March Newsletter

It is hard to believe it is already early March! Where has the semester gone? As we approach the halfway point of the term, there are several important dates to keep in mind. Academic and career planning advising begins on March 17, roommate selection started on March 5, housing selection begins on March 20, and the College of Liberal Arts commencement is on May 11. Information on all these important dates and more is below.

The April newsletter will be the last one for which I will write the opening letter. As you may know, President Cornwell and I are retiring at the end of the academic year, and Brooke Barnett will begin as the 16th President of Rollins on July 1, 2025.

I have really enjoyed my connection to the parent and family programs at Rollins. As parents of college graduates, I encourage you to continue to ask questions of your students about their involvement at Rollins both inside and outside of the classroom. Over the past 10 years, President Cornwell, the faculty, and staff have worked to offer educational opportunities that develop intellectual inquiry your students can apply every day after they graduate from Rollins. It has been a great joy to watch your students develop into global citizens and responsible leaders.

The College of Liberal Arts Commencement ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at 10 a.m. in the Alfond Sports Center, Warden Arena.

Students graduating in May should complete the College of Liberal Arts Commencement seating accommodations survey by Friday, May 2, to ensure seating is available for those with accessibility needs.

Complete the seating accommodations survey can be found here.

Have questions about commencement? View the Commencement FAQs website or email commencement@rollins.edu.

This is an exciting time for students to plan their study abroad experiences for the next academic year. Visit the International Programs website to find program details and schedule an appointment with an advisor. Faculty-led field studies for 2025-26 will be announced on the website in April. Applications for the spring 2026 semester abroad open in August.

If your student plans to drop a spring 2025 course, the last day to do so without penalty (W deadline) is March 28.

For more information on academic catalogues, FERPA, diplomas, and transcripts, as well as current and future academic calendars, visit the Registrar website.

The Tutoring & Writing Center provides study groups and individual appointments for writing consultations, academic skills tutoring, and course-specific tutoring. Students can also access drop-in tutoring for STEM courses in the STEM Hub at Bush Science Center. All sessions are conducted by Rollins students who serve as tutors and writing consultants. Visit the Tutoring & Writing Center website to learn more.

Spring athletic competitions are underway, visit the RollinsSports.com for information, schedules, and live streaming opportunities.

This spring, students can be active in eight group fitness classes each week along with barre, basketball, cross country, dance team, equestrian, Esports, flag football, ice hockey, lap swim, pickleball, Pilates, ping pong, scuba, soccer, spike ball, tennis, volleyball, yoga, and Zumba.

Your student receives regular emails about Career & Life Planning programs. Here’s a snapshot of spring career offerings:

• Senior Focus: Graduating seniors should schedule Senior Chat and career advising appointments, join the Senior Success Series, attend alumni panels, connect with recruiters on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and attend networking events.
• Summer Internships: Students can earn 2-4 credits for academic internship experiences and completion of the online course concurrent with their experience. Registration is March 20-May 10.
• Funding Access: Students can apply for funding through the Gateway Fellows to support engagement in academic internship programs by April 20. Visit the program website to learn more about the application.
• Campus Employment: On-campus jobs are high-impact Gateway experiences offering students a chance to explore job profiles, build transferable skills, and expand networks. Available roles are listed on Handshake.

The spring semester is filled with some of Rollins’ most beloved campus traditions. Encourage your student to visit GetInvolved for events happening on campus. Students receive emails every Monday highlighting events, programs, meetings, and more. Spring campus highlights include:

• Student Government Association (SGA) selecting their 2025-26 Executive Board
• SGA hosting the annual LipSync Battle on April 4
• Student Achievement Awards on April 28
• Senior Week kicking off on May 7

Immersions provide students with hands-on experience with pressing social issues and offer leadership opportunities in team dynamics, meaningful discussion facilitation, resilience, time management, communication, and collaboration with businesses and nonprofits. Applications to facilitate an Immersion in the 2025-26 academic year close on April 6 on GetInvolved.

For more information about Immersions and other community engagement initiatives, contact the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement or visit their website.

International students graduating in spring or summer interested in gaining a year of work experience in the U.S. should work with the Office of International Student & Scholar Services to prepare their applications for Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment authorization. Early application is critical to receiving authorization to start a job post-graduation. Students can find more information and instructions for applying for OPT on the MyRollins OISSS page. All international students who were in the U.S. in 2024 have tax filing obligations. U.S. tax filing season ends on April 15. Students should review the information on their tax obligations in the MyRollins OISSS page on Tax Obligations and follow the instructions for the processes that apply to them. At a minimum, all international students on an F-1 or J-1 visa who were in the U.S. in 2024 must file Form 8843.

This spring, the FSL community welcomed new members. If your student joined a fraternity or sorority, you might have questions about the new member process. All parents of FSL students are encouraged to check the FSL website and social media for updates about community events and celebrations.

FSL's annual Greek Awards will be celebrated on April 30.

• Roommate matching begins: March 5
• Roommate social: March 18
• Room selection: March 20 – April 4 (students can edit roommate group throughout the process)
• Dining plan selection: April 7 – 18

The Maymester and summer housing applications open on April 10 at noon EST. Students must be enrolled in Maymester to apply for Maymester Housing. All active CLA students (currently enrolled and enrolled for the fall 2025 semester) are eligible for summer housing; however, space is limited.

Religious & Spiritual Life offers opportunities to meet your students' spiritual needs through programming and religious offerings, including a student Interfaith Council, student religious organizations and weekly Soul Sessions, Jumu'ah Prayer, and Shabbat. This spring, there will be an interfaith visit to Guang Ming Temple on March 23 and an Interfaith Dialogue workshop from March 27-29. Upcoming religious observances include:

• February 29 - March 29: Ramadan (Islam), Iftar on campus March 6
• March 5: Ash Wednesday (Christianity), service on campus
• March 14: Purim (Judaism)
• March 14: Holi (Hinduism)
• March 28: Alumni Weekend Shabbat
• April 13: Palm Sunday (Christianity)
• April 13 - April 20: Passover (Judaism), Seder on campus April 13
• April 17: Holy/Maundy Thursday (Christianity)
• April 18: Good Friday (Christianity)
• April 20: Easter (Christianity), sunrise service on campus

As Spring Break is just a few days away, your student may want to know what the Spring Break hours of operations are. Visit dining.rollins.edu to see adjusted hours for each of the dining locations.

If you have any questions related to dining, email rollinsdiningservices@rollins.edu, or use their 24-hour text line at 82257 or follow them on Instagram.

As parents, it can be difficult to see students struggle, and it is hard to know when to step back and when to jump in and support. If you are curious about ways to help build resiliency in your student, look at "What Is Resilience and How Do We Cultivate It," an article by Adina Glickman, former director of Learning Strategies at Stanford University and co-founder and director of the Academic Resilience Consortium. Please don't hesitate to reach out to the Student Outreach & Resource Center if you are still concerned, and your student could use more resources.

The Wellness Center is open from 8:30 – 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Students can utilize both Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Health Services free of charge.

Wellness resources for your student:

• Students can use MyRollins to schedule online appointments or call 407-628-6340
• Rollins Mental Health Helpline: 407-646-1516 – counselors available 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
• TogetherAll: a safe, anonymous online peer community where students can create a free account with their @rollins.eduaccount on togetherall.com
• WellTrack: a free interactive self-help therapy app with a @rollins.edu account.