Accreditation
Rollins College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Rollins College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Rollins College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500, or by using information available on the SACSCOC website (http://www.sacs.org).* Rollins obtained its SACSCOC accreditation in 1927 and has had no lapses in accreditation. Rollins’ accreditation was last reaffirmed in 2015; and the College’s Fifth-Year Interim Report was accepted by SACSCOC in 2021. Rollins’ next reaffirmation of accreditation will take place in 2025.
Rollins College also holds additional program-level accreditations, approvals, or memberships. The College’s undergraduate and graduate business programs are accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The undergraduate music program has been a full member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1931. The chemistry program has received approval by the American Chemical Society since 1974. The undergraduate and graduate programs in education and teaching are approved by the Department of Education of the State of Florida, and the graduate counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Additionally, the College’s Cornell Fine Arts Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
Rollins also holds institutional memberships in the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Council of Independent Colleges, Associated Colleges of the South, the College Entrance Examination Board, the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, and Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, Inc.
*The contact information for SACSCOC is provided to enable interested constituents to ask questions about Rollins’ accreditation status. Inquiries about Rollins College, such as admission requirements, financial aid, educational programs, etc., should be sent directly to Rollins College and not to the Commission’s office. The Commission is to be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support that Rollins is not in compliance with a requirement or a standard of accreditation.
Mission Statement
Rollins College educates students for global citizenship and responsible leadership, empowering graduates to pursue meaningful lives and productive careers. We are committed to the liberal arts ethos and guided by its values and ideals. Our guiding principles are excellence, innovation, and community.
Rollins is a comprehensive liberal arts college. Rollins is nationally recognized for its distinctive undergraduate and selected graduate programs. We provide opportunities to explore diverse intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic traditions. We are dedicated to scholarship, academic achievement, creative accomplishment, cultural enrichment, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. We value excellence in teaching and rigorous, transformative education in a healthy, responsive, and inclusive environment.
Introduction to Rollins College
Rollins College stands among those small, coeducational, independent liberal arts institutions that contribute distinctively to the vitality and diversity of American higher education. Founded in 1885 under the auspices of the Congregational Church, and designed to bring the educational standards of New England to the Florida frontier, Rollins was the first college in Florida. In 1885, admission requirements were similar to those of other good liberal arts institutions of the day: Latin and Greek, language and composition, plane geometry, history of Greece and Rome, and so on.
Rollins is nonsectarian and independent, and is supported through tuition, investments, and gifts from alumni, friends, and foundations. The College offers a challenging curriculum leading to the Artium Baccalaureus (Bachelor of Arts) degree. This curriculum, which includes thirty-one major fields of study and more than sixteen hundred courses, reflects a distinctive and innovative approach to education.
The College is located in Winter Park, an attractive residential community adjacent to the city of Orlando. Fifty miles from the Atlantic Ocean and seventy miles from the Gulf of Mexico, the seventy-acre campus is bounded by Lake Virginia to the east and south. A traditional Spanish-Mediterranean architecture characterizes the College facilities.
About the Hamilton Holt School
For over 130 years, Rollins has been serving Orlando and its surrounding communities. The beautiful 70-acre campus is located in the heart of Winter Park and bounded by Lake Virginia to the east and south. At Rollins, our goal extends beyond the development of important workplace skills - we aim to nurture your mind in a small classroom environment so that you will lead a life of inquiry and fulfillment. Our programs promote broad, integrative learning and awareness of social issues.
The Hamilton Holt School, named for the college’s eighth president, features a wide range of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered during evening hours, with small classes, dedicated faculty, and diverse students of all ages and backgrounds. The average age of Holt undergraduates is 29. Approximately 1,200 students enroll each year. Most work part or full time and have family responsibilities. Many receive scholarship support and other financial assistance.
Our approach to education embraces principles that are widely recognized as promoting learning in adult students. These principles include:
- Student-faculty contact. Rollins Evening students have the opportunity to interact with faculty on a regular basis inside and outside the classroom. Small class sizes, individual attention, and a supportive academic environment promote learning and make Rollins unique.
- A blend of liberal arts and professional course offerings. Adult learners benefit the most when they can apply what they learn in the classroom to their work environment. Whether you are fresh out of high school or a working adult, the Holt School offers you a practical education that is designed to take advantage of your strengths. We embrace the Association of American Colleges and Universities position that the “dividing line” between professional education and liberal education is artificial - that students benefit the most when they have access to a portfolio of courses that provide diverse professional and liberal arts experiences. This is especially true for adult learners.
- Active learning. Because our curriculum is practical, Rollins Evening students collaborate with faculty in order to solve complex, real-world problems. In many ways, we learn as much from our students as our students learn from us. Our commitment to sharing ideas with students and living the “life of the mind” means that your experience at Rollins will involve more than learning skills, you’ll become an intellectual explorer.
- Prompt and appropriate feedback about academic performance. Small class sizes also mean more in-depth and constructive feedback. Your education is too important for you to feel like a number.
- Rigorous learning experiences. With increased individual attention comes increased expectations of your intellectual development. At Rollins, both our faculty and students expect nothing less than excellence from each other.
- A diverse community of faculty and peers. The considerable life experiences of our students and faculty make classroom learning exciting. At Rollins, you will meet leaders in the community, other professionals who are looking to advance professionally, and top notch artists and musicians. Our students come from all walks of life and ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
- Preparation for the future. Your program of study will challenge your mind and prepare you for a career in a rapidly changing world.
A great number of Hamilton Holt School students continue to live, work, and raise their families in Central Florida. Many of the Holt School’s 16,000 alumni have earned advanced degrees and have gained prominence in their professions. Their Rollins education continues to make a positive difference, empowering them to lead meaningful lives and productive careers.
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