment . " Many prominent figures have visited and spoken at Elon , including U . S . Presidents Lyndon B . Johnson , Jimmy Carter , George H . W . Bush and Bill Clinton , former U . S . Secretaries of State General Colin L . Powell and Madeleine Albright , British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak , Nobel Peace Prize winners Elie Wiesel and Muhammad Yunus , astronauts John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin and network news anchors Brian Williams and Anderson Cooper . Academics . The university includes Elon College , the College of Arts and Sciences ; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business ; the School of Communications ; the School of Education ; the School of Law ; and the School of Health Sciences . Master ' s programs are offered in business administration , interactive media , education and physician assistant studies , and doctoral programs include physical therapy and law . Elon operates on a 4 - 1 - 4 academic calendar , including a four - week term in January known as Winter Term . In 2009 , the Phi Beta Kappa Society voted to establish a chapter at Elon , a mark of distinction for the university ' s commitment to meeting the high standards of excellence in the arts and sciences advocated by the Society . Elon is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . The College of Arts and Sciences . Elon College , the College of Arts and Sciences , offers 51 undergraduate majors within three divisions : the Arts and Humanities , the Social and Behavioral Sciences , and the Natural , Mathematical and Computational Sciences . Students can also create their own independent majors , and choose from a range of minors . Students are also strongly encouraged to participate in five programs known as the " Elon Experiences " : doing student undergraduate research , studying abroad , doing internships , engaging in service learning , and demonstrating leadership . Elon sends more undergraduate students to study abroad than any other master ' s - level school in the nation . 80 % of Elon students complete internships and 91 % of recent graduates participated in volunteer service . Mention of participation in these programs can be included on an " Elon Experiences " transcript which accompanies the academic student transcript . Admitted freshmen in the class of 2013 had a core academic GPA of 3 . 96 , and the class included 12 high school valedictorians . The average class size is 21 students , maximum class size is 35 and the 4 - year graduation rate is 71 % . 71 % of students will complete at least one study abroad program ( the national average is 6 % ) . 84 % of students will complete an internship prior to graduation . As of 2011 , Freshman retention rate was 90 % . School of Business . The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business offers undergraduate degrees in Accounting , Business Administration , Economics , Entrepreneurship , Finance , Management and Marketing . The part - time MBA program was ranked # 1 in the South by BusinessWeek . School of Communications . The Elon School of Communications is one of 18 accredited communications programs for private universities in the US by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication ( AEJMC ) . The program encompasses 20 % of students and is divided into six main concentrations : Journalism , Broadcast & New Media , Cinema , Strategic Communications , Communication Science and Sport & Event Management . The teaching staff is rich in professional experience , including a Pulitzer Prize winner , top corporate communicators , a CNN veteran and a Webby Honors winner . There are no lab fees , and students can sign out top - line digital media equipment to use for free . Students each complete at least one required internship . Workplaces include NBC , 60 Minutes , National Geographic , MTV , DreamWorks , New York Times , VOGUE and the Washington Post . Many students complete multiple internships . Some students complete an internship while enrolled in the London program and intern at international media companies headquartered there . There are summer programs in Los Angeles and New York City for students to intern and take classes there . Elon students also conduct research at or present their work at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum , Federal Communications Commission , the Broadcast Education Association conference and many other venues . Students in this discipline have several opportunities to gain practical experience , whether through working on the newspaper ( The Pendulum ) , the radio station ( WSOE ) , or one of many award - winning shows on Elon Student Television ( ESTV ) including two Emmy award winning shows : One - on - One Sports , and Phoenix14 News , both recognized by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . Elon also has a public relations company called Live Oak Communications , as well as a student film group known as Cinelon . In the summer of 2009 , the school established an M . A . program in Interactive Media which lasts for ten months . Elon Communications is also home to sketch comedy show Elon Tonight , established in 2010 . School of Law . The Elon University School of Law opened on August 10 , 2006 . The School of Law is located in downtown Greensboro , North Carolina in the former city library . Former United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O ' Connor delivered the Dedication Address on September 19 , 2006 . According to US News the law school is currently " unranked " . Student body . Elon has a student body of 5 , 225 undergraduate students and 691 graduate students . 48 states , the District of Columbia , and 57 nations are represented in the student body . Athletics . Elon ' s 17 varsity sports teams , known as the Phoenix , compete in the NCAA ' s Division I Southern Conference . Intercollegiate sports include baseball , basketball , cross - country , football , golf , soccer , and tennis for men , and basketball , cross - country , golf , indoor track , outdoor track , soccer , softball , tennis , and volleyball for women . The football team competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision ( formerly I - AA ) . Campus Recreation offers intramural and club sports programs , such as baseball , cycling , lacrosse , flag football , equestrian , swimming , rugby union , triathlon , water skiing , ice hockey and Ultimate Frisbee . During Winter Term the intramurals include bowling , arena football , dodgeball , ultimate frisbee , and a monster golf tournament . Up until 2000 , the mascot of Elon was the Fighting Christian . Early Elon athletic teams were known as the " Christians " with the name " Fighting Christians " gaining popularity by 1923 . The nickname was chosen due to Elon ' s proximity to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons , and the Duke Blue Devils . However , many did not feel that the nickname was universal enough for a team making the transition to Division I athletics , so a new mascot was adopted in 2000 , the Phoenix . The choice came from the 1923 fire that destroyed almost the entire campus . Soon after the fire , the university trustees began planning to make Elon " rise from the ashes " . The Phoenix was a mythical creature that rose from the ashes of its predecessors . Elon ' s Fight Song was written in 1921 by Mark Z . Rhodes to the tune of F . E . Bigelow ' s march " Our Director . " So here ' s to dear old Elon < br > Faithful and bold < br > Here ' s to her banner < br > Of maroon and gold < br > Here ' s to men and women < br > Who ' ve come and gone < br > Singing the victor ' s song < br > Of old Elon < br > Facilities . Elon ' s sports facilities include two gymnasiums , Walter C . Latham Baseball Park , Rhodes Stadium , the on - campus football stadium , Alumni Field House , Koury Field House , six club athletic fields , Worseley Golf Center , and Koury Center , which features the 2 , 400 seat Alumni Gym , an aerobic fitness center , a weight room , racquetball courts , an indoor pool , and a dance studio . The Jimmy Powell Tennis Center is a twelve - court state - of - the - art complex and is recognized as one of the finest collegiate tennis complexes in the nation . Athletics staff and coaches began the move into Alumni Field House on Jan . 14 . The facility at the north end of Rhodes Stadium in the North Athletics Complex is the new headquarters for Phoenix athletics . Campus . Elon ' s historic campus is located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina , adjacent to Burlington , a city of 50 , 000 . Elon is 20 minutes from Greensboro and within a one hour drive of many other universities — Duke , NC State , UNC - Chapel Hill , UNC - Greensboro , North Carolina A & T State University , and Wake Forest . Princeton Review as well as the New York Times ranked Elon University as the nation ' s # 1 most beautiful campus . Elon ' s campus is divided into seven major sections : North Area , Central Campus , West Area , East Area , South Campus , Danieley Center , and Elon West . Each area consists of different services and facilities . There are 29 residence buildings on campus and 12 major academic buildings . Elon also has numerous lakes and fountains throughout its campus . Spike Lee used Elon as one of the university locations for the movie " He Got Game " . The Alamance Building , Fonville Fountain , and the Moseley Center ' s outside patio were the setting for the movie ' s " Tech University . " Campus life . The university has more than 150 campus organizations and programs , including 12 national fraternities and 13 national sororities . Elon University ' s fraternities consist of the following : Delta Upsilon , Kappa Sigma , Pi Kappa Phi , Sigma Pi , Kappa Alpha Order , Lambda Chi Alpha , Sigma Chi , Sigma Phi Epsilon , Phi Beta Sigma , Alpha Phi Alpha , Zeta Beta Tau , and Kappa Alpha Psi . Elon University ' s sororities consist of the following : Alpha Chi Omega , Alpha Xi Delta , Kappa Delta , Sigma Kappa , Zeta Tau Alpha , Alpha Omicron Pi , Delta Delta Delta , Phi Mu , Sigma Sigma Sigma , Alpha Kappa Alpha , Delta Sigma Theta , Zeta Phi Beta . " The Pendulum " , Elon ' s undergraduate weekly newspaper is published every Wednesday . WSOE , the University ' s student - run non - commercial campus radio station , has been airing since 1977 . ETV ( Elon Television ) is the Student television station featuring numerous student - created and - run programs in addition to its nationally recognized news program , Phoenix14 News , produced by ESTV ( Elon Student Television ) . Phoenix14News was ranked # 1 college newscast by the Broadcast Education Association in 2009 and was recognized as the Best College Newscast by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . Phoenix14News was at the center of controversy in March 2010 , when former student journalist Nick Ochsner was denied a complete incident report from Elon ’ s Campus Safety and Police Department following an open records request for the details surrounding a fellow student ' s arrest . Ochsner has since sued the university and the state attorney general ' s office for the records . On June 5 , the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the university and the attorney general ' s office , holding that private university police departments , like that at Elon , are not subject to the state ' s open records law . Numerous student government , special interest , and service organizations are represented on campus , including Elon Volunteers , Habitat for Humanity , Model UN , Epsilon Sigma Alpha , Alpha Phi Omega , the Resident Student Association , the Student Government Association , and the Student Union Board . Cultural groups on campus include the Black Cultural Society , , Intercultural Club , and Spectrum ( Gay - Straight Alliance ) . Elon is home to the Fire of the Carolinas Marching Band ( FOTC ) , which delivers pre - game , halftime , and occasionally post - game performances at home football games . The band also includes color guard ( flag spinning ) and dance auxiliary squads . Religious life . Religious groups on campus include Catholic Campus Ministry , , InterVarsity Christian Fellowship , Baptist Student Union , Sigma Alpha Omega , and Campus Outreach . The Jewish population at Elon has grown especially rapidly in recent years , with eight percent of recent classes self - identifying as Jewish , though the number of Jewish students on campus is assumed by some to be higher than this . Elon was profiled in " Reform Judaism " magazine in 2011 as a school which has " gone the extra mile " to make itself more attractive to Jewish students . The Muslim student population is small but has increased dramatically in size in recent years , and a Muslim Student Association has formed at Elon . The Hindu population has also increased in size , and while there is no formal Hindu organization on campus , Hindu students report feeling accepted at Elon . Elon has received praise for its efforts to build a multi - faith center that is open to students of all religious traditions . Greek life . Elon University recognizes 25 social Greek organizations . 43 % of women and 26 % of men on campus belong to one of the following campus - chartered organizations . In 2011 , two new Greek organizations were installed , one IFC fraternity ( Delta Upsilon ) and one PHC sorority ( Kappa Delta ) . The Elon University Poll . Elon students conduct statewide polls on issues of importance to North Carolinians . Formed in 2000 , the non - partisan polls ' results are shared with various media outlets , citizens and researchers to facilitate representative democracy and public policy making through the better understanding of the opinions and needs of North Carolina citizens . It is one of the only polls in the country that is conducted by student callers as compared to hired workers . Polls have gauged respondents ' opinions of the Presidential performance , capital punishment , and the Iraq War . Dr . Kenneth Fernandez and Dr . Jason Husser are the directors of the Elon University Poll . [ Bill Bowes ] drafted by NBA and ABA 1969