Anchor Guide: Summer Preparation

The liberal arts are the heart of a Rollins education. A liberal arts education helps students develop broad knowledge from a variety of academic courses and challenges students to learn to think critically, problem-solve, and to develop the skills needed to apply knowledge from across disciplines.

First year courses and curriculum requirements - Part of your student's first-semester experience at Rollins is taking a Rollins College Conference, or RCC class. In their RCC class, students are connected to Peer Mentors who are sophomore, junior, and senior students, who will guide them through their transition to Rollins. Learn more about the RCC program and offerings here. Along with RCC classes, students begin to take general education courses, which we call, Rollins Foundations.

Rollins Curriculum - Through Rollins' innovative general education Foundations curriculum-the liberal arts in action-students gain transferrable skills and engage in the kind of practical, real-world experiences that employers and graduate schools demand. Click here to learn more about majors, minors, and academic programs at Rollins. 

Advising at Rollins - We believe the faculty-student advising relationship is essential to students’ ability to reach their goals and to make meaning of their liberal arts education. Questions? Contact the advising office at 407.646.2569 or advising@rollins.edu.

Class Schedules, Registration, Academic Calendars - In preparation for the upcoming semester, summer is a good time for students to review their fall course schedule and the upcoming academic calendar. The registrar’s office is responsible for a range of services that includes class scheduling, registration, transcript requests, degree/enrollment verifications, academic record and transcript maintenance, and monitoring degree requirements. Along with emails from their faculty advisors, students should make it a good habit to check their Rollins email account for official messages and information from the registrar’s office. Contact the Office of the Registrar with questions at 407.646.2144 or registrar@rollins.edu.

Rollins Gateway, is the College's signature approach to preparing students for meaningful lives and productive careers. Rollins Gateway combines our interdisciplinary curriculum with high-impact experiences outside of the classroom and an integrated mentorship model, creating a personalized pathway that empowers students to chart their own course to personal and professional success.

Student success is a team effort. Take some time to review with your student the resources available on the Rollins website to support your student’s success. Additionally, Rollins has a dedicated web page for parents and families for easy navigation to campus resources, services, and volunteer information. There is also a parent portal where your student can give you access to things like: monthly and historical billing statements, direct deposit updates, academic information and financial aid messages.

Rollins prioritizes equal access to the classroom and on campus experiences for students with disabilities. If your student has received accommodations in the past or would like to talk to Accessibility Services to determine if they are qualified to receive accommodations, encourage them to complete the Accommodation Request Form that can be found in MyRollins. For more information, contact the Office of Accessibility Services at 407.975.6463 or access@rollins.edu.

EMBARK is a program to help students of underrepresented populations successfully acclimate and thrive at Rollins.

EMBARK is open to all students, with a specific focus on underrepresented populations, including but not limited to students of color; all religious backgrounds; those having a disability; and those identifying as LGBTQ+. This program begins with a pre-orientation program and continues throughout a student’s time at Rollins as a cohort-based leadership opportunity. Contact the Student Center for Inclusion and Belonging for more information about this program at 407.646.1240 or inclusion@rollins.edu.

On-campus jobs are posted beginning in mid-July. Students will receive notifications about on-campus, part-time job postings via their Rollins email address from the Center for Career & Life Planning.

If your student plans to work on or off-campus, make sure they bring the ID documents needed to complete the required federal employment paperwork. Learn what's required by checking MyRollins.

Contact: 407.646.2195 or careercenter@rollins.edu

Incoming student housing assignments are sent out by mid-July. Move in dates and times for all students are also be sent out by mid-July.

Dining Services

Proper nutrition plays a vital role in your student’s academic success and overall well-being. Rollins provides five convenient dining locations across campus that are uniquely designed with the college lifestyle in mind. Locations, menus, and operating hours can be found on the Dining Services website.

Review meal plan options with your student each semester and select the one that will best fit their needs. It is helpful to be familiar with the dining terminology: Swipes, refresh weekly, giving access to the all-you-can-eat Campus Center; Dining Dollars are refillable and can be used at any campus dining location; TarBUC$ are a special add-on and can be used on campus and at select off-campus eateries.

It is important to note that students may change their meal plans during the first two weeks after classes begin (August 19 – 30, 2024 at noon EST); after that, plans are locked in for the semester. Contact the Residential Life & Explorations to initiate any changes.

Communication is important. Set up ways to communicate and keep in touch (by text, phone calls, or email). This is a good time to be clear about your communication expectations as a family.

Talk to your student about plans for the academic year, and about being fully registered for classes for the fall semester. Add/drop period for fall begins the first week of classes.

Two qualities that are predictors of well-being are gratitude and love of learning. As your student transitions into college, think about ways that you and your student have time to share gratitude and make time to engage in conversation about the new experiences that are inspiring them in college.

Make a financial plan with your student and develop a budget. Be clear as to who pays for what (e.g., books, supplies, food, social life, and incidentals).

Also be sure to review the Financial Aid information on the College of Liberal Arts website for frequently asked questions, consumer information, and financial aid forms. The Office of Student Account Services provides students' monthly online billing statements, financial & monthly payment plan counseling, receives payments for tuition, fees, and miscellaneous campus charges; and delivers refunds and financial aid residuals after disbursement. Both are here to help!

Students can retrieve and send mail and packages from the Rollins Campus Post Office (RCPO) location if they have pre-paid postage and/or a pre-paid shipping label. The RCPO does NOT offer outbound mailing services. Rollins College is conveniently located within walking distance of both a FedEx and UPS Store, as well as the Winter Park Post Office.

How to send your student a letter or package using their campus address can be found in the Post Office Handbook, as well as other information related to Post Office services and package pick-up locations.

Personal well-being and safety of your student should be an important discussion throughout the year.

Making good choices, engaging in healthy relationships, and being aware that impaired judgment from intoxication can place one at much greater risk for injury or harm are all important conversations to have with your student.

Students can reach out to the Wellness Center if at any point stress, depression, life balance, or relationship or transition issues might get the best of them. The Wellness Center provides the following resources: flu vaccinations, general health checks, some prescriptions, sexual health and STI screenings, as well as counseling services.

If your student feels they must be absent from class outside of their individual class attendance requirements, it is the student’s responsibility to talk with their faculty member to determine whether the absence is to be considered “excused” or “unexcused” as defined by the class attendance policy. Students can work with the Student Outreach & Resource Center Care office to facilitate communication with faculty when they must be absent from campus for illness, hospitalization, family emergencies, or similar contingencies.

Students are responsible for all work missed from classes.

Spring 2023 academic credit internship registration opened November 1 and closes January 10, 2023. Internships are incredibly beneficial and can be pursued with or without academic credit. Students are strongly encouraged to review employer and opportunity information on Handshake, as well as utilize Career & Life Planning resources to successfully get engaged with the team.

Is FERPA Right for You? FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and affords eligible students (someone who is 18 years of age or older) the rights to their education. It's always a good time for you and your student to review their FERPA privileges and make adjustments as needed in Foxlink. When a student adds someone to their FERPA, that individual is able to gain academic and financial records from the College. Students can make adjustments to their FERPA privileges at any time in Foxlink. For more information about FERPA please review these Frequently Asked Questions.

Rollins requires all on-campus students, and highly recommends those students residing off-campus, to develop and share with the College their own “Personal Hurricane Plan.” This will mean in the event of a hurricane and the College closes, students must leave campus to travel home or elsewhere. If students decide to stay locally and need shelter, the College will organize transportation to a local American Red Cross-approved emergency shelter. Rollins is fortunate to be located in Orange County, which has a robust American Red Cross presence. During Hurricane Irma, the County opened 21 American Red Cross shelters across the county, including facilities for those with special/medical needs and pet-friendly shelters.

We have asked that all students talk to their families and file their plans prior to the start of the academic year through MyRollins/Student Life. The College shares hurricane news and information via the Rollins alert system, email and website communication.

In the September-October Anchor Guide, you'll learn more about your student's academic success, student life & wellbeing, mid-terms, exploring major programs, and filing next year's FAFSA.