Renovations have started on what once was a small residence hall but will soon serve as the temporary location for Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��, an all-day private school for children with dyslexia that opens in August.

The top priority for the designers working on those renovations? Create a space where children will learn, grow, and thrive in their confidence as young readers.

“Our team did a wonderful job of thinking through which spaces will be for which purpose, the furniture we’re selecting, how we’re setting up classrooms, and the technology we’ll use,” said Ann Bullock, dean of the university’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. “All of those things will make for an engaged, active, multisensory school. It’s going to be great.”

Established in 2025 through a gift from philanthropists Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will be the fourth in a series of successful university-based private elementary schools the couple also supported at Vanderbilt University, Mercer University and Florida Southern College.

Each academy employs the Orton-Gillingham multisensory approach to reading instruction. The goal is to return students to their community schools as confident readers after 2-3 years of immersive, hands-on instruction in all core subjects.

The Roberts Academy at Elon will welcome third and fourth graders this fall to Trollinger House as construction begins on a permanent site along East Haggard Avenue. That location will open for to grades 1-6 starting in Fall 2028.

Bullock was joined on April 9, 2026, for a site visit to Trollinger House where several staff members wore hard hats on their stroll through the building on West Trollinger Avenue. Led by Holly Hodge, ����app�ٷ���վ��’s director of interior design, staff had a chance to see for themselves what, until then, had only been conceptual.

Hodge highlighted some of the features that, once installed, will nurture students who attend the school: flexible furniture for smaller groups in classrooms with no more than 12 students, desks with writable surfaces, and expansive wall space intended to be layered with student work and their art on display.

“To me, it’s a blank canvas,” Hodge said afterward. “Walking through the space and showing that blank canvas helps imagine a piece of art in the making. I can’t wait for students to then come in and have teachers make the space their own.”

Hodge identified another question for her team: How do you “define” or tell the story of dyslexia? How do you celebrate the amazing talents and strengths of students in addition to their classroom learning?

One thing is certain, she concluded: “Every kid deserves to be confident.”

***

 Families interested in learning more can visit the Roberts Academy website at www.elon.edu/robertsacademy.

Tracy Roof, who retired from Guilford County Schools in 2025, said she’s excited about her new opportunity to help start North Carolina’s first university-based, all-day private elementary school for children with dyslexia.

The Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will use the multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction once it launches in August to third- and fourth-grade students in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue.

The academy will expand to grades 1-6 when a new building opens for the 2028-2029 academic year on East Haggard Avenue near the university’s Danieley Neighborhood. Each classroom will be capped at 12 students.

“The Roberts Academy model offers a meaningful opportunity to help students with dyslexia become confident, capable readers so they can truly thrive in school,” Roof said. “I’m excited to welcome our first students and families, build our inaugural classes and establish strong systems that will support both teaching and learning from day one.”

“The Roberts Academy model offers a meaningful opportunity to help students with dyslexia become confident, capable readers so they can truly thrive in school.”

– Tracy Roof, director of business and school operations, Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��

Roof joins Assistant Professor Alicia Tate, acting director of the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��, as a founding administrator at the school.

“Tracy’s career achievements and her experience working closely with students with a variety of needs made her an ideal candidate for this position,” Tate said. “Having her on the Roberts Academy team will ensure early success for a school with such promise for so many children and their families.”

Over the past 15 years, Roof has served in school leadership roles as both an assistant principal and principal at the elementary and middle school levels, leading efforts to improve student outcomes and overall school performance. Earlier in her career, she spent 12 years teaching math, science, and social studies, followed by six years as a curriculum facilitator, where she supported instructional improvement and teacher development.

Throughout her career, Roof has worked closely with students and families to develop effective Individualized Education Plans, helping ensure each child receives the support needed to succeed.

Beyond her professional roles, Roof has been an active community volunteer supporting individuals with special needs and disabilities.

Her involvement includes supporting the launch of  that employs individuals with special needs, as well as volunteering with Night to Shine, an inclusive prom experience, and the Special Olympics.

Established in 2025 through a gift from philanthropists Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will be the fourth in a series of successful university-based private elementary schools the couple established at Vanderbilt University, Mercer University and Florida Southern College.

Families interested in learning more can visit the Roberts Academy website at www.elon.edu/robertsacademy.

A proven approach to teaching children with dyslexia how to read – and how that approach will be the guiding philosophy at a new grade school set to open this fall at ����app�ٷ���վ�� – was the focus on a recent news report by FOX 8 WGHP broadcast across North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad.

Anchor and reporter Madison Forsey spoke with administrative leaders behind the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��, which will be the only university-based school of its kind in North Carolina when it opens in August for third- and fourth-graders.

The school will open in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue in the Town of Elon while a new elementary school rises across campus with an expected open date of Fall 2028. Once open, the school will enroll up to 200 students in the first through sixth grades.

That report, features an extended interview with Lisa LeBlanc, whose adult son has dyslexia. LeBlanc has been an advocate for Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��.

“If there would have been an opportunity like the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� for my son when he was in second, third, fourth grade,” she said, “I would’ve crawled on broken glass for him to be there.”

Applications are now being accepted for rising third- and fourth-graders whose families wish to be a part of the charter cohort to attend Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��.��

Led by Assistant Professor and Acting Director Alicia Tate and Ann Bullock, dean of ����app�ٷ���վ��’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, the online “Exploring Dyslexia” session on Jan. 27, 2026, offered a glimpse of the approach planned for the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��, the state’s first university-based private school exclusively for children with dyslexia and related conditions.

Roberts Academy will use the Orton-Gillingham approach, an evidence-based method that emphasizes multisensory instruction — engaging sight, sound, touch and movement — to help students build stronger neural connections for reading and language development.

The academy will initially serve students in grades three and four starting in the fall at a temporary campus location. It will expand to grades one through six once a new school opens on East Haggard Avenue in time for the 2028-29 school year.

Leaders said the goal is for students to leave Roberts Academy after two or three years equipped with academic skills and the confidence to succeed when they return to traditional school settings.

The application process for the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��’s charter class of third and fourth graders is now open.

“What we’re doing is trying to engage more than one sense at a time to strengthen learning,” Tate told attendees. “The Orton-Gillingham approach is not just a helpful strategy. It’s essential.”

The Orton-Gillingham approach is not just a helpful strategy. It’s essential.

– Assistant Professor and Acting Director Alicia S. Tate

Rather than relying heavily on traditional practices such as silent reading or copying from a board, instruction at Roberts Academy will be immersive throughout the day, Tate and Bullock told attendees. Lessons may include students tracing letters in sand, spelling words in the air, tapping syllables on their arms or using movement and rhythm to reinforce phonics and spelling patterns.

That multisensory approach extends across subjects. In mathematics, students will use manipulatives while explaining their thinking aloud or drawing number lines to solve problems. Science lessons will emphasize observing, recording and discussing results simultaneously while using diagrams and physical models.

In social studies, timelines, maps and visuals will be paired with discussion, role-play and simulations. Writing instruction will include planning ideas orally and using visual organizers during drafting.

Class sizes will be capped at 12 students, allowing for individualized instruction and small groups for literacy support. Students will follow North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study and participate in a full elementary experience that includes art, music, physical education and clubs, along with expanded recess time and opportunities to use ����app�ٷ���վ�� campus as an extension of the classroom.

Bullock said the academy’s mission extends beyond academics. “A lot of times, children with dyslexia feel defeated,” she said. “We want to boost their confidence and for them to know they’re capable of learning.”

A selection of 25 photos from the year offers a look at what the Elon community accomplished in 2025.

����app�ٷ���վ�� nursing students and faculty at a lunch stop in Vinales, Cuba during the first of its kind 2025 Winter Term Study Abroad program. The students visited a rural health clinic, provided donations and visited the biosphere area.

����app�ٷ���վ�� Black History Month kickoff event in Moseley Center on Feb. 3, 2025.

Students celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 7, 2025 in the McBride Gathering Space.

On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.

����app�ٷ���վ�� hosted the Alamance County Special Olympics Spring Games in April 2025.

Cynthia Fair, professor of public health studies, human service studies discovers she is the recipient of the Steven and Patricia House Excellence in Mentoring Award during the Faculty and Staff Awards Luncheon in Alumni Gym on May 13, 2025.

The ����app�ٷ���վ�� softball team celebrates after winning their first-ever CAA Tournament title on May 10, 2025. The Phoenix took home seven CAA titles in 2025, the most for the university in a single calendar year.

����app�ٷ���վ�� conferred degrees on more than 1,300 undergraduates during Commencement exercises on May 23, 2025.

Sean Mikesh '25 is surprised by President Connie Ledoux Book and Elon faculty for an impromptu Commencement ceremony in New York City. Mikesh was unable to attend his traditional commencement ceremony due to his role in "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" on Broadway.

Work on ����app�ٷ���վ��'s new HealthEU Center began in summer 2025.

Six ����app�ٷ���վ�� faculty members were awarded endowed professorships during the Opening Day ceremony on Aug. 18. 2025. Left to right: Cassandra DiRienzo, professor and department chair of economics; Titch Madzima, associate professor and chair of exercise science; Dave Gammon, professor of biology; Nancy Scherich, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics; Lauren Kearns, professor of dance; Smaraki Mohanty, assistant professor of marketing

Sanah Saha ’29 remains standing during the ‘human bar graph’ exercise, symbolizing the uniqueness of an Elon education, during New Student Convocation on Aug. 23, 2025.

����app�ٷ���վ�� held the first College Coffee of the 2025-26 academic year on Aug. 26, 2025 on Phi Beta Kappa Commons.

Ocaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation Tribal Administrator Vickie Jeffries “smudges the land” by burning sage to clear negativity during a historical marker dedication Under the Oaks on Sept. 9, 2025. The marker, next to Schar Hall Under the Oaks, is a symbol of the continued connection and relationship between ����app�ٷ���վ�� and the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation Tribe.

����app�ٷ���վ�� student-athletes touch Olympian Katie Ledecky's gold medal during a talk before Fall Convocation on Sept. 26, 2025.

����app�ٷ���վ�� President Connie Ledoux Book presents gifts to members of Toshio Sato's family during the dedication of Sato Commons during Homecoming & Reunion Weekend.

The Homecoming & Reunion Weekend concert returned with "The Plain White T's" in October.

(Left to right) Acorn Academy Head of School Cherelle Sharpe, Vivvi CEO Charlie Bonello, Elon President Connie Ledoux Book and Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer Janet Williams, cut the ceremonial ribbon for Acorn Academy to mark the center’s official opening.

(Left to right) ����app�ٷ���վ�� President Connie Ledoux Book and Queens University Acting President Jesse Cureton pose for a photo following the announcement that the universities intend to merge.

Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, received a standing ovation from hundreds of attendees at a Nov. 6, 2025, event to announce the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��.

����app�ٷ���վ�� men's soccer team hoist its first-ever Coastal Athletic Association Championship trophy in November. The Phoenix took home seven CAA titles in 2025, the most for the university in a single calendar year.

Students working with professor Matthew Banks in the Innovation lLab on November 20, 2025.

Among the highlights of Elon Law's 18th Commencement was when Jordan Holloway L'25 and his service dog, Kai, took the stage. Dean Zak Kramer conferred Kai an honorary diploma for completing law school, drawing cheers and laughs from the audience in Alumni Gym.

A Commencement program for the School of Health Sciences on Dec. 12, 2025, welcomed families, friends and mentors of 45 candidates for the Doctor of Physical Therapy, 38 candidates for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies, and 25 candidates for the university’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

����app�ٷ���վ�� coaches from the seven teams that won CAA championships in the 2025 calendar year. (Left to right) Elizabeth Anderson (Women’s Tennis), Don Hill (Men’s Golf), Marc Reeves (Men’s Soccer), Jennifer Strawley (Director of Athletics), Kathy Bocock (Softball), Neil Payne (Women’s Soccer), Mark Rinker (Women’s Cross Country), Mark Elliston (Women’s Track & Field)

Major moments

• Elon continued its tradition of excellence in 2025:
  • Ranked No. 1 in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News and World Report
  • Ranked No. 1 for study abroad in the Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors Report.
  • The Hollywood Reporter named Elon among the world’s best drama schools for 2025.
  • Mustafa Akben, assistant professor of management and director of artificial intelligence integration, was also named on Poets&Quants’ annual list of the 50 Best Undergraduate Business School Professors.
  • The Princeton Review again featured ����app�ٷ���վ�� in its popular college guide that annually recognizes excellence in dozens of categories that measure student feedback on their learning and campus experiences. The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business’s MBA program was also named among the nation’s best by the publication. Elon was also featured in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges.
  • Elon was named one of 75 “new dream schools” by New York Times best-selling author Jeffrey Selingo in his new book,��“Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You.”
  • PreLaw Magazine gave the ����app�ٷ���վ�� School of Law an A+ for its experiential curriculum in an annual ranking recognizing legal programs that help students learn by doing.
• The Phoenix took home seven CAA titles in 2025, the most for the university in a single calendar year, including first CAA wins for softball,��men’s soccer,��women’s soccer�����Ի���women’s tennis.������app�ٷ���վ�� is now only one of two CAA schools in the past 16 years to win both men and women’s soccer conference titles in the same season. Outdoor track & field, men’s golf ���Ի���women’s cross country, also took home CAA titles. Women’s cross country won for the sixth time in seven years.
• Elon Athletics celebrated another record-breaking Night of the Phoenix, in support of ����app�ٷ���վ�� student-athletes – a 23% increase from 2024.
• Gerald O. Whittington, the senior vice president emeritus who played a pivotal role in the growth of Elon’s physical campus and national reputation over three decades of service, received the Elon medallion during an Elon Day celebration in March featuring the dedication of a residence hall in his honor. In August, Rebecca “Becky” Olive-Taylor and G. Smith Jackson were awarded the medallion for their contributions to the university and community over careers that impacted tens of thousands of students.
• ����app�ٷ���վ�� and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) released the second publication in the Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence series. The new publication includes guidance for students using AI in their college studies and offers practical advice about preparing for careers that require AI knowledge and skills.
• ����app�ٷ���վ�� said goodbye to the Class of 2025 with a commencement send-off from alum Wes Durham ’88, an award-winning play-by-play commentator for ESPN and ACC Network. In December,��Charity Johansson, a founding faculty member of ����app�ٷ���վ��’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, gave a farewell to School of Health Sciences graduates, while Hon. Phil Berger Jr., North Carolina Supreme Court Justice, offered words of advice to graduates in the School of Law.
• Elon leaders dedicated the Toshio Sato Commons (formerly Global Commons) as part of Homecoming & Reunion Weekend in a ceremony that recognized the university’s first international student and first four-year graduate from outside the United States.
• The university launched several new degree programs in fall 2025, including neuroscience and digital content management. Elon also announced plans for a graduate program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at both the university’s main campus and Charlotte regional campus.
• In fall 2025, the university established Acorn Academy, an on-site child care and early learning facility with full enrollment of children from infancy to 2 years old whose parents are members of the Elon community. The facility plans to expand capacity and age groups in early 2026.
• Elon adopted the Okanagan Charter as a member of the U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network (USHPCN), pledging to nurture a campus culture that prioritizes health, belonging and well-being for students, faculty and staff. The charter adoption was part of the university’s larger HealthEU intitiative, which includes the new HealthEU Center, expected to open in fall 2026.
• The ����app�ٷ���վ�� Speaker Series brought multiple speakers to campus throughout the year, including author Jonathan Eig,  decorated Marine veteran Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour, CEO of Phi Beta Kappa Frederick Lawrence, author and advocate Alejandra Campoverdi, Olympian Katie Ledecky and retired Lt. Gen. Robert P. Ashley, Jr.

Related Articles

• Visionary investment establishes Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� for children with dyslexia
• Alicia S. Tate to serve as acting director of Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��
• Elon team visits with leaders of Roberts Academy at Mercer University

Interested parents, community members, and potential future faculty and staff of the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� came together for the first Discovering Dyslexia session, on Wednesday, Dec. 10 in Johnston Hall.

The sessions are an effort to inform the community about dyslexia and what the new Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will offer for students with dyslexia. The next “Discovering Dyslexia” session will be January 27, 2026 in Johnston Hall. Interested community members should RSVP through .

“This marks the first of many opportunities to learn, connect and share an understanding about dyslexia and the vision that guides the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��,” said Alicia Tate, acting director of the Roberts Academy and assistant professor in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, who opened the program. “This series, Discovering Dyslexia, will become a regular touchpoint for our community as we move forward in our implementation plan. Each session will bring new updates, deeper insights and continued transparency about the work ahead.”

, will be North Carolina’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia. The school will initially welcome third and fourth grade students in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue in Elon, N.C., before expanding capacity to grades one through six in a state-of-the-art facility planned for East Haggard Avenue set to open in Fall 2028.

The Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will be a transitional school intended for two-to-three years of instruction before children return to their community schools equipped to succeed as future scholars, entrepreneurs and civic leaders. The new school is made possible through the generosity of Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida. The Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will be the fourth private school established by the couple to assist children with dyslexia.

At Wednesday’s session, Tate detailed updated information about the academy, including offering background on dyslexia, broadly defined as an unexpected difficulty in learning to read. It interferes with a child’s ability to read quickly and can take a toll on self-esteem when left untreated, something Lisa LeBlanc knows all too well as her son Andrew struggled with dyslexia.

“I was reading everything I could about dyslexia, and one of the things that I read a lot about, that concerned me tremendously (…) was the correlation between dyslexia and low self-esteem. The correlation is very real,” said LeBlanc, who spoke to the audience on Wednesday. “That became my goal: Andrew’s self esteem. Figure out how to teach him to read fluently, accurately, with expression, (and) without crushing his self-esteem.”

LeBlanc detailed her journey, which she described as “intense” at times, of helping Andrew, from having him privately tested for dyslexia, switching schools and eventually finding him a tutor trained in the Orton Gillingham method, the same learning technique that will be used at the Roberts Academy, considered one of the most effective approaches to helping students develop strategies for overcoming their reading difficulties.

Andrew graduated from Grimsley High School in Greensboro and went on to earn a welding diploma from Guilford Technical Community College. LeBlanc says his success is great talk to talk about, but the most important thing is that Andrew has “figured out a secret to life,” knowing that happiness comes from living to your full potential and being in service to others.

“Kids that struggle and don’t come out on the other end like Andrew are at risk of being super bitter,” LeBlanc said. “And after all of this, he’s not bitter, and nor am I. It’s important for children to learn to read and write on grade level, and it’s more important that learning to read and write on grade level doesn’t come at the expense of bulletproof confidence.”

LeBlanc’s advice to parents in the audience: don’t squander the opportunity to help your child.

“Conquer your fears and accept the responsibilities of parenting your exceptional, precious child, and you will never, ever regret your child knowing exactly how you feel about them,” she said. “Let me encourage you to commit to every day, being another chance for you to live to your potential, to have faith in the scariest decisions, the ability to take the farthest steps, and the ease of making Herculean sacrifices. Because that’s what it seems to take, and you’re up for it. Because you were chosen.”

Applications for enrollment will be accepted starting in early 2026.��More information, including an interest form for prospective families, can be found at.

It’s a complex effort to run any private school, let alone one exclusive for children with dyslexia, and a recent visit to by administrators planning the launch of a similar academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� was defined by a shared desire to help children discover their own “superpowers.”

Led by Ann Bullock, dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education at ����app�ٷ���վ��, and Tait Arend, senior director of development at ����app�ٷ���վ��, a dozen staff members toured the Mercer academy on Dec. 3, 2025, and conversed with their counterparts in Macon, Georgia, about lessons learned in establishing the program.

“The partnership we are building with Roberts Academy at Mercer University and the entire Mercer University community is invaluable,” Bullock said. “This type of partnership enables two private universities to create synergy around a common purpose and to educate children with dyslexia to an exceptional level, carrying on the Roberts’ legacy and impacting families for generations.”

This type of partnership enables two private universities to create synergy around a common purpose and to educate children with dyslexia to an exceptional level, carrying on the Roberts’ legacy and impacting families for generations.

– Ann Bullock, dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education at ����app�ٷ���վ��

����app�ٷ���վ�� announced in November the establishment of Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��. The school will initially welcome third and fourth grade students in a temporary space on West Trollinger Avenue in Elon, N.C., before expanding capacity to grades one through six in a facility planned for East Haggard Avenue set to open in Fall 2028.

Made possible by a transformational gift from Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the school expects between 150 and 200 students each year once fully enrolled with no more than a dozen children per classroom. Teachers will 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 sharing of ideas, learning from Mercer’s opening, and the continued open dialogue will allow the Roberts Academy at Elon to open successfully,” Bullock said. “Our future collaboration also will bring more recognition and awareness of dyslexia across the nation through future projects. Elon could not be more thankful for (Head of School) Joy Wood’s leadership and the generosity of her many colleagues at Mercer University as we prepare for our opening.”

����app�ٷ���վ�� academy will be the fourth and final established by the Roberts family, joining a network of private schools on the campuses of Mercer, Vanderbilt University, and Florida Southern College.

“Being at Mercer helped bring Hal and Marjorie’s vision to life for ����app�ٷ���վ�� community,” Arend said. “You could feel hope in the hallways and see the confidence growing in children who finally feel understood. Our team left both moved and motivated, with a deeper sense of purpose and a clearer picture of what is possible for North Carolina families.

“This experience will shape how we prepare to open ����app�ٷ���վ�� school next summer and how we honor the trust the Roberts family has placed in us.”

The Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will begin its recruitment of teaching staff and open up applications for admissions in early 2026. Visit www.elon.edu/robertsacademy to learn more.

The more than 20-minute interview began with discussions about the launch of the new Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��,��a transitional school serving students with dyslexia in grades 3-4 in a temporary location starting in Fall 2026 (and expanding to grades 1-6 with the opening of a state-of-the-art facility in Fall 2028).

“What’s amazing about this kind of transformative philanthropy is that the Roberts family, one academy at a time, is changing the life of thousands of students who suffer from dyslexia. So, we were really proud to be their fourth and final academy,” said Book.

Book also discussed Elon’s proposed merger with Queens University of Charlotte, which will expand the university’s graduate offerings in Charlotte, specifically in business, law and health programs.

“I will say that the ‘why’ behind Queens is really an extension of the Boldy Elon plan that moved us to Charlotte,” said Book. “The state of North Carolina is experiencing growth, and Charlotte is leading that growth with 150 people moving to the area every day, and it is an exciting young professionals area, so we could see that in our planning data before we opened the law program there and made the decision about the health care program. It’s underserved from a higher education perspective.”

With the current challenges in higher education, Book warned that “large tuition discounts” may lead to university closures in the future.

“What’s happened at smaller universities is that, to try to recruit classes, they keep discounting tuition. The average in the U.S. now is over 60%. So this is this phenomenon where you see a sticker price, and then you don’t see disclosed what people are actually paying,” said Book. “It’s that phenomenon when you’re on the airline and you’re in your seat and you’re not clear who paid what for their seat on the flight. So higher ed suffers from this. Elon has challenged that trend by keeping our sticker price lower. Now our scholarships are lower, but we think that’s a more truthful approach, and we have benefited from that over the years.”

Listen to the full interview and read a full transcript on the Triad Business Journal website.

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November is a time to remember the importance of gratitude, and that was evident at ����app�ٷ���վ�� throughout, as students, faculty, and staff took advantage of the opportunities provided to them. The Elon community also expressed its thanks for a major gift that established the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��.

View some of the most impactful moments of the past month through the eyes of staff in the Office of University Communications.

The Roberts Academy at Elon

Through a once-in-a-generation investment in North Carolina education by Marjorie and Hal Roberts, the new Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� – set to open in Fall 2026 – will be the state’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia. The announcement was made at an event in Sato Commons on Nov. 6, 2025.

Falling into dance

����app�ٷ���վ��’s Department of Performing Arts presented its fall dance concert titled “Echoes and Currents” in November. A full look at the 2025-26 season is available .

Not like November

November brought some unseasonably warm weather to campus, a perfect opportunity for students to relax on Young Commons.

Honoring Veterans

����app�ٷ���վ�� honored Veterans Day on Nov. 11 with the Carol Ann Walker International Lecture, delivered by Retired Lt. Gen. Robert P. Ashley, Jr.

Sounding off

Arts West provides Music Production & Recording Arts students with hands-on learning opportunities, like Studio D.

CAA champs

Both the Elon men’s and women’s soccer teams took home Coastal Athletic Association titles in November.������app�ٷ���վ�� is now only one of two CAA schools in the past 16 years to win both men’s and women’s soccer conference titles in the same season.

Eyes on engineering

Innovation Hall provides a variety of lab opportunities for students, including an engineering lab and an engineering prototype lab.

, starting in Fall 2026, will be North Carolina’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia, Elon leaders announced in a historic event attended by hundreds of people in the Great Hall of Sato Commons. It will serve as a statewide and national model for structured literacy education.

The school will initially welcome third and fourth grade students in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue in Elon, N.C., before expanding capacity to grades one through six in a state-of-the-art facility planned for East Haggard Avenue set to open in Fall 2028.

The school expects between 150 and 200 students each year once fully enrolled with no more than a dozen children per classroom. Teachers will 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 Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will be a transitional school intended for two-to-three years of instruction before children return to their community schools equipped to succeed as future scholars, entrepreneurs and civic leaders.

“This is not just a gift to Elon. It is a gift to families, schools, and communities across North Carolina and beyond,” said ����app�ٷ���վ�� President Connie Ledoux Book. “The Roberts Academy will serve as a lifeline for children with dyslexia — offering the tools, confidence, and encouragement they need to thrive.

“Families will gain resources and a strong, supportive community. At the same time, Elon will prepare a new generation of teachers equipped with evidence-based methods to reach every child — multiplying the impact far beyond the academy’s walls.”

This is not just a gift to Elon. It is a gift to families, schools, and communities across North Carolina and beyond. The Roberts Academy will serve as a lifeline for children with dyslexia — offering the tools, confidence, and encouragement they need to thrive.

– ����app�ٷ���վ�� President Connie Ledoux Book

Made possible through the generosity of Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ�� will be the fourth private school established by the couple to assist children with dyslexia. ����app�ٷ���վ�� will join , , and in a network of Roberts Academy programs committed to the advancement of education for children with dyslexia and related conditions.

In addition to the Roberts Academy at ����app�ٷ���վ��, the gift from the Robertses will establish the Roberts Center for Dyslexia and Engaged Learning within ����app�ٷ���վ�� Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. The center will serve as a professional development and resource hub for educators and policymakers across the region in search of information on dyslexia, which affects an estimated 10-20% of the U.S. population.

The Roberts’ philanthropy was inspired by the journey of three grandchildren who learned differently and thrived when given access to the right environment and teaching methods. The academy will help fill a critical gap in services for North Carolina families, aligning with the state’s renewed focus on early literacy and reading proficiency.

“We’re very pleased that ����app�ٷ���վ�� shares our passion for creating a school for children with dyslexia in North Carolina,” said Hal Roberts. “Kids with dyslexia often have strengths that are extraordinary. They call it their ‘superpower.’ We’ve seen these schools change lives, and with ����app�ٷ���վ�� national reputation for teaching excellence, this partnership feels like the perfect next step in our journey.”

Administrators and classroom teachers at the school will be full-time employees of ����app�ٷ���վ��. Recruitment for those positions will begin in early 2026. Assistant Professor Alicia Tate in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education will serve as acting director as the academy prepares to open.

Throughout her career, Tate has championed evidence-based structured literacy approaches, including Orton-Gillingham, providing professional development, coaching, and direct instruction to support students with disabilities in developing strong reading skills. She holds a Ph.D. in Specialized Education Services from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a National Board Certified Teacher in Exceptional Needs.

“The Roberts Academy will become a living classroom for future educators. Through hands-on learning experiences, teacher candidates at Elon will gain deep expertise in structured literacy and the Orton–Gillingham approach, methods proven to transform the lives of students with dyslexia,” said Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education Dean Ann Bullock. “This work also meets an urgent statewide need by preparing teachers who are ready to identify reading challenges early and apply evidence-based interventions that help every child succeed.”

Applications for enrollment will be accepted starting in early 2026. .

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����app�ٷ���վ�� is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture. At Elon, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff. More than 70 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business administration, business analytics, accounting, education, higher education, physician assistant studies and physical therapy.

����app�ٷ���վ�� Marjorie and Hal Roberts

Marjorie and Hal Roberts are passionate advocates for children and education whose generosity has created new opportunities for students with dyslexia to reach their full potential. Their vision for the Roberts Academy network began with a simple belief — that every child deserves to experience the confidence and joy that come from learning to read.

Through their leadership and philanthropy, the Roberts family has helped establish academies at Florida Southern College, Mercer University, Vanderbilt University, and now ����app�ٷ���վ�� — each dedicated to transforming lives through evidence-based literacy instruction and compassionate teaching.