You had actress Jennifer Aniston, rock star Gwen Stefani and NASCAR driver Noah Gragson. Then there was celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Even Albert Einstein, Walt Disney and Pablo Picasso made a return visit from the afterlife to the Snow Family Grand Atrium of Schar Hall, along with a dozen other famous figures from throughout history.

Welcome to the first ever Dyslexia Superpower Character Day hosted by the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ, North Carolina’s only university-based, private elementary school dedicated to helping children with dyslexia learn to read and to thrive.

Nineteen children now enrolled in the third, fourth, and (as of this month) fifth grades wore costumes on Oct. 29, 2026, to introduce themselves to the campus community as individuals with dyslexia whose professional and personal accomplishments are world renowned.

The children’s teachers also wore costumes of event “security” and entertainment “press” to roam the room and ask questions of the students.

Though their normal school day is in a renovated Trollinger House just across the railroad tracks and down the street from the Historic Neighborhood, students that Thursday morning visited the School of Communications to practice their public speaking.

“This is a great opportunity for them to be self-advocates and express to other people how dyslexia may be a challenge but it’s also a gift,” said Alicia Tate, acting director of the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ. “Though everyone here at �鶹��Ƶ has supported the academy, now they’re seeing its impact in the faces of our children. This makes it real.”

Though everyone here at �鶹��Ƶ has supported the academy, now they’re seeing its impact in the faces of our children. This makes it real.

– Assistant Professor Alicia Tate, Acting Director of the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ

And the kids? Well, they were one part proud of their work and one part excited for the candy and toys offered to them from visitors.

“Noah Gragson,” known by his classmates on a regular school day as Jace, smiled while discussing the way his mother suggested that he be the famous driver. A toy NASCAR vehicle gift by his grandfather was at Jace’s feet. His only complaint? “I’ve been standing now for an hour!”

“Jamie Oliver,” otherwise known as Finley to her friends, also followed her mother’s character suggestion. Finley loves to cook, she said, and boasts a personal superpower of “resourcefulness.” She, too, was delighted to show off the bag of candy at her feet.

“Pablo Picasso” was the character selected by Lorelei. And just like her two classmates, Lorelei heeded a suggestion from her mother. “I’m a good artist and like to paint and that kind of stuff!” Lorelei exclaimed as she held pink plastic vampire’s teeth given to her by an attendee.

Each student in the room had a story to share. Each story made Tate smile with joy.

“I’m so happy,” she said of the dozens of professors, staff members, and �鶹��Ƶ students who engaged with her elementary school students. “We’ve had such a great turnout today.”

Established in 2025 through the generosity of Marjorie and Hal Roberts, the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ is the first and only university-based private school in North Carolina for children with dyslexia. The school welcomed its inaugural class in August 2026.��

The academy will expand to serve students in grades one through six in a new school currently planned for East Haggard Avenue, scheduled to open in Fall 2028.

Designed as a transitional school, Roberts Academy serves students for up to three years before they return to their community schools with the skills and confidence to succeed as scholars, entrepreneurs and civic leaders.

The school offers rolling admissions and is still accepting applications for the 2026-27 academic year. Visit the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ website to learn more.

The installation took place in Charlotte where �鶹��Ƶ’s trustees gathered for their Fall 2026 meeting where Board Secretary Dr. Kebbler M. Williams ’98 administered the oath of office. It represented another milestone in the integration of the two institutions, first announced in September 2025.

The Board of Trustees has ultimate corporate and fiduciary responsibility for �鶹��Ƶ. It oversees �鶹��Ƶ’s long-term health and strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations, and overall advancement of the university’s mission.

New Members of the �鶹��Ƶ Board of Trustees

(In Alphabetical Order by Last Name)��

Tanya Stewart Blackmon ’00����
President and Founder, Auspen Consulting

Tanya Blackmon formerly served as an executive with Novant Health. She attended NC A&T State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in social work, earned a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina, and a Master of Business Administration from the McColl School of Business. Blackmon has served on the McColl School Board of Advisors. She has two children.

Sally Gambrell Bridgford ’87, P’23����
Chief Executive Officer, The Gambrell Foundation and Belk Gambrell Enterprises����

Sally Gambrell Bridgford has become a voice for closing the gaps of inequity and building communities that allow individuals to thrive and contribute. She attended Queens and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina. Bridgford has four children and she and her husband, Brian, live in Charlotte.

Nakesha Lopez
Executive Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer for Advocate Health����

Nakesha Lopez brings more than two decades of experience in human resources to the Board of Trustees. She previously served as chief human resources officer for Baylor Scott & White Health. Lopez earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hunter College and a Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix. She and her husband, Terrence McAllister, have two children.

Susan McConnell ’83, ’13����
Former Vice President and Director, Higher Education/Human Resources, The Duke Endowment��

Susan McConnell joined the Queens Board of Trustees in 2019 after previously serving as an ex-officio member during her term as president of the Alumni Association. She received her bachelor’s degree in history and a Master of Science in Executive Coaching from Queens.

Brandon D. Perry����
Principal, Highmarket Properties LLC����

A native Virginian, Brandon D. Perry moved to Charlotte in 1998 to join the financial services practice of the technology consultancy American Management Systems (now CGI) . In 2012, he launched his own firm to focus on commercial real estate investments full-time. Perry holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Virginia Tech. He and his wife, Karen, have been members of the Queens Board of Visitors since 2011, serving as co-chairs from 2014–2017, and are the parents of four children.

Elizabeth Persson ’00 ��
Community Leader; Former Executive Vice President, Human Capital for Red Ventures����

Elizabeth Persson has twice served Queens as a member of its Board of Trustees. She also has served as a member of Queens’ Board of Visitors and on the Alumni Association Board. Persson earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from Queens. Prior to her work at Red Ventures, Persson was a vice president at Bank of America. She and her husband, Klas, have two children.

Robert “Bob” Salvin����
Founder and Former Chief Executive Officer, Salvin Dental Specialties Inc.����

In addition to seven years of service on the Queens Board of Trustees, Robert “Bob” Salvin has served on the Board of Trustees of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation; is past president of the Metrolina Business Council and the Charlotte World Trade Association; and, with his wife Susan, has served on the Queens Board of Visitors. Salvin is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner and received his Bachelor of Science in Textile Technology from North Carolina State University.

Caroline Wannamaker Sink����
Shareholder, Robinson Bradshaw��

A partner with Robinson Bradshaw, Caroline Sink has been a longtime member of the Queens Board of Trustees. She also has served on the Board of Visitors of Salem College, is an emerita member of the Law Council of Washington and Lee University School of Law and served as board chair for Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region. Sink earned a bachelor’s degree from Salem College and received her law degree from Washington and Lee University. She and her husband, Bob, have one child.

**

A ninth member of the Queens University Board of Trustees, Charlotte community leader Audean H. Godehn ’97, was unable to attend the October meeting and will be installed by the �鶹��Ƶ board at a future date. A magna cum laude Queens graduate, Godehn served on the Queens Alumni Board from 2002-2005, is past president of Friends of the Library, and has been an active volunteer with the American Red Cross, Junior League of Charlotte, and Charlotte’s performing arts community.

She and her husband, Berkley, have been members of the Board of Visitors since 2014.

The �鶹��Ƶ Board of Trustees also installed Omari Emmanuel ’26 as youth trustee. Emmanuel, a 2026 graduate of Queens, was announced in July as the newest youth trustee selected for service on the board and the October meeting marked the official start of his three-year term.

Eric Sklut P’14 and Amy Muntner P’24, parents of two �鶹��Ƶ graduates, also took the oath of office following their election at the board’s 2026 spring meeting.

“Using the Human Attention Lab Lunch-and-Learn”

WHEN: Monday, Nov. 16, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Moseley 215
HOW:�� Space will be limited.

The Human Attention Lab,��a tech-free, faculty-proctored space for a wide variety of student work, ranging from free reading and writing to timed assessments, was created this fall for faculty members to ensure that students complete work without the aid of AI.

The Lunch-and-Learn is sponsored by faculty who established an AI-Critical Working Group and HealthEU, an initiative of �鶹��Ƶ that brings together programs, people, and resources that empower students, faculty, and staff to cultivate health and well-being in every aspect of university life.

Students using the space in Powell 210 provide their instructors with documentation that attests to the fact that they completed the work without any electronic devices. Faculty who organized HAL said they intend for it to support academic success while building trust between students, their professors and their peers.

Sixteen faculty members have been volunteering their time to operate the lab for two hours at a time, several days each week in the late afternoon and early evening, said Professor Ann Cahill, a member of the AI-Critical Working Group. She said the working group’s goal is to eventually secure permanent institutional support for staffing the lab.

The Lunch-and-Learn will provide more details about the HAL, including reflections from three faculty who recently have used it in different ways.

Time will also be set aside for small-group brainstorming on potential new uses for the lab, which received logistical and space support this fall from the Office of the Provost.

Contact Professor Ann Cahill at cahilla@elon.edu with questions.

Russell B. Gill, who served �鶹��Ƶ for nearly four decades in many academic and administrative roles, including as Distinguished University Professor, Maude Sharpe Powell Professor and dean of arts and sciences, died Sunday, October 11.

Through many leadership roles and with a strong voice of advocacy for excellence, Gill was a forceful architect of �鶹��Ƶ’s academic identity. As the university grew to become a nationally recognized institution, he was among the faculty leaders who insisted that a rigorous liberal arts and sciences foundation remain at the center of an �鶹��Ƶ education, and he helped build the curriculum and standards that continue to define the university.

Gill retired in 2014, and in 2015 was awarded the �鶹��Ƶ Medallion, the university’s highest honor, in recognition of his contributions to �鶹��Ƶ. In 2018, trustees voted to name a residence hall in the Global Neighborhood in his honor.

“Russ embodied the very best of �鶹��Ƶ,” said President Connie Book. “He was a brilliant scholar who never lost his delight in teaching, and a leader who shaped our curriculum, our accreditation and our Phi Beta Kappa chapter with the same care he gave his students. Generations of �鶹��Ƶ alumni, staff and faculty carry his influence with them.”

Gill joined the �鶹��Ƶ faculty in 1976, serving as chair of the Department of Literature, Languages and Communications, the predecessor to the Department of English, from 1983 to 1988.

A respected and accomplished scholar and teacher, Gill instilled a love of learning in thousands of students, whether he was teaching basic composition or 17th- and 18th- century British and European literature. In recognition of his dedication to students and learning,��he received the Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1986.

True to his commitment to academic excellence, Gill was a strong voice in the revision of the General Studies curriculum in the 1990s as �鶹��Ƶ moved to a four-credit-hour system. The change was more than administrative: it allowed for deeper, more engaged coursework, and the general studies program he helped develop became the foundation of the �鶹��Ƶ Core Curriculum that every student completes today.

Among his most significant leadership roles at �鶹��Ƶ, Gill was coordinator of humanities and director of General Studies beginning in 1994, and from 1996 to 2000, he served as dean of arts and sciences. He was also Faculty Fellow for the university’s living-learning community initiative.

As a driving force behind the major institutional initiative to establish a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, Gill chaired �鶹��Ƶ’s Phi Beta Kappa Steering Committee and served as the first president of �鶹��Ƶ’s Eta of North Carolina chapter in 2010. The chapter stands as a lasting measure of the academic standards he championed.

His influence extended into nearly every group that shaped �鶹��Ƶ’s academic standards. He served on the Academic Council, including two years as chair, and on the Promotions and Tenure Committee. During the university’s reaccreditation, he served on the SACS Steering Committee on Institutional Effectiveness and the SACS Committee on the Centrality of the Arts and Sciences.

In 2006 he was named �鶹��Ƶ’s third Distinguished University Professor by President Leo M. Lambert. In his remarks at the investiture ceremony, Gill marveled at �鶹��Ƶ’s growth in quality and spoke of the personal connections among the people who make up the university.

“You [�鶹��Ƶ community] have created a distinctive institution with arts and sciences at its core, guided by a service ethic in the best traditions of a classical education from Socrates to Milton to our own day,” Gill said. “You are better in personal commitment to excellence, to your fellow humans, and, I also believe, better in creation of community at �鶹��Ƶ itself. There were good old days at �鶹��Ƶ but none better than today.”

Gill is survived by his wife Diane and his five children: daughter Hannah Elizabeth Gill, husband Jeremy Pinkham, grandsons Samuel Gill Pinkham and Louis Corbett Pinkham; son Benjamin Batchelet Gill and wife Natalia; son Nathan Henley Gill and wife Fernanda, granddaughter Hannah Sophia Gill Ortiz, grandson Joseph Benjamin Gill Ortiz; son Joseph Hoskins Gill; and son John Thomas Gill and granddaughter Charlotte Diane Gill Keefe.

A gathering of friends will be held in the coming weeks, and details will be shared when available.

Here we learn, here we grow.��
Every day there’s more to know.��
We are thinkers, we are strong,
And at Roberts we belong.
Dream big, shine bright, as a Phoenix we take flight.
Side by side, here we say, we can learn in our own way.��
This is our school, this is our day.
We are Roberts, hip hip hooray!

Such was the energy and emotion on display at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ, a new elementary school made possible through a transformational gift to the university by a Florida couple that has made the education of children with dyslexia the focus of their philanthropy.

The school was established in 2025 by the generosity of Marjorie and Hal Roberts, who witnessed firsthand the transformative power a multisensory approach to reading education can have for children with dyslexia. Their gift supports both the Roberts Academy and the Roberts Center for Dyslexia and Engaged Learning within �鶹��Ƶ’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education.

The Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ is the fourth private school established by the couple, joining , , and in a network of programs committed to the advancement of education for children with dyslexia and related conditions.

The school opened this fall in a temporary location on Trollinger Avenue for third and fourth graders. Plans are unforlding for a new 30,000-square-foot building that will eventually host students in the first through sixth grade. Roberts Academy teachers use the Orton-Gillingham method of instruction, considered one of the most effective approaches to helping students develop strategies for overcoming their reading difficulties.

The ribbon-cutting on Oct. 2, 2026, featured an invocation by the Rev. Kirstin Boswell, �鶹��Ƶ’s chaplain, followed with remarks of reflection and gratitude by:

• �鶹��Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book
• Philanthropist Marjie Roberts
• Ann Bullock, dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• Alicia Tate, acting director of the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ
• Tait Arend, senior philanthropic adviser at �鶹��Ƶ

Book recounted for those in attendance how �鶹��Ƶ made a promise to children with dyslexia that a learning difference would not be a limitation – and a promise to parents that they would not be alone in their journey to understand their children’s learning needs. Book then delivered a charge to the students seated before her.

“I want you to know that �鶹��Ƶ is a Hebrew word for ‘oak,’” she said. “What’s unique about oak trees is they grow the best in groves, and their root systems connect, and they become stronger as a team of trees. I charge you, as little Phoenix, to act like a grove of oak trees and to support each other and to help each other be successful as classmates.”

In her own remarks, Marjie Roberts thanked parents for placing their trust in �鶹��Ƶ and the Roberts Academy.

“This academy has the ability to restart the educational experience of young students and make the experience successful and rewarding,” she said. “It will rebuild their self confidence, enrich their minds and be a source of pride. It will change the lives of students by setting them on a trajectory of achievement and success.

“This is a celebration of what the academy will mean for the 16 children who are now enrolled, what it will mean for their families, and to the thousands of others who will follow.”

This is a celebration of what the academy will mean for the 16 children who are now enrolled, what it will mean for their families, and to the thousands of others who will follow.

– Philanthropist Marjorie Roberts

Tate introduced members of the Roberts Academy faculty and staff and Arend thanked members of the implementation team that worked to launch the academy, with Bullock serving as host and emcee of the afternoon program in the parking lot of Trollinger House.

And then there was the student cheer and the presentation of a personalized gift to the Roberts family: framed artwork featuring paper hearts with the names of each child who is part of the charter class of students.

“To our first families, thank you for believing in our school before the school even existed,” Arend said. “You all believed in us not only before the first stapler was purchased, but before the first staple was purchased. You trusted us with the children you love more than anything. And while there will be many, many children who walk through those doors, there will only ever be one first day, and there will only ever be these first 16 students.”

Speaking at a symposium focused on the topic of immigration law, noted immigration attorney Hillary Walsh examined the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which created or expanded penalties including bars preventing some undocumented immigrants from lawfully returning to the United States for years.

Walsh argued that three decades of experience raise questions about whether those measures have deterred unauthorized immigration. She cited estimates that the undocumented population increased from 5.7 million in the mid-1990s to about 14 million in 2023.

The founder and managing attorney of New Frontier Immigration Law illustrated the consequences through the story of “Gilbert,” a longtime client from Mexico whose efforts to visit an ailing parent ultimately subjected him to immigration penalties. After returning to the United States, Gilbert worked without authorization and experienced labor exploitation that the speaker described as human trafficking.

Rather than abandoning enforcement, Walsh proposed broadening access to unlawful presence waivers, potentially considering factors such as whether applicants paid taxes. She argued such changes could reward desired behavior while preserving consequences for immigration violations.

Her talk, “The Complexities of Immigration Policy,” was among the highlights of an annual �鶹��Ƶ Law Review symposium attended in downtown Greensboro, N.C., on Sept. 25, 2026, by dozens of attorneys, advocates, and �鶹��Ƶ Law students and faculty.

Walsh, who also serves as a law professor and is a nationally recognized TEDx speaker on immigration law and policy, called for immigration policy to respond more directly to U.S. workforce needs, including declining birth rates and the retirement of baby boomers. Immigration, she said, could help address labor shortages if policies relied more heavily on economic data.

Ultimately, she urged lawyers and policymakers to approach immigration reform with less judgment and greater empathy.

“If we can’t come to the table and remove the judgment of a stranger we have never met,” she asked, “how can we create immigration policy for the love of our country?”

The 2026 �鶹��Ƶ Law Review symposium was designed to analyze how borders, power, and the rule of law has led to various challenges within immigration law. Topics discussed by panelists included evolving borders, family law, policy changes, employment, seeking asylum, and humanitarianism throughout the United States.

Rose Peterson L’26, Abigail MacKnight L’26 and Lauren Collins L’26 led the development and management of the program as �鶹��Ƶ Law Review symposium co-editors, and �鶹��Ƶ Law Dean Zak Kramer welcomed attendees to the symposium.

“If this is your first time here at �鶹��Ƶ Law, welcome. If you’re returning to us, thank you for making �鶹��Ƶ Law part of your professional lives,” Kramer said. “It is very important to us, though a private school, that we be public-facing, and that we have lots of opportunities to educate the community about some of the most pressing issues in our society. Today’s conversation absolutely fits the bill.

“I hope you engage, I hope you ask hard questions, and I hope you push each other. Hopefully we can make the world a little bit better by the end of the day.”

Panels and Presentations at ‘A Changing Landscape: Immigration Law in the 21st Century’

Seeking Asylum – Hands-On Immigration Law

• Heather Scavone, Assistant Professor of Law and former Associate Counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, U.S.C.I.S.,
• Dara Arroyo-Longoria L’22, Attorney at McKinney Immigration Law

American Immigration

• Jordin Dickerson, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public
  Administration at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke
• Tolulope Falokun, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Detroit
  Mercy School of Law
• Allen Orr Jr., Founder and Principal Attorney of Orr Immigration Law Firm

The Family Immigration Landscape

• Kailey Houck, Judicial Law Clerk for Justice Melissa Hart and Justice Susan Blanco of the Colorado State Supreme Court
• Maria Rosales, Executive Director of FaithAction International

The spaces, redesigned over the past several months through a grant from office furniture manufacturer Steelcase, were celebrated on Sept. 9, 2026, with a ribbon-cutting led by the �鶹��Ƶ administrative and student team that helped bring the vision to life.

“It’s really an amazing opportunity for our team, our students, and our campus, and we hope that the things that we learn from this space will carry into other learning spaces across campus,” said Professor Jessie Moore, director of the Center for Engaged Learning at �鶹��Ƶ and a co-leader of the initiative.

The project began early this year with a design session that brought together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff. �鶹��Ƶ two-thirds of participating students identified as neurodivergent, while others were interested in supporting neurodivergent peers.

Participants reviewed existing research on neuroaffirming spaces and identified characteristics that could make learning environments more inclusive. Students used library floor plans to sketch how those principles could be incorporated into the spaces.

Priorities included psychological safety, greater control over lighting and surroundings, different sensory experiences and separate zones for collaboration and quiet individual work.

Steelcase worked with �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Planning, Design, and Construction Management to translate those ideas into potential designs. Students provided feedback on furniture, colors, seating arrangements and other features. Several additional rounds of feedback followed before furniture installed over the summer.

The redesign focused on two areas of Belk Library.

On the second floor, a lounge and three adjoining study rooms were redesigned, with each study room offering a different configuration. Features include varied seating and dimmable floor lamps that provide alternatives to overhead lighting.

On the third floor, an area known as “The Treehouse” offers a different experience. Overlooking trees and green space facing the Inman Admissions Welcome Center, the quieter area uses earth tones, creams and fabrics intended to connect with the natural environment. The redesign replaced large study carrels with a wider variety of seating styles and textures while increasing the area’s overall seating capacity.

“I’ve long supported neurodivergent students through accessible space design,” said Professor Caroline Ketcham, associate dean of �鶹��Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and a co-leader of the project with Moore. “It’s exciting to create spaces where textures, lighting and desk heights can be adjusted to meet individuals’ needs. This work makes it possible for people to thrive in environments they can use in ways that work best for them.”

It’s exciting to create spaces where textures, lighting and desk heights can be adjusted to meet individuals’ needs.��This work makes it possible for people to thrive in environments they can use in ways that work best for them.

– Professor Caroline Ketcham, associate dean of �鶹��Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences

Marisa Sergnese, an applied research and learning consultant at Steelcase Learning, attended the ribbon-cutting and praised the �鶹��Ƶ team that helped bring about the redesigned library spaces.

“At Steelcase, we use a human-centered design approach,” Sergnese said. “Observation, research, prototyping, and the iterative process allows us to collect insights so that we can learn what we need to respond to emerging forces in education. That’s the core of everything that we do, and to do that, it was really important for us to find a partner that was as interested in this topic as we are.”

With installation complete, the project now moves into its research phase.

Faculty and student researchers will observe how people use and rearrange the spaces and gather feedback through surveys, interviews and focus groups. Because some furniture can be easily moved, researchers said they are particularly interested in whether students modify the original configurations to better meet their needs.

The team is also developing tools to assess how successfully learning environments incorporate the neuroaffirming design principles identified during the project. Findings will be shared with Steelcase and could help inform future spaces at �鶹��Ƶ and elsewhere.

Steelcase has offered to support student co-researchers in presenting findings at conferences.

Ben Krasnow and Kaz Kelly, both members of the Class of 2027, will continue working on the research during the coming academic year. They and Kira Campagna, a 2026 graduate, participated as Center for Engaged Learning Student Scholars studying neuroaffirming engaged learning.

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 �鶹��Ƶ | Queens College as the planned undergraduate academic unit of �鶹��Ƶ 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 �鶹��Ƶ 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 �鶹��Ƶ 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 �鶹��Ƶ’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. �鶹��Ƶ 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 �鶹��Ƶ’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, �鶹��Ƶ 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.

�鶹��Ƶ the Merger

�鶹��Ƶ 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 �鶹��Ƶ’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.

�鶹��Ƶ �鶹��Ƶ

�鶹��Ƶ 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 �鶹��Ƶ, approximately 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The �鶹��Ƶ 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. �鶹��Ƶ 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.

�鶹��Ƶ Queens University of Charlotte

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Among likely voters (those who said it is “absolutely certain” or “very likely” they will vote), Cooper was favored by 49%, with Whatley favored by 38%. Eight percent were undecided and candidates Shannon Bray (Libertarian) and Michael Dublin (Green) were favored by two percent each.

Among all those who said they were registered to vote, Cooper is favored by 49% and Whatley is favored by 36%, with 14% saying they were undecided or planned to vote for someone else and 2% saying they do not plan to vote.

The survey of 800 North Carolina adults was conducted August 21-31, 2026, and has a margin of error for likely voters of 5.6%.

Seventy-two percent of poll respondents said they are registered to vote in the state, with 63% of those registered voters saying it is absolutely certain they will vote in November and another 20% saying it is very likely they will vote.

In this survey, 71% of registered voters said they had heard “a great deal” or “some” about Cooper, who was North Carolina governor from 2017 to 2025 and previously served 16 years as the state’s attorney general. In comparison, 47% said they had heard “a great deal” or “some” about Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party.

Fifteen percent said they had heard nothing at all about Whatley compared with only 4% who had heard nothing at all about Cooper.

Regardless of who they personally plan to vote for, 54% of registered voters predicted that Cooper will win the race, compared with 29% who predicted that Whatley will win.

“Despite an increase in advertising, we measured relatively little movement over the last month in voter intentions about the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, with Democratic candidate Roy Cooper maintaining a strong lead over Republican Michael Whatley,” said Jason Husser, director of the �鶹��Ƶ Poll and a professor of political science and public policy. “The race continues to appear competitive among the group of voters who are highly familiar with Whatley. However, the size of that group remains relatively small and slowly growing.

“Now that we have passed Labor Day, campaigning will approach full velocity, offering some final opportunity for Whatley to increase familiarity and narrow Cooper’s lead in the race.”

Questions about the voting process

�鶹��Ƶ half (51%) of registered voters said they plan to cast their votes in person during the early voting period that runs October 15-31. Thirty-five percent plan to vote in person at the polls on November 3 and only about 8% plan to cast their votes by mail.

Under state law, county election boards began distributing absentee ballots to those who had requested them on September 4.

found that 40 other states had higher vote-by-mail numbers than North Carolina in 2022, when only 5 percent of ballots in the state were cast by mail. Nationwide, about one in three Americans cast their votes by mail in the 2024 general election.

In August, President Trump issued an executive order that would give the U.S. Postal Service control over the issuance of mail-in ballots in this year’s election. Following court decisions blocking that action, the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the case, threatening to create serious questions about the voting process just weeks before the election.

“We find a substantial majority of registered voters in North Carolina to be satisfied with the status quo on length of early voting,” Husser said. “Though Democrats reported somewhat higher rates than Republicans of planning to vote early in the upcoming election, only a small minority of voters in either political party told us early voting is too long.”

In August, Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly to reduce the number of early voting days for primary elections in the state. In this survey, 56% of poll respondents said the length of the early voting period in statewide elections is about right, with 11% saying early voting is too short, 11% saying early voting is too long and 22% unsure.

Issues on voters’ minds

Among registered voters, 51% said they were extremely or very excited to cast their ballots and 83% said this year’s election was extremely or somewhat important for real-world outcomes in their lives.

Pocketbook issues were at the top of registered voters’ minds as they make their voting decisions. Eighty-six percent said inflation and the cost of living are “very important” issues, with 73% saying the general economy and healthcare are “very important.”

Other “very important” issues included taxes (66%), Social Security (64%), personal character of candidates (60%), immigration (54%), the war in Iran (50%) and the environment (43%).

Grading the health of the nation’s economy, 49% of registered voters gave grades of “D” and “F”, with 30% assigning a “C” grade and only 22% giving “A” or “B” grades.

Related to the war with Iran, 52% of registered voters opposed the U.S. military involvement compared with 31% who supported it. �鶹��Ƶ 40% said a year from now America will be less safe as a result of U.S. military actions in Iran, with 30% saying America will be more safe.

“Voters are placing very high emphasis on the economy, especially the cost of living, and voters are overwhelming thinking the economy is not good,” Husser said. “This is driving a great deal of attitudes towards both President Trump and Congressional candidates of his party. While much of the national political focus over the next two months will be on the performance of individual candidates and their campaigns, many political outcomes will be influenced at least as much by the ongoing performance of the economy.”

Approval ratings

This survey gathered new data on approval ratings for President Donald Trump and N.C. Gov. Josh Stein.

Among all poll respondents, 54% disapproved of the job Trump is doing as president and 31% approved. While Trump’s disapproval numbers in North Carolina have stayed roughly the same during 2026, his approval rating in this survey was the lowest recorded by the �鶹��Ƶ Poll since Trump took office in January 2025.

Stein had a 40% approval rating, a drop of 6% from the �鶹��Ƶ Poll conducted at the end of July. Stein’s disapproval numbers stayed steady at 25%.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at:��www.elon.edu/elonpoll. The survey was developed by the �鶹��Ƶ Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between August 21 and August 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 1,121 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for likely voters in this survey is +/- 5.6%, for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) the margin of error is +/-5.05%, and the margin of error for all adults in this survey is +/-5.09%.

�鶹��Ƶ the �鶹��Ƶ Poll

Established in 2000, the �鶹��Ƶ Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of citizens’ opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by �鶹��Ƶ and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The �鶹��Ƶ Poll is a charter member of the��, a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The �鶹��Ƶ Poll’s voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and who conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.