The universities announced four long-term pledges to Charlotte and introduced the planned undergraduate academic unit of Elon University in Charlotte following completion of the merger and required approvals. Leaders also reported on first-year progress in accreditation, governance, shared services and academic initiatives while acknowledging that additional decisions and regulatory steps remain. For information, read the press release here.

No. SACSCOC approved the substantive change for the merger in June 2026, an important accreditation milestone. The U.S. Department of Education review remains underway, and other required regulatory steps must be completed. Until then, Elon and Queens will continue operating in coordinated but legally distinct ways. The institutions cannot predict a precise completion date for the process.

The legal structure requires Elon University to be the governing institution. The merger work is intended to combine complementary strengths and includes trustees, faculty, staff and leaders from both universities in shaping the combined institution. The future organization will differ from the independent Queens University of Charlotte, but the announced plans are designed to preserve the Queens name, the Myers Park campus, a residential undergraduate community, the Royals tradition and Queens’ relationship with Charlotte.

The name and academic structure will take effect only after the merger is completed and required approvals are received. Until then, Queens University of Charlotte remains a legally distinct institution. The universities will communicate implementation details and timing as regulatory milestones are completed.

No. Current Queens students will not be required to change programs or transfer because of the plans announced on September 23. Students should continue pursuing their programs and working toward their degrees as planned. The institutions will communicate directly with students about any finalized decision that affects them.

No changes to tuition, admissions standards, financial aid or scholarships were announced. Those areas require additional academic and operational planning. Current and prospective students will receive direct communication as decisions and timelines are finalized.

No. A strong residential undergraduate community will remain at the heart of the campus, but Myers Park will also remain an important home for graduate and professional education. Current areas include law, health sciences, counseling and business. Longer-term strategies and structures for individual programs are still being developed.

Yes. Royals Athletics will continue as an important part of Queens, the undergraduate experience and the Queens tradition. Elon and Queens maintain separate athletic programs today, and the intention is to preserve both the Royals and Phoenix traditions. The institutions continue to work through the appropriate NCAA processes, and additional structural details will be shared as planning advances.

The Myers Park campus will continue to need talented faculty and staff to teach and mentor students, support campus life, advance graduate and professional programs and help build the next chapter of the university in Charlotte. Some shared services have begun in admissions, facilities, human resources and career services. Additional organizational decisions remain under development and will be communicated directly to affected employees when they are finalized.

The combined university intends to prepare more students for meaningful careers, strengthen partnerships with employers and civic organizations, expand pathways into higher education, and keep the Myers Park campus active as an intellectual, cultural and civic resource. Students will gain greater access to internships, professional networks, research, service and academic opportunities in one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.

Queens alumni will always be Queens alumni. Their relationship to the campus, its history and its traditions remains important. The Queens name and community will continue through Queens College, and the merger may create additional opportunities over time for Queens alumni to connect with the broader networks and resources of Elon University.

The timeline depends on the continuing U.S. Department of Education review and other required regulatory steps. Because that process is not entirely within the universities’ control, Elon and Queens are not predicting a precise completion date. Updates will be shared as milestones are reached.

• December 11, 2025: Queens Board of Trustees unanimously approves a merger with Elon.
• December 15, 2025: Three months after the public announcement of their intention to reach an agreement to merge, the trustees of Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte executed the legal transaction agreement to effect the merger.
• January 13, 2026: Elon University Law School announces a full-time J.D. program to begin in the fall of 2027 on the Queens campus.
• March 14, 2026: Queens and Elon submit a complete merger prospectus to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
• March 30, 2026: Queens provides notifications to students informing them of key highlights of the two-step merger as described in the SACSCOC prospectus.
• March 30, 2026:  SOAR strategic planning committee Queens student session (in person and virtual options). 
• June 2026: The anticipated date by which Elon and Queens receive regulatory approval from SACSCOC, which initiates Step One of the merger process and the date that Elon will become the sole member of Queens.

• August 2027: Anticipated launch of full-time J.D. Program of Elon University Law School launching on the Queens campus.
• June 30, 2028 (tentative): The anticipated date by which Elon and Queens receive regulatory approval from the Department of Education, which will mark the transition from Step One to Step Two, or completion, of the merger. Although we cannot predict the timeline for this approval, historically, the process has taken approximately two years from the beginning of Step One—here, from June 29, 2026 – hence the June 2028 tentative date.  This approval could come sooner or later than this date.